Cobra or King Cobra??

[Stan's Customs]

Afternoon Mariners..<br /><br /> .....having owned several Johnrude outboard motors and a couple Mercruiser Stern drives I find that I don't know much about OMC Cobras. I have just picked up a nice clean older 1988 Four Winns Horizon 200 with a 350 4bbl Chevrolet engine and a Cobra out drive. The engine and outdrive have been worked on in the past and have been repainted so the original markings are gone.<br /><br />I just bought a OMC service manual on e-bay thinking it would clarify some things and it has ...all but one. What does this boat have in it...a Cobra or King Cobra outdrive and what is the difference between the two?? Seems like the manual gives a good step by step on repairs but doesn't differentiate between the two. It does not have a parts section ..so comparing gear numbers or specs isn't an option.<br /><br />I'm sure some of you professional boat men will know that answer first hand. Also I would like to know the general opinion of these outdrives. My last outdrive was a Mercruiser in a'79 Baja back in my waterskiing days. Being a mechanic (Garage Owner)I put a built up LT1 350 small block in it. That lower unit never gave me a seconds trouble and ran way better than most. ... This boat has a pretty decent old stock motor in it but I was wondering if I were to build another mild performance engine how the outdrive would stand up...(the boat being pretty heavy and all) Would it be pretty stout like the old 260 Mercruiser or......I had heard that they (the old Mercruiser and the Cobra)are similar...is that accurate?? <br /><br />It's a family boat and the engine wouldn't be too radical just some real good heads a little machine work, and a cam that still had good low end etc. etc. Nothing exotic..probably 325 honest horses, give or take.<br /><br />Thanks for any information....Stan

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Stan, it has been a while, but I would believe that you have the Cobra, The King Cobra was mainly used With the 330 hp big block OMC. If memory serves me, the Cobra drive was rated up to 275 horse, and the King cobra up to 350 horse. I know you said the paint and stickers were gone, is the serial number still there ?

 

[Stan's Customs]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Hello Waterone1...<br /><br />Yes the out drive case has a tag. If I am reading it right after cleaning it off, it is as follows:<br /><br />Model 985273 5.7L<br /><br />Serial # T0605704<br /><br />The service manual acts like the King Cobra Drive was used with at least one of the 350 engines, but isn't not clear, could be 350 hp I guess. Has one labeled 262 OMC King Cobra with a picture and I'm almost sure it is a small block by the valve covers. Some numbers are listed in the manual, but the manual is an '89 and the boat is an '88 maybe that's why the numbers do not match up.<br /><br />Also one list shows that the manual covers a 262 OMC King Cobra, a 350 King Cobra, and a 460 King Cobra (which I assume is a big block Ford.) These are listed under engines ...they also list the 5.0 Litre 2 bbl., the 5.7 Litre 4 bbl., and the 5.8 Litre 4bbl. (indicating that these are just standard Cobra outdrives....I think. Pretty confusing, the way it's done.<br /><br />By the way it doesn't show what the difference is between the King and the standard?? Do you know? <br /><br />Thanks ...Stan

 

[Stan's Customs]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Hello Waterone1...<br /><br />Yes the out drive case has a tag. If I am reading it right after cleaning it off, it is as follows:<br /><br />Model 985273 5.7L<br /><br />Serial # T0605704<br /><br />The service manual acts like the King Cobra Drive was used with at least one of the 350 engines, but isn't not clear, could be 350 hp I guess. Has one labeled 262 OMC King Cobra with a picture and I'm almost sure it is a small block by the valve covers. Some numbers are listed in the manual, but the manual is an '89 and the boat is an '88 maybe that's why the numbers do not match up.<br /><br />Also one list shows that the manual covers a 262 OMC King Cobra, a 350 King Cobra, and a 460 King Cobra (which I assume is a big block Ford.) These are listed under engines ...they also list the 5.0 Litre 2 bbl., the 5.7 Litre 4 bbl., and the 5.8 Litre 4bbl. (indicating that these are just standard Cobra outdrives....I think. Pretty confusing, the way it's done.<br /><br />By the way it doesn't show what the difference is between the King and the standard?? Do you know? <br /><br />Thanks ...Stan

 

[Stan's Customs]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Hello Waterone1...<br /><br />Yes the out drive case has a tag. If I am reading it right after cleaning it off, it is as follows:<br /><br />Model 985273 5.7L<br /><br />Serial # T0605704<br /><br />The service manual acts like the King Cobra Drive was used with at least one of the 350 engines, but isn't not clear, could be 350 hp I guess. Has one labeled 262 OMC King Cobra with a picture and I'm almost sure it is a small block by the valve covers. Some numbers are listed in the manual, but the manual is an '89 and the boat is an '88 maybe that's why the numbers do not match up.<br /><br />Also one list shows that the manual covers a 262 OMC King Cobra, a 350 King Cobra, and a 460 King Cobra (which I assume is a big block Ford.) These are listed under engines ...they also list the 5.0 Litre 2 bbl., the 5.7 Litre 4 bbl., and the 5.8 Litre 4bbl. (indicating that these are just standard Cobra outdrives....I think. Pretty confusing, the way it's done.<br /><br />By the way it doesn't show what the difference is between the King and the standard?? Do you know? <br /><br />Thanks ...Stan

 

[Stan's Customs]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

What's up with the triple post...Sorry folks..must have done something when checking back? Hmmm...Stan

 

[Lou C]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

I have an 88 200 Horizon also, but with the 4.3/Cobra. I have the owners/opertors and parts manuals, in addition to the shop manual for 88, and from what I can see the difference between the 350/regular Cobra vs the 350 King was just the through the hull exhaust on the King, the regular 350 had the regular Y pipe exhaust. I think the outdrives are the same, they look the same in the books and they take the same amount of gear oil, 64 oz. The King on the 460 Ford had a bigger lower unit and took 108 oz. You are better off with the regular Cobra drive in one sense in that parts are easier to get for the regular Cobra than for the King with the different lower. The later Kings with the cone clutch (1990+) are even harder to get parts for. <br />Does yours have the through the transom exhaust?

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

I could not find a serial # reference like I had hoped. After doing a little more checking, what I found was that there were two cobra models made between 1986 and 1989 (other than counter- rotating). The Cobra was used on all 4/6 and small block 8 cylinders. The King cobra was used on the 7.5L big block.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

I think you've pretty much got it figured now, if you have the sn for the engine we can tell you what year it is because quite often you will find the previous year engine in a boat ie: 1988 boat but has 1987 engine. I had a pair of 1989 262 King's, the drives were regular Cobra's but it had 4 bbl, nice orange wires, remote oil filters, over temp and oil pressure alarm sensors, little things that the reg 4.3 's didn't have. Now I have a pair 1989 460's King's, still has the regular clutch dog style drive but like Lou said they take a lot more lower unit lube. In 1990 the 460 went to the cone clutch style and a few yrs later so did some of the other drives.

 

[Stan's Customs]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Ok...so the consensus is that the regular Cobra on small blocks is the same as the KIng Cobra except for the thru Hull exhaust then it's a KIng Cobra all other things being equal...I am sure that I saw somewhere that the gear sets were heavier in some of the King Cobras...I suppose that was for the big block version? I'm surprised if that is the case.I'll see if I can find an engine serial # and see if that changes anything.<br /><br /> Now...what do you guys think about an engine with more horsepower. Would that be a probem? Do these outdrives stand up similar to the old Mercruiser 260 outdrives??<br /><br /><br />Thanks too all who posted ...Stan

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

That model number is for the standard Cobra drive. Good unit. Just make darn sure that you follow the instructions if you change the gear lube yourself. Real sure.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

ditto on the changing the gear lube, I was doing mine for the first time and my neighbor who had a Merc Alpha tried to tell me I was doing it wrong, I showed him the manual where it notes you drain from the bottom, and fill from the next one up by the cavitation plate, with the dipstick just sitting in the hole in the top cover. I like to let it sit overnight just to be on the safe side and re-check. If you don't get 2 qts in you are too low and have to pump slower to let the air bubbles go to the top.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

You have no idea how many folks have had to replace the upper gear sets right after changing the lube...

 

[Lou C]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

It's hard to believe that no one reads the manual! I never worked on an outdrive of any kind before the Cobra and I had no problems filling it right. Then again, I didn't learn the Merc way first so maybe that made it easier!<br />BTW, the OMC owners/operators manual and the shop manual are both excellent and make it easy to maintain the drive system. Too bad they let their problems get the best of them. It would be nice to have two American companies in the sterndrive business.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Since on one else posted it yet, a link to Stuarts obligatory OMC site:<br /><br /> http://www.funkopolis.com:8080/~stuart/cobra/

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Cobra or King Cobra??

Be leary of that and take it with a grain of salt. There are several misconceptions starting with the 5 degree cut vs the 3 degree. It was not on the teeth but on the engagement lugs.