problems with omc outdrive

[hckeymite]

I have been reading this forumn for the last several months and appreciate all the advice from its members. With that being said, I have a problem! I bought a 1985 19 ft Renken w/ a chevy 305 w/ a 4 bl. The out drive is an omc. I've owned boats with the volvo duoprop and mercrusier outdrives, and really have never had troubles, but is not the case here. Last week I took the boat out for a cruise, and under full throttle the outdrive made a horrible grinding noise. I limped back to the docks and loaded up. Upon inspection, the ball gears were damaged. my question is for a guy with average mechanical ability, how hard is this to change. Ive read this is one of the reasons omc became the dinosaur and closed the doors. Is it possible to convert the outdrive to a cobra (the one with u-joints) without much trouble? Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks George