Converting a OMC to a Volvo outdrive

[Alfred]

#1
Today, 02:17 PM
Al Gagnon
Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 46


Volvo outdrive for a 351 Ford Windsor
Does anyone have or has anyone seen a setup with a 351 Ford windsor engine attached to a volvo outdrive? Working on repairing my sons 24 ft. skipjack. Was looking at replacing the engine but rebuilt the carb and got the engine to idle fine. Compression was all above 155 lbs. Just got a new compression gauge and began to think the gauge was wacko from the shelf. Most cylinders 160-165 with only two at about 158, all within 10%. May try to use the engine and install a volvo drive unit. The one on the boat is a OMC electric shift. Hear that I needed 6 to 9 ohms per solonoid but reads out at about 0 to one ohm. direct short to ground. Rather not spend money on replacing the OMC outdrive or trying to rebuild it. I do not trust that rubber boot that OMC use on the transom. Any comments. . If it fails, it would not take too long to sink a boat. I need to know what it takes to bolt a volvo 280 or 290 volvo outdrive to a ford 351 windsor engine. I heard that Volvo makes a adapter plate that covers the OMC hole in the transom. Any thought on what is out their?? Al

[Az.monkey]

make the current engine run and then run like forrest gump away from it or be prepaired to spend some $$$ for the exchange

[kerncat]

Some years ago I had a 23'IMP that had the old stringer mount OMC outdrive/engine package..I looked in to converting it and man what a mess..first is the enormous hole in the transom..filling and re cutting the drive hole is doable but I've been told that most transoms on the older boats have plenty of soft or waterlogged wood that also needs repair or replacement..often in a transom replacement in total..next, the stringer mount engine set up (assuming that's what you have) is a whole different cat than the volvo or merc mounting situation..lots of adaptation and basic boat work to even allow the engine to mount to the volvo or merc drive..Then there is the instrument/steeirng, etc package that probably all needs to be changed out...

I looked into patching the transom and putting on a gil plate for a big outboard and after all the considering, sold the boat at a give away price and moved on..there's an old saying that you just can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit..the old OMC's were just what they were and it's pretty hard to justify the cost of changing one out...the big boot is scary but if you keep on the alert and maintain things, it's run this long and might last a lot longer..depends on what you want to do. Good luck but be sure to get all the facts you can before deciding on that sort of repower on an older boat.

[bigbrownbuku]

there s a vovlo designed plug available for the transom hole, ive seen a few on boats up here in the frozen north. install the adapter and the new/old volvo transom installs no problem.