Need help with Omc Cobra

[sea wolf]

Boat is an '87 with a 3.0 cobra. Took boat out yesterday and heard growling noise in transom area. I suspected the gimbal bearing, so today I pulled the l/u. Bellows was full of water, probably ruining gimbal bearing. But my main concern is the condition that I found the u-joint bellows in. In the area that attaches to the pivot housing where the lip is, there were chunks of the bellows torn off, all around the circumfance of the lip area. The inside of the bellows itself was fine. I'm talking chunks that are an inch or so long. I've never seen anything like it. This was a brand new bellows that I installed myself, not a month ago. I've only used the boat 2 times this season. It appears to me that the u-joint yoke was rotating against the bellows, tearing it up. Now, question is, what caused this. Anyone that has any ideas or suggestions on what is going on, I'm all ears. The bellows was the correct one, and I know I didn't screw up the installation of it. C'mon experts, I'm counting on you.

 

[Don S]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

Did you start the engine with the drive in the full up position?

 

[pra100]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

Also another thing.Have you been storing drive in the up position?The bellows will deform and take a sever curved form if you store it fully up,which might make the ujoints rub the bellow.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

Yes, I did satrt it full up, had to. I was in shallow water. No, I don't store it with the drive up.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

I also noticed that the gimbal bearing is off center. Could an out of alignment problem be the cause. In any case time for a new bearing. Anyone bought an alignment toll on ebay.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

A couple weeks ago I had to run with the drive almost full up because I rented a slip in a small bay at a campground. The seaweed, water lilies, etc. were so thick u could walk on it. Once I got in there it was too late, I even had to shut the boat down to clear the prop and the intake, as it started to overheat. If that turns out to be the cause, I know a campground owner that is going to be eating some water lilies and seaweed for his lunch. The bast7rd didn't tell me what I was going to be running my boat thru to get to the dock that he rented to me. The is the first time in over 10 years of owning this boat that I have seen this kind of mess in the drive.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Need help with Omc Cobra

Hard to say what caused your problem, but I have run mine pretty far up (but not all the way up) at idle without problems. Last summer my mooring spot was only about 2-3'deep at low tide so I had to trim up to get in and out. One issue is that the Cobras don't have a trailer position like Mercs do so you have to remember not to let it all the way up. In the manual it does say you can run it tilted up at idle speed only, but maybe with certain bellows, or if there is a slight misalignment you can get contact between the ujoint and the bellows. A more accurate trim guage would help avoid these problems.