by Scott
(Pass Christian, MS)
I'm wondering if I could take the power head off of my 81 35 hp long shaft and put it on a 97 35 hp short shaft. My reasoning is that I need a short shaft for the john boat I recently purchased. They have rigged up a long shaft on the boat and it's really an issue, esp in lower water. It really needs a short shaft. I found an issue with the water pump leaking, so decided to just go ahead and replace it since I knew very little about the engine. Tore into it and found stripped bolt holes, broken off bolts, bearings worn out, gears worn out, you get the point. I found a 97 short shaft that the guy says just lost compression, but guarantees the lower unit is solid. If I could take my power head off, which runs great, and put it on the short shaft, then I'd be in great shape.