Saving Old Seagulls

hi,
can i turn my long shaft wspc into a short shaft without too many dramas ? it`s about 8 inches too long for my boat & was thinking i could shorten the exhaust tube,drive shaft & do a cut & shut on the drive shaft tube,sounds easy enough to me,what do others think ? has it been done before ?

cheers
jason

It's fairly easy to do. As you say just strip the components and cut them by the required amount. No need to "cut and shut" anything, just the "cut and rebuild" While you are at it you can do a nut and bolt rebuild

To make life easy cut all the components using a decent bandsaw or reciprocating saw that cuts straight!

Oyster 49 wrote:It's fairly easy to do. As you say just strip the components and cut them by the required amount. No need to "cut and shut" anything, just the "cut and rebuild" While you are at it you can do a nut and bolt rebuild

To make life easy cut all the components using a decent bandsaw or reciprocating saw that cuts straight!

There can be a problem if the drive tube has a step in it, where it goes into the water pump housing.

You will need to pop it in the lathe and turn it down a bit.

I use a small angle grinder with thin metal cutting discs, If you wrap an A4 sheet of paper round the exhaust tube and tape it in place, this will give you an exactly square line to follow.

I have reduced long shaft to short shaft a few times with no problems, but I did measure and make sure it was the same as a short shaft version, not an odd length.

Cut away measure twice cut once.

H-A

That's interesting, I've not come across a drive shaft tube with a step in it. Is that on later engines?

Yep

H-A

yep mine is a 1977 model with a step in the drive shaft tube where it goes into the water pump housing,so need to cut & shut it along with the clutch rod.

but came up with another idea while down on the shed.photo attached.

You can also fit a raising spacer to the drive shaft tube, this clamps on to stop the engine dropping all the way down. SOS will have them. Another option is to fit a jubilee clip at the right height.

I actually prefer the engine to be a little raised, less chance of water in the carb.

As H-A says ten minutes on a lathe to recreate the step after cutting down and away you go.

I suspect the spacer Oyster refers to is a 'height adjustment collar'. Sadly it's only for the thinner tubes.

does that big collar have 2 halves to fit over?
adjustment collars are a bodge really aren't they

I find a jubilee clip does the job nicely.

Hi You could find a connecting rod that fits the drive tube . Two halves comes off and on with out dissembling the engine . The bearing material wont mar the chrome . Cut the end off . Hope this helps . VIC