351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

[jdejongh]

Hi,

I am looking at the possible purchase of a 93 four winns vista with the above named engine and drive. Can anyone provide background information on inhearnet issues with these engines and drives, and help with good questions that should be asked before purchasing?

thank you

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

The 351 is a good engine, but the King Cobra drive is to be avoided at all costs, as is any OMC drive. RUN AWAY as fast as you can! Mercruiser or Volvo SX is what you need to look for!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

The 351 is a good engine, but the King Cobra drive is to be avoided at all costs, as is any OMC drive. RUN AWAY as fast as you can! Mercruiser or Volvo SX is what you need to look for!

Yeah. The 93 "King " Cobra is the infamous "interim" cone clutch drive. It came after the Dog-clutch drives but before Volvo Penta joined up with OMC and produced the SX Cobra.

They're not all that bad per se'. It's just that there's very few shops that want to play with them, parts are not the same as the later SX drives and there's NO OMC dealer you can go to to get parts and service.

If it breaks and the part is a NLA (no longer available) part, you're pretty much screwed.

If the engine is fuel injected and electronic ignition (Spit-Fire Ignition) and it quits.......you're seriously "screwed" because there's no part available for it either.

I'll also agree that the FOrd 351 marine engine is a good one but NO marine manufacturer uses them any more and hasn't for many years. ......so manifolds are always a little more expensive and harder to get.

The after market will make this worse as the numbers of FORD marine engines out there dwindle.


Long answer to a short question........


short answer?

RUN AWAY as fast as you can! Mercruiser or Volvo SX is what you need to look for!

Yeah....


Good luck (if you buy it.......You'll need it)


Rick

 

[jdejongh]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

thanks for your input guys... staying clear

 

[sethjon]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

The 351 is a good engine, but the King Cobra drive is to be avoided at all costs, as is any OMC drive. RUN AWAY as fast as you can! Mercruiser or Volvo SX is what you need to look for!

You are dead wrong. I've had 2 Cobra OD's and NEVER had a problem. Its like anything, take care of it, do preventative maintenance and it will last a long time.

 

[sethjon]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Hi,

I am looking at the possible purchase of a 93 four winns vista with the above named engine and drive. Can anyone provide background information on inhearnet issues with these engines and drives, and help with good questions that should be asked before purchasing?

thank you

Both are fine if they have been maintained properly. Some guys don't like OMC drives but I've had great luck with them.

 

[Don S]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Some guys don't like OMC drives but I've had great luck with them.

Many people liked the Edsel too, and had great luck with them. But like many things, they no longer exist. OMC doesn't exist anymore, and hasn't since 98.
You may have had good luck with yours and you know it has been properly maintained, but the original poster is asking about a setup he has no knowledge of or any knowledge of how well it was maintained or even if it was.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

You are dead wrong. I've had 2 Cobra OD's and NEVER had a problem. Its like anything, take care of it, do preventative maintenance and it will last a long time.

The Cobra drive is one thing...the King Cobra drive is a completely different story which is what this post is about. Too many parts no longer made for this drive.

 

[jdejongh]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Yea Im well aware of maintaining, but mainitaining doesnt eliminate the fact i may need parts some day,,,, My question has been answered thanks all

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Yea Im well aware of maintaining, but mainitaining doesnt eliminate the fact i may need parts some day,,,, My question has been answered thanks all

You are very welcome!!

There's a LOT of us that like this argument because we have "been there done that"

You are dead wrong. I've had 2 Cobra OD's and NEVER had a problem. Its like anything, take care of it, do preventative maintenance and it will last a long time.

I had one too......Brother bought it new in 1987. Other than 2 separate dealers either not filling it with oil or filling it wrong, it ran nearly 20 years with no major problems!!

But for someone buying an "entry level" boat who doesn't want to or cannot scrounge wrecking yards, Ebay, Craigslist , Boat trader, classified ads, and "Midnight Boat Parts" or pay someone else BIG BUCKs to fix it when it breaks.................

It's just better to just suggest that the person buy a boat with an engine/drive combination that is better supported with a manufacturer that still exists.

 

[Lou C]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Why buy something that most mechanics will not even look at...I have a plain dog clutch Cobra and it's 22 years old and it's been GREAT even though it's been moored in salt water for at least 10 of those years...but I have a good OMC trained mechanic...but would I buy one today? Most likely not...Mercruiser parts are everywhere and so are Merc mechanics...I don't think I'd get a current Volvo though because I am hearing of problems with the silly transom mounted trim pumps...my old Cobra still has the 22 year old one working fine...I may convert to a Volvo SX when the time comes if I'm ready for a different boat..

 

[bigike]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

Any mechanic that can work on a Volvo can work on a OMC. They are almost identical, the KC is just stronger. I was affraid of mine from the things i read. Most of it you will find is incorrect and alot of the people never had a Cone Clutch KC. The thing is a BEAST and you can get the boat CHEAP. Buy it dude, don't look back and stay off the forums or you scare yourself into not taking the boat out...

My KC is better than my buddies Bravo III. HAHA, it also makes the B3 look like a paper weight.

GET IT!

 

[Don S]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

This thread is from 2010, you should check the dates before replying.

Any mechanic that can work on a Volvo can work on a OMC. They are almost identical, the KC is just stronger.

Funny, I was a Volvo tech for a lot of years, even went to the drive schools and trust me Volvo doesn't teach the old KC repairs nor do the manuals or special tools work.

My KC is better than my buddies Bravo III. HAHA, it also makes the B3 look like a paper weight.

While your drive may be heavier, at least parts and techs are still available for the Bravo drives without constant searching the internet for used parts.

 

[bigike]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

HAHA i got old post fooled... thought i saw 2012 april... The drive is similar to a Volvo and maintenance will be the same. Now someone else with these questions will be able to see through some of the voodoo and not pass on a KC OMC. Mine was bad because i didn't know to look at parts like the transom mount where a u-joint had thrown as some time and took the lip out.

Many of the parts are obsolete, however many are not. The savings alone of buying a OMC powered boat can make the cost of repair or replacement a non issue. Volvo SX Cobra SX same drive except for the water pump. I'm sure you can find other small differences to prove me wrong but the drive is the same... KC vs SX, VERY similar just bigger, better ;-)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 351 OMC King Cobra with/King Cobra Outdrive

You don't say what year you have but check out the following parts list for the upper gearcase. If the drive was the same as the SX, you wouldn't have all of the following parts unavailable

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/o...er=OMC+Stern+Drive&section=Upper+Gear+Housing