Parts Availability?

[SPOONMAN1]

I have 1995 7.4 King Cobra, and I have went to a couple of online parts sites and most don"t even list my motor. I have an oppourtunity to sell while everthing still functions. Any thoughts, or comments would be appreciated.

 

[Don S]

Re: Parts Availability?

95 was during the Volvo/OMC joint venture (as they called it) turns out it was the buyout process for Volvo to purchace OMC.
Anyway, the drives of that era, were the same exact thing as what is now called the Volvo SX (single prop) or DP-S (dual prop drive) One of the best outdrives out there IMHO.
What is the full model number of your engine. Things can be checked out fairly easy.
Parts are available at any Volvo dealer, and many parts can be had in aftermarket. Parts is not a problem at all.

 

[achris]

Re: Parts Availability?

SELL, SELL, SELL!!!

You have just found that you can't buy parts for it.... Why keep it? Even if it is running perfectly, it won't stay that way for ever... Eventually you'll need parts, and then you'll have something that is totally worthless.

Chris.............

 

[Don S]

Re: Parts Availability?

SELL, SELL, SELL!!!

You have just found that you can't buy parts for it.... Why keep it? Even if it is running perfectly, it won't stay that way for ever... Eventually you'll need parts, and then you'll have something that is totally worthless.

Chris.............

Chris, it's a 7.4, not the Ford 7.5, and it all now Volvo .................. it's OK,

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

The engine model # is 744 DPHU Serial # is 01287915 drive serial # is00799235 . Any info is appreciated. I had a dealer tell me to sell it because of availability.

 

[Don S]

Re: Parts Availability?

Just made a quick phone call. Seems the HU models from OMC came with the Old style OMC cone clutch drive. If that is what you have, yea, it's a problem.

Post a picture of your outdrive if you can.

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

Thanks a bunch, I will heed the advice.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Parts Availability?

Someones gonna give you money for it take it.

Get a 19 footer 3.0l merc.-volvo go out and have fun.

Don't do what i do, go out breakdown, get towed in. 2 times in a row. Than just barely get back with a head problem.

If you got the money buy a new one. Your good for 5 years.

 

[achris]

Re: Parts Availability?

Chris, it's a 7.4, not the Ford 7.5, and it all now Volvo .................. it's OK,

Hey Don,

I was referring mainly to the drive, not the engine.... Cheers.....

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

Been there done that with the last two boats. Thought the year (97) got me in a good deal. I didn't research enough.

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

Alright so the general Idea is a 1995 omc 454 motor would be acceptable. but the king cobra out drive would be risky. I spoke to a place about an hour away that quoted me between 3k & 4k for a complete running transom rework with a 454 campatable merc outdrive. My plan is to drive the cobra till it dies or leaves me stranded, and then switch the outdrives. Prabably be a wash on cost of selling the boat & buying a comparable Merc-Penta. Any comments the outdrive switch or the omc 454.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Parts Availability?

I'm pretty sure that drive is the same as the one that a local iBoats member had on his boat behind a 7.5L engine with a Spitfire ignition.

He couldn't buy ANY Spitfire parts anywhere. He bought the used distributor from my old 87 460 to get it back on the water after he had the engine rebuilt locally.


If you wanted to swap it all out for a Mercruiser, that would of course be quite do-able and for the most part not difficult at all. (I did it)

For 1995 OMC Doug Russell does list some parts as either VNTGE or N/A.

If the ignition systen is indeed a "Spitfire" ignition system, assuming you couldn't swap a different ignition system into it, ....... you might be justified in dumping it. I have heard from more than one person that parts for the OMC Spitfire are not available from anyone anywhere unless you find someone with NOS parts laying around....Ignition parts for a 7.5L Spitfire system are largely non-existant.....The 7.4L Spitfire ignition might be the same.

Regards,



Rick

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

I'm not sure of the ignition system. I was thinking that a 454 was a 454, so a distributor off a merc. would fit on my engine. Wouldn't alot of the parts be interchangable? My motor is 300 hp, carburated and it doesn't seem to be high performance or special, but I know very little about motors. A friend was telling me that as long as a part was rated marine for a 454 the we could adapt it to my boat. His argument was that the motor is the most expensive component, so keep the boat, we can always find parts for a 454. (He is a good auto mechanic) Is he mistaken about boats?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Parts Availability?

Depending on the model year (GEN IV V VI etc) you could absolutely put a Mercruiser distributor/Thunderbolt ignition on it complete with knock sensor etc. (and that might be your best bet when and if your current ignition fails)

Your mechanic friend is mostly right...There's not much more different in that 454 from other 454s. (Marine vs auto is camshaft, brass soft plugs, water pump manifolds, etc)

Your particular drive and gimbal mount also has some parts that are simply not available anymore....but if all that stuff is in good shape just run them until something goes wrong and then make a decision...

If you're thinking about (and can) sell the whole boat to get something else, and it's a "wash" as you said.........I would "wash" it. time is not your friend here. As time goes on ALL the OMC Cobras and especially the King Cobras behind the Big Blocks are going to be bigger and bigger problems for their owners.......

I am so glad I swapped mine out.......It's all STILL sitting on the hanger floor on a pallet.....good place for it


As my old man used to say....."Let your conscience be your guide"


Regards,


Rick

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

My concious says to run the dog out the cobra till is craps out then swap it for a merc. Like I said I love the boat & to sell it & buy something comparable would cost the same as doing the out drive swap. I know what I've got with this boat & motor.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Parts Availability?

Well,

If you have a great boat that you like and want to keep that's a good idea.....It's cost effective if you can do it yourself.....(it may not be if you have to pay someone else....)

That's what I did. I have a boat that I have about $12,000 in total..... (that's after I put the 122hr 97 454 Bravo in) I couldn't replace this boat with one in the same condition for the same money.....plus, the license fees are cheap, the insurance is cheap and it does the job nicely.

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

Did you do the transom work yourself? How much was the bravo outdrive and how did you locate it?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Parts Availability?

Did you do the transom work yourself? How much was the bravo outdrive and how did you locate it?

I was VERY lucky. After we had a huge windstorm up here in the NW I found a 98 24' Bayliner that had been "totaled" by the insurance co and the owner wanted to part it out to recover some of his money..... He advertised it on Craigslist and I got the engine, drive, gimbal, harness, gages, controls... everything for about five big ones....

There was no "transom work" other than drilling a couple of extra bolt holes....if you're talking about the cut-out. The Mercruiser Bravo transom bolts directly to the King (or any) Cobra cutout. (you do have to drill 2 more 9/16" holes for the additional studs that the Bravo has though)

I also did some reglassing in the bilge and transom area because Four Winns did such a terrible job there. For example, the the lower transom drain area was so poorly sealed that I had bilge water/oil intrusion into the lower part of the transom. It took me about 3 or 4 months with a fan and heater to dry out the transom area before I could glass it all back up and seal it. Luckily I had NO rot.

Before

After

 

[SPOONMAN1]

Re: Parts Availability?

First rate job On the rework. It appeared not to have much glass on the transon originaly. Just from looking around my engine the bilge & transom appear to be in much better shape. Again beautiful job. I am very pleased to find out that the cutout will work for the Bravo. I have been told (by a local dealer) that the foot print of the KC was larger than any other & would have to be filled in & recut. I do like my boat and got it for less than 9000$ ( I wonder why?OMC) So if I can locate a bravo out drive with all the trimmings for a reasonable amount, I should still be able to keep the overal cost close to resale value, not that I'll be selling it.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Parts Availability?

First rate job On the rework. It appeared not to have much glass on the transon originaly. Just from looking around my engine the bilge & transom appear to be in much better shape. Again beautiful job. I am very pleased to find out that the cutout will work for the Bravo. I have been told (by a local dealer) that the foot print of the KC was larger than any other & would have to be filled in & recut. I do like my boat and got it for less than 9000$ ( I wonder why?OMC) So if I can locate a bravo out drive with all the trimmings for a reasonable amount, I should still be able to keep the overal cost close to resale value, not that I'll be selling it.

Yeah....I got my boat from my brother....He "gave" it to me for $5000

ANY 460 King Cobra boat for $5000 is WAY too much in my learned (the hard way) opinion. In his defense, he didn't know there was anything "wrong" with the 460 or the King......He always had any service done by a Four Winns dealer. He wouldn't have known anything was "wrong" with it until they said something. The boat ran fine for the 17 years he had it......I was just going to rebuild the engine and bolt it back in when I found out that if I later needed 460 manifolds or a coupler they might be difficult to impossible to find and more than double the price of similar Merc/Volvo stuff.....Then the 454/Bravo III came along and I couldn't pass it up!!

I also spoke to several dealers about the OMC-Merc swap. most told me that I needed transom work that wasn't worth it...... (just goes to show that most dealer service writers don't know anything about Cobra/VolvoSX to Merc swaps)

If I had spoke to the guys that actually do it I am sure that I would have gotten a very different answer.

To be fair....As I have indicated to others, If I had found a reasonably price Volvo Penta engine/drive combo (first) I would have done it......same cutout. (I even considered NEW Merc and Volvo Penta engine/drives professionally installed. ($$$$$$$!!!!)

I decided on Merc because EBAY for example has at any given time about 3-4 times more new & used engines, drives, gimbals, trim pumps, etc for Merc than for Volvo and they seem to be somewhat less expensive. Your mileage may vary.

The good part is the actual job was pretty easy. You just need a well lit shop with something to lift it all out/in.