4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

[tramp666]

I am planning on buying an 86 galaxy 18.5 bow rider with a 4.3 cobra OMC v6 stern drive. The boat seems solid and has some cosmetic stuff to deal with but the mechanical problem that has brought the price down is the fwd doesn't want to engage and you have to go fwd and aft to try a find the fwd gear and seems like it has passed the point where it should go into gear and starts to rev the motor and then clinks into gear. Reverse works perfect... and once it gets into fwd gear it runs great. Is this a cable adjustment or something more serious? Watching the linkage to the carb it doesn't seem like the movement going into fwd travels as far as it does when going into reverse.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

DO NOT BUY IT !!!

The Cobra is known for shift problems and the adjustments are very critical and very few can work on them.Unless this boat is free i would run like the wind!
Look at the lower shift cable,it should be red in color.
At the very least it will need replaced and the drive removed to do that.
It could be forward gears are going south too...

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

OMC sterndrives, went out of buisness about 10 years ago. No new manuals being printed, no new OEM parts (Only aftermarket) and no new OMC sterndirve mechanics being trained, and the old ones are giving it up.

 

[tramp666]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

I was getting a weird feeling about this boat. I brought my 17 ft bass boat with a 1978 1400 mercury back from the dead and it was a serious learning experiance. I did all the work myself and learnt as I went. No one would work on it because it was too much time and getting them to talk about it was a test of there patiance and mine. iboat was the only thing that saved me.

I replaced the ignition with a CDI box, both control cables. replaced the impeller. rebuilt the 3 carbs not to metion replaced the transome using seacast. no i'm doing the trailer springs and bearings.

But this boat has that too good to be true smell to it. From the 2 boys who showed it. One was a fireman (20)and one was a cop(21). Both in the Airforce and I dont think they could ID a screwdriver from a wrench.

I'm a pretty good mechanic in my own right and I really value this forum and the advice that is given. I guess what i'm saying is... does this thing have any potental at all or is it a hands off no matter what?

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

Being a "pretty good mechanic" only helps with the engine. The drive is the problem. They take a lot of special tools to rebuild so they will last more than a couple of weekends. If it goes to bad, you could always convert from the Cobra to a Volvo SX, but you are looking at lots of bucks for that also.
Sure is a lot of Merc and Volvo powered boat out there for a good price. Cops and Firemen are not the ones that take best care of there boats, in my experience.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

If it goes to bad, you could always convert from the Cobra to a Volvo SX, but you are looking at lots of bucks for that also.

OR you could do what I did. (See my sig)


You best bet is to follow the the excellent advice above.

DO NOT BUY IT.


Cheers,


Rick

 

[tramp666]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

What did you do (sig) I dont get it?

My wife liked that boat and even though I told her all about the red flags you guys are waving she's like in a you can fix anything mode.

Now I have to get her off it. I'm only one man, even though she thinks I'm superman.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

My signature....at the bottom of my post....below the solid line.......(most everyone here has a "sig") go to your "User CP" and you can set one up.

I removed the King Cobra "stuff" and replaced with it with Mercruiser "stuff".

Your best bet is to look for a similar late 80's-90's model boat with either a Volvo Penta or Mercruiser engine and drive in it. You can still buy all parts and service for them...

If you buy a "problem child" boat with an OMC Cobra engine/drive in it you will spend more time working on it than using it.

I did exactly the same thing (and there was not supposed to be anything wrong with my boat and I bought it from my brother!! It turned out the engine needed to be rebuilt. I found out that there's some parts that are just not available anymore for the 460. I was very lucky that I found a complete engine/drive for sale on craigslist. It was $5000 for the Mercruiser 454 /Bravo III. I still had to install it. It took me all last winter to do the job. I now have a total of about $12000 in the boat. It's pretty much perfect mechanically. It still needs upholstery and some other minor cosmetic stuff. I figure another $3000 or so.

After I'm done I figure I'll have about $15000 in it. Maybe the boat will be worth $15000. That doesn't count the many hours I spent doing the job. I might do it again but I have a huge, well lighted (soon to be heated) shop, an overhead hoist, all the tools and a lot of extra time.


(Something like this would sure make a good "sticky")


Show your wife some other boats!


Cheers,

Rick

What did you do (sig) I dont get it?

My wife liked that boat and even though I told her all about the red flags you guys are waving she's like in a you can fix anything mode.

Now I have to get her off it. I'm only one man, even though she thinks I'm superman.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

I bought my OMC cobra powered 21' Chaparral boat last season and at the time didn't have a clue as to the OMC issue. Anyhow I removed the drive and replaced shift cable and had no problems finding the assosiated gaskets bellows waterpump impeller any anything else I needed, the guy at my local marina said he would get me all the parts but I just ordered them myself through the internet, now the engine and drive are performing great, at least till the end of last season, I'm about ready to wake her up for the upcomming season. So far I've been pretty happy with the old OMC. and I'm confident I can fix it when it breaks.

 

[Maclin]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

You do not know how long it has been run with that condition. The internals of the drive take a beating if the engine revs first then goes into gear. This should also make you want to know what else has been rigged or what else has been run with problems and for how long.

 

[metro3pilot]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

I'm not an expert,

could be a bad lower shift cable, rod height is set incorrectly, bent shift rod, bent bellcrank or all of the above.

the gears in the lower unit will round off within a matter of hours if you continue to run it this way.

I personally like OMC, if they are set up correctly it's a solid drive, and easy to set up, and if you run them low on gear lube the drive will let you know by the time you get to the middle of the lake ( ok thats a bad thing )

the down side is you do need special tools to rebuild them and I heard the aftermarket gears are junk, Genuine OMC gears are at best scarce and more likely non exisitent,

 

[tramp666]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

I spoke with 2 different local mechanics and both said change the shift cable and it should be fine. One said if it didn't jump outta gear the gears should be ok. The other one said they'll do it and all the adjustments for $300 counting the cable in about 1 hour. $1000 to $1500 for the boat and $300 for the cable change doesn't sound to bad. The bad part is my other boat. I have a 17 ft old bass with a 1400 merc. it runs great but I have no idea if it will sell. I believe that no man needs more than one boat. So now I wait... wait to see if mine willl sell and the other one is still there if/when it does sell.

 

[Coors]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

OMC sterndrives, went out of buisness about 10 years ago. No new manuals being printed, no new OEM parts (Only aftermarket) and no new OMC sterndirve mechanics being trained, and the old ones are giving it up.

Negative Don

 

[Coors]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

http://www.hastings.org/~stuart/cobra/kw-shift.html

 

[tramp666]

Re: 4.3 cobra doesn't want to go into fwd????

Thanks Coors I saved that to my desk top hopefully it's only a cable and things work out. I got email that said some people really hate the omc and no matter what will bash them. I'm a half full not half emty guy. we'll see what happens