Outboard motor shaft length

Gday Tony, an outboard mechanic from a good boat shop would be able to tell you what sort of outboard it is if u give them the model #, serial # and year model.
A rough guide when setting an outboard onto a transom is to start with the cav plate lining up with the bottom of the transom where it meets the hull....sounds like you may have to lift yours with a block or similar. I used a piece of square 40x40 alloy tube between bracket clamps and transom top and it still clamps well onto transom. hope this has been of some help cheers.

some say 15 is short, others say 17 is still within the short variety,
probably off a yacht originally though

If it is a long shaft it will have an "L" in the model number.

Thanks Barry, Volvo driver and Shaker for your advice. I thought If it was a long shaft I could use it also as an auxilliary motor on my other boat. I couldn't see an L on the serial No. so presume its a short shaft. I will lift it on the transom with a block of aluminium.

Cheers
Tony