DB> DH> Actually I'm sort of new at this, but from what I have been told, it
DB>Actually, '800 series' gearcases refer to mechanical shift units made from
  >1978 to 1985 (and will have a decal on the top indicating it). The easiest
Well..... would you believe I'm "totally green" when it comes to any
"real" knowledge of boats. 
Last (and only) one I actually owned prior to this one was a little 16'
Carter Craft with an old Merc straight 6 65 horse on it. And it was
mostly run around in Lake Weiss up in Alabama. But I did work at Chris
Craft for about a year after moving to FL in the engine rigging
department. (About all we ever set were Mercruiser's and an occasional
Volvo). And working in an assembly line type situation doesn't give a
person real knowledge so I do consider myself real green here.
  >abused, they offer good service life when maintained and used properly. As
  >you already know, nothing turns tighter or tilts higher, but the trade-off
I did notice that it would turn pretty tight in the short time we had it
in the water, but mine doesn't tilt (yet) unless it gets pulled through
something REAL shallow and the force pushes it up.
  >is they can't be run in the partial tilt position without damaging the 
all
  >gears.
And then I have to throttle it to get it to go back down as well. :(
One of these days, I will get that fixed though. Hopefully before it's
next trip to the water.
  >example, where the OEM calls for a teflon lip seal, the aftermarket 
companie
  >will supply a standard rubber one. The result is a great price reduction, 
bu
  >a quality reduction as well.
Considering the milkshake effect from the 1st time around, I will keep
this in mind when ordering new ones.
DB>Yoga classes? ;-)  These do require some effort, especially if you are
I just knew you were gonna say that. :)
  >without actually seeing what I was doing and going by feel. On some boats,
  >removal of the rubber transom boot can provide great access, especially 
when
This might be the path I eventually take. But if I pull the seal want to
be prepared to replace it at that time. It didn't leak, but it still has
a some age on it, and removal would probably contribute to a leak
sooner.
Many thanks again for the helpful info.... and if anything else I might
want to be on the lookout for comes to mind, by all means do tell me.
Thanks,
Dan
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