460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

[Ron Everson]

I'm looking at a 1989 Bayliner 2755 Sunbridge with a 460 OMC King Cobra outdrive. The engine was replaced a couple of years ago, but the outdrive is probably original. Is the Cobra outdrive a reliable unit? Any problems that I should know about? The owner has had it professionally maintained at the dry storage yard where he stored it. I have yet to check for water in the lower unit oil. By the way, what kind of oil does the lower unit take? Hopefully not OMC type C like my present boat. I would appreciate any info about this outdrive unit.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: 460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

Ron...I'm a little biased towards this motor/drive package because I have 2 of them in my boat. The engines have been great, I just tune them up every year and so far I've had nothing strange go wrong with the drives (touch wood) I always use OMC Hi-Vis oil from the dealer. Just remember these babies hold 108 oz instead of the 64oz of a regular Cobra, very important to make sure they are full or you will be buying gears/bearings.

 

[Manipulator]

Re: 460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

My Dad has the same boat. He has the same setup too. He has not had any problems with the drive or engine. The lower unit is really badly corroded as it has sat in the water for years but it keeps on cracking. I'm not too fond of the 460 and I have heard they aren't worth fixing if you have some major mechanical malfunction like throwing a rod. The engine seems to have plenty of power for a big boat. We even went tubing behind it over the weekend pulling 3 people. If you do have a major mechanical problem most people (from what I've heard) will just swap out the whole drive for a newer Merc 350 or the Volvo dual prop with a 350 setup which gets better mileage and has more power or equal power. I know my Dads boat has a lot of hours on it and like I said, he hasn't had any problems with the lower unit. Some of the other guys can help you out more than I as they work on them. The oil I would imagine is your typical lower unit gear lube.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: 460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

Check out link below for detailed info on Cobra outdrives (problems, misconceptions, practical concerns):<br /><br /> http://www.funkopolis.com:8080/~stuart/cobra/

 

[DJ]

Re: 460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

Both were tough as nails, if maintained.

 

[Ron Everson]

Re: 460 OMC King Cobra - Any Good?

Thanks for all the good information. I would like to jump on this deal soon, before it gets away. That is, if my wife agrees, and she's awfully nervous whenever I mention the "B" word.