Is OMC good??

[Fishermark]

Re: Is OMC good??

Well put. I am not going to buy this boat anymore...I have been pointed to a couple other boats a little newer with Merc outdrives behind GM 5.7's!!

Without a doubt your best bet. Good luck! When you look at them, check the transom, stringers and floor for soft or hollow sounding spots. Important to find a boat without any rot issues, as that can get expensive as well.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Is OMC good??

Hoses? You can find them and cut them yourself to order, so to speak. Pre-measured anything from the manufacturer that can be done with stock material (like hoses) can be done yourself, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

The t-stat hose has a flared end on the transom side. Where ya gonna find that? Your not going to walk into Autozone or any parts store & buy it. But I know how to fix that, so I'm not worried about it.

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: Is OMC good??

The t-stat hose has a flared end on the transom side. Where ya gonna find that? Your not going to walk into Autozone or any parts store & buy it.

Maybe not, but I walked into my local NAPA, picked them out of their catalog, ordered 'em and they were here in two days. Now cheap they weren't, but they have them.

Seriously, NAPA carries a LOT of stuff for OMCs!

 

[sethjon]

Re: Is OMC good??

nay

If you just say nay without any first hand experience you are completely wrong. I've had 2 and taken care of them and NEVER had a problem compared to what I read about Merc.

 

[Don S]

Re: Is OMC good??

If you just say nay without any first hand experience you are completely wrong. I've had 2 and taken care of them and NEVER had a problem compared to what I read about Merc.

That is just YOU and YOUR outdrive.
OMC is Obsolete Marine Corporation.
Why would you recommend to a new boater to get something from a manufacturer that doesn't even exist anymore and hasn't for 12 years.
Somewhere along the line, ANY newbe that buys an OMC could have problems, since he has no clue about OMC and not being in buisness and he may not be a mechanic, and not knowing what kind of care this boat he is buying has had, and not having all the special tools or knowledge to deal with this great boat he found cheap but it looks good.
I mean come on, Do you recommend people go buy an EDSEL because you had one back in the day and it ran great ?????

 

[cpt ron jc]

Re: Is OMC good??

OMC IS OK itall depends how people take care and service like they should,as far as bay liner they can keep them max is a way better boat,find another max,anything but bay sinker

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Is OMC good??

if ya want a suberb car, find a Vega.
some still exist so it must have been wonderful.
maybe even better than a pinto.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Is OMC good??

if ya want a suberb car, find a Vega.
some still exist so it must have been wonderful.
maybe even better than a pinto.

I get the analogy, but GM and Ford are still in business.


So
Maybe an AMC pacer would be the "OMC Cobra" of cars....

Party on Wayne!
Party on Garth!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Is OMC good??

Didn't the OP say what his decision was back at post #40?

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Is OMC good??

You have an 87 Bayliner? Bayliner in 87 was only available with OMC.

Thought it was a issue if it had a stringer or a cobra... He said it wasn't a cobra.. Owner probably doesn't know what it sticking out the back of it... Sorry... Gezzzzzzzzzz

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Is OMC good??

Run, forrest, run!

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Is OMC good??

I think the Cobra is a good outdrive if you keep the gear oil up to level, and look after the shift cable adjustment. The fact the parts may be no longer available is irrelevant as the drives are now 14-24 years old anyway, I would never pay for new parts for them due to the high cost. All the parts are available used on ebay or Craigslist. As the Cobra equipped boats age, more and more are being parted out due to rotten transom and stringers. Used Parts may become even more plentiful and cheaper as time goes by.

Previous post about the water intake hose. You can easily make you own hose with a large hose piece for joining to the transom out let, then use plastic plumbing fittings to reduce the size to regular heater hose for the rest going up to the thermostat housing, or buy a used one...

 

[hz]

Re: Is OMC good??

I found a site for parts for my 1969 350 OMC and outdrive. I thought that I'd have to make a small part that broke in my electric shifter but I found it for $3.21 as well as schematics for the engine, outdrive and shift. I'm not associated with this company but just amazed that they have parts for old engines. It's Boats.net. I hope this helps this poster.

Harris

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Is OMC good??

I hope this helps this poster.

The poster decided to not buy the boat!

Well put. I am not going to buy this boat anymore...I have been pointed to a couple other boats a little newer with Merc outdrives behind GM 5.7's!!

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Is OMC good??

Yes, he's not buying the boat, but the topic is still relevant

 

[45Auto]

Re: Is OMC good??

Does this mean that Nash's, Studebakers, Ramblers, etc are good cars for a new driver as long as they keep an eye on the oil level?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Is OMC good??

Does this mean that Nash's, Studebakers, Ramblers, etc are good cars for a new driver as long as they keep an eye on the oil level?

Exactly. Despite the misleading title of this thread..... the question really is "should I buy one" not "are they good".

 

[superbenk]

Re: Is OMC good??

Exactly. Despite the misleading title of this thread..... the question really is "should I buy one" not "are they good".

I don't know, I find it an interesting conversation about old equipment. There's good and bad tech from that era, so in that era is the OMC in question considered good tech relative to other tech from the same era? I think that's a worthwhile thing to talk about for people interested in (or owning) tech from that era (or any era).

I agree that the OP's question was more about whether he should buy that particular boat or not, but I think the discussion that evolved can be interesting as long as it's looked at in context. Maybe another thread would be more appropriate, but the discussion already started here.

So... is OMC worth buying now if you just want to get into a boat? Absolutely not. Was it considered good or bad tech compared to other drives when it was in production? I don't know.

Mine seems decent enough considering what it is. My grumblings don't sound any worse than anyone else's working on drives from the same era. In fact, a lot of my issues seem pretty minor compared to dealing with gimbal bearings, bellows, u-joints, etc. It just takes more creativity to find the parts I need & I have to realize that I'm likely doing all the work myself (which I like anyhow).

My $0.02.

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Is OMC good??

Does this mean that Nash's, Studebakers, Ramblers, etc are good cars for a new driver as long as they keep an eye on the oil level?

This is not a valid comparison. Cobras are 14-24 years old with ample parts (new and used) available. Studebakers are 60+ years old with hardly any parts available. Whether you have a 20 year old Mec, or a 20 year old Cobra, you will face the same issues. If you cannot work on it yourself, you may be better off with a Merc. (except the 470..God forbid)

You would be better off with a Cobra than the older Yamaha, Volvo or Stringer drives.

I have a 2000 Ford Explorer and there are parts that are no longer available from Ford. Also many parts that are ridiculously expensive, and no one in their right mind would pay for them even at trade prices..

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Is OMC good??

This is not a valid comparison. Cobras are 14-24 years old with ample parts (new and used) available. Studebakers are 60+ years old with hardly any parts available. Whether you have a 20 year old Mec, or a 20 year old Cobra, you will face the same issues. If you cannot work on it yourself, you may be better off with a Merc. (except the 470..God forbid)

You would be better off with a Cobra than the older Yamaha or Volvo or Stringer drives.

I have a 2000 Ford Explorer and there are parts that are no longer available from Ford. Also many parts that are ridiculously expensive, and no one in their right mind would pay for them even at trade prices..

True that.. I went to this little boat repair place.. They won't touch a merc older than 2000 or a outboard older than 88.. They dang well wouldn't touch my Cobra as if I would let them.. Just wanted a sending unit.. Thank God for NAPA