WTB 2.5 sportsmaster 20" driveshaft

[bill mason]

Looking for a 2.5 sportscaster 20" driveshaft. Anyone have one?

[85nova]

I may have one I think the seal surface needs to be repaired

[robert jordan]

I may have one I think the seal surface needs to be repaired
I am in the same boat as Bill, my sportmaster 2.5 stainless drive shaft is rusted and corroded from saltwater and leaks. I did not know the seal surface could be repaired, can you tell us more about this?

[85nova]

I’ve been out of the game for a while can’t remember who does it but I think they either weld them or sleeve them

[TEXAS20225]

i never knew anyone in Texas who spray welded these even though i was in that business for a good while ( lower units) i always installed speedy sleeves on them with good results its a good bit of know how involved to do it with no leaks but that was years ago and ive not built for the public in quite a while i have two of these that need work just like all the others eventually get to on all plated shafts there are other things that you can do but thats another story :cool:

[tux974]

Depending on what you are running it on. I have had great success running the SS by cutting a 25" 3.0L to 15", 20" and respline 2.5. Never twisted or broke one.
Chris Carson can do it.

[robert jordan]

Thanks Tux, A friend told me last night about using a 3.0L shaft, but i think he said to cut the splines off my 2.5L shaft and weld them on a 3.0L cut shaft. Your suggestion of cutting down a 25 inch shaft makes more sense i think.

[tux974]

Thanks Tux, A friend told me last night about using a 3.0L shaft, but i think he said to cut the splines off my 2.5L shaft and weld them on a 3.0L cut shaft. Your suggestion of cutting down a 25 inch shaft makes more sense i think.

Even though some may do that, not something I would do or recommend. Every single one I have had done were cut and resplined.
If you are concerned about spline strength you could have it heat treated.
Unless you are running it on a big cat with a big wheel and surfacing it regularly I do not think you will have an issue.....JMPO.

[robert jordan]

Once again, Thanks Tux. Just a stock 200 on a 18 Action Marine with 28 chopper prop. Just a lake boat. This has been helpful info for sure. Hope original poster finds this info helpful to, not trying to highjack your thread.

[IBHUFFY1]

Depending on what you are running it on. I have had great success running the SS by cutting a 25" 3.0L to 15", 20" and respline 2.5. Never twisted or broke one.
Chris Carson can do it.

You happen to have a part number for the 3.0l shaft? Any ideas on a replacement standard size propshaft for a 2.5l Sportmaster?

[tux974]

Once again, Thanks Tux. Just a stock 200 on a 18 Action Marine with 28 chopper prop. Just a lake boat. This has been helpful info for sure. Hope original poster finds this info helpful to, not trying to highjack your thread.

If you are running a stock 200 case all you need is a stock 2.5 20" single bearing shaft....Part 440001.
You do not need the 3.0L double bearing shaft.


You happen to have a part number for the 3.0l shaft? Any ideas on a replacement standard size propshaft for a 2.5l Sportmaster?

Sportmaster is a double bearing shaft so the 3.0L 25" shaft Part #......45-881942
FYI wether you are cutting it 15", 20" the 25" shaft from Mercury is cheaper.

BTW, TEXAS (Bobby) is the LU guy.....:thumbsup:

[robert jordan]

Tux, its a real sportmaster. Are all shafts stainless or just sportmasters? 474671

[robert jordan]

Is this SEI shaft worth buying or should i stick to a genuine Mercury shaft?https://www.amazon.com/SEI-PRODUCTS-Mercury-Driveshaft-45-881942/dp/B00HYI7770

[tux974]

Is this SEI shaft worth buying or should i stick to a genuine Mercury shaft?https://www.amazon.com/SEI-PRODUCTS-Mercury-
Driveshaft-45-881942/dp/B00HYI7770 (https://www.amazon.com/SEI-PRODUCTS-Mercury-Driveshaft-45-881942/dp/B00HYI7770)

I personally like and only use the Mercury. If I remember correctly even ProMarine stopped selling them for a reason.
Sportmaster shafts are steel and stainless not just stainless. They are made that way because they are a bit stronger like a HP prop shaft but hence why they rust.
I have personally used the non-HP stainless shaft without issues for years.
If you are running in salt it will be just a matter of time before they go bad, rust. Actually you rarely find an older Sportmaster, CLE or Torquemaster that shaft are not rusty or just about ready to take in water, especially is they had poor maintenance. Even with good maintenance they rust....again all above is JMPO.

[bill mason]

Just to make sure, have a 25" shaft cut ti 20". Do not need to do anything to the splines on the 25", correct?

[robert jordan]

Just to make sure, have a 25" shaft cut ti 20". Do not need to do anything to the splines on the 25", correct?
When you have the 25" cut down you will loose the splines and need to take the cut down shaft to a machine shop to have new splines machined on to shaft. Post six says Chris Carson can do this, He is in Key Largo, FL i believe. This seems like are best bet to get a new shaft for our 2.5 sportmaster gear cases. I just want to stop the water from getting in!

[TEXAS20225]

i have tried to load sei guts in a merc empty several times and never got them to work there lowers have shims in places merc does not im not sure i would use any sei parts on anything but that just me. GLM makes a very good after market product ive used them quite a bit and more economical the merc parts . And for the purist i ran a consumer 2.5 20'' drive shaft in a sporty on my Bullet for months with a single bearing and the Mercury mystery spacer that came in to play here (none) as like in the torqmaster cases before merc stopped using sporty shafts in cles and torqmaster case's with the mystery spacer:cheers: fyi the cle and torqmaster cases used exact same parts in there units as sporty in the beginning only difference was the mystery spacer which took the place of the small lower bearing and the carrier for the sporty was 3/16 longer because of gear Colom length i ran a lot of cases on my rigs my favorite was a coned torqmaster faster then any other case and it did not hunt or have to be ran a mile high like the Sporty good luck on those adventures guys i really enjoyed mine through the years

[bill mason]

Well crap! Looking for a complete sportsmaster lower unit. Anyone have one?

[robert jordan]

Hey Texas, cant seem to find a GLM shaft. Any chance you can put a link up for it?

[TEXAS20225]

??? i just did a quick search on GLM marine parts and got a whole page of dealers