Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

[sundowner205]

So after about an hour of scraping antifouling paint from the water drain screws I finally got them out the other day.

However, no water. In fact, I scraped the passages out with a small screwdriver and all that came out was some salt residue. It seems like the passages are only about a half inch deep with no where for water to even originate from.

Also, my OMC manual says there are 3 drains - 1 port and 2 starboard. What I have on mine is 1 screw port, and 1 screw starboard, with another plug below it that looks like it was pressed into a recessed hole, but it is larger than the drain screws. It has no slot or round "key holes" to remove it.

The boat was moored for 6 months, and has been out of the water for about a week, winterized, etc. However, it seems that drains of this nature are incorporated into the design for draining trapped water...but not in this case.

Any insight?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

To my knowledge there are no "water drain plugs" on outdrives. There are 2 or 3 drain /vent plugs for the oil.Can you post a pic of the area?

 

[sundowner205]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

This is not my outdrive, but it will suffice. I circled the drains in red.

I tried scanning the page from my factory manual, but my printer is acting up. Anyway, in the diagram they are labeled as "water drain plug".

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

I never removed those when i had a Cobra.
I drained everything,blew air through the PS cooler and hose.
Filled everything with RV antifreeze or the green stuff until it ran out the block drains.
Closed all the drains and poured in more AF until it ran out of the drive.
Always worked fine.

Not sure if those screws are supposed the let the gimbal housing drain or what..

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

The one that looks like a knob is the shaft that your shift fork swings on don't mess with it, there should be another drain just about even with it and back farther your drive needs to be tilted up to see it, in fact i think i can see it your photo its just slightly above the shift fork shaft and back about 4"

 

[sundowner205]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

I'm going to have to check it again tomorrow. I only had the drive tilted up slightly; I was referencing the arrows in the factory manual. We'll see.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

You'll find it, it's there, and being in New York you definately want to drain those cavitys, or just go ahead and pull the drive, six nuts and pull it straight back off and store it inside.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

Those are the 3 water jacket drain plugs that you have circled in red. You must have the drive tilted up enough to see the lower one on the stbd side. To be honest with you I have never had any water drain out of the 2 on the stbd side but I usually get a small dribble out of the one on the port side. I normally pour some non-toxic antifreeze down the the water input hose from the inside of the transom and a bit of that comes out the port side.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

I might be wrong you guys already know that ha.

Ain't that the casting plugs. Some guys have to tear down the whole drive to get the piece on the inside when it falls, inside the drive.

 

[sundowner205]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

I assume this is it:

Now I see why I couldn't find it.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

Exactly

 

[Lou C]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

Yep that would be it, I tilt the drive up, and remove all 3 then tilt it down for a while, like Bob said some will drain out of the one on the port side, enough that if that water froze, it could have possibly cracked the housing on that side. The first year I did mine nothing came out of any of them, but I'd just make sure that the holes are reamed out well with a small screwdriver. Then put some OMC/Bombardier triple guard grease or OMC gasket sealer on the threads since you are in the salt pond like I am. I use the grease and they always come right out.

PS did you ever blow the barnicles out of the water intakes?

 

[sundowner205]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

PS did you ever blow the barnicles out of the water intakes?

Hi Lou,

I removed the drain on the port side - no water, same for the upper drain on the starboard. I haven't accessed the the lower starboard drain yet, maybe today.

Also, I haven't had a chance to try and flush those darn barnacles out yet - hopefully this week. I'll keep you posted, however.

How is your situation coming along?

 

[Lou C]

Re: Cobra Outdrive Water Drain Plugs

Well I have not pulled the drive off yet, because I wanted to get as much of the barnacles that were up in the pivot housing as I could before removing it. I used this Algex stuff that is an acid based product but it's safe for aluminum, it is not as strong as the really nasty acid products but it doesn't have that horrible smell and fumes either. It took most of them off, I still have some more to do but it's way better than when I started. Mine was so bad I used a whole bottle of the stuff (of course wearing a respiratior, goggles and chemical resistant gloves).

Next weekend I may have time to finish it off and then I'll pull the drive and flush out the water intakes.