4.3l out drive question

[fireman_54]

I'm interested in a nice 88 sport craft. Heres the link/ http://up.craigslist.org/boa/3733092919.html

My question is... will any out merc out drive link up and work or will I need to find a 4.3 out. Mainly looking for water ready but couldn't get over how nice the interior was maintained. So its a save to favorites last resort type deal.

Thanks in advance. Fireman

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3l out drive question

OMC engine RUN AWAY!!!!!

SEI do make a kit that will allow you to put an Alpha One drive onto an OMC housing, but you will still have to deal with the fact that it's still an OMC engine, and you CAN NOT get parts anymore. Yes, the ENGINE is GM, but the bolt on bits (manifolds, elbows, ignition system..... The entire transom assy, bellows, shift cable, etc, etc....) are OMC.... OMC stopped making those monsters more than 20 years ago.... Then went out of business. Spares are rare if available at all....

JMHO

 

[fireman_54]

Re: 4.3l out drive question

Good looking out guy its too bad interior is so nice lol. Its been hell lately trying to get my hsnds on a boat. Tons of options but they are going like wildfire right now.

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3l out drive question

Good looking out guy its too bad interior is so nice lol. Its been hell lately trying to get my hands on a boat. Tons of options but they are going like wildfire right now.

If you really like the boat and everything else is really good, buy it (explaining to the owner that the engine is scrap material only and you'll take it off his hands for him)... Then keep a look out for a crap boat with a reasonable Mercruiser V6 in it. Buy that at a bargain basement price.... Pull the two engines (and transom assemblies) out and do the swap, keep the old engine core (long block) as a good spare, scrap the OMC add-ons. Then you have your nice boat with a decent engine, with a spare engine .... Easy.

I really wish I could do that sort of thing here. I'd make a killing, but we don't have that many boats kicking around, and no source of good 'truck' engines to suit. (We don't have any GM/GMC vehicles in Australia. :blue

Chris.......
BTW, It a Cobra, the transom cutout for the OMC Cobra and the Mercruiser is the same.... (look for a Mercruiser engine and drive after 1991)

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3l out drive question

As Chris mentioned, SEI makes a Conversion kit to adapt the Alpha I Gen II drive to a Cobra transom shield. The earlier Alpha I, MR, R, and MC-1 drives will not work.

The ESA can be eliminated if it fails, even parts for the Cobra drive aren't a real problem, their problem is lack of trained people with the tools to rebuild them if needed.

You could also convert the outdrive (another bellhousing/raw water pump conversion kit) with the Volvo SX or DP outdrives.

Engine accessories like exhaust, cooling, couplers etc. are the same as Volvos SX series and are also available as aftermarket. So engine wise, there shouldn't be a real problem with parts for the 4.3.

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3l out drive question

As Chris mentioned, SEI makes a Conversion kit to adapt the Alpha I Gen II drive to a Cobra transom shield. The earlier Alpha I, MR, R, and MC-1 drives will not work.

The ESA can be eliminated if it fails, even parts for the Cobra drive aren't a real problem, their problem is lack of trained people with the tools to rebuild them if needed.

You could also convert the outdrive (another bellhousing/raw water pump conversion kit) with the Volvo SX or DP outdrives.

Engine accessories like exhaust, cooling, couplers etc. are the same as Volvos SX series and are also available as aftermarket. So engine wise, there shouldn't be a real problem with parts for the 4.3.

Franken-Mercen-Volvoen-Cobra... :facepalm:... Can you imagine trying to work on that in a few years time...