Re: Replacing starter - 460 King Cobra?
Well,
It's ok to ask.....I hate to be the bearer of bad news....
You probably will not be able to buy a coupler if yours fails. It'll have to be a junk yard coupler or a modification...
If your manifolds fail you might be able to find them but they'll be double the cost of comparable ones for a BBC (if you can find them)
When I called Shorts Marine to buy a set they told me that there was no manufacturer of the manifolds and the original patent holder wouldn't release it to the after market. He also said that the after market might not want to make manifolds since the engine/drive combo was only made for 3 years and discontinued and there probably wasn't enough demand to make it worth supporting.
There's parts in that King Cobra drive that are not only unique but unavailable. (so don't hit anything)
I think you can get risers though. The 460 engine is a great engine. (you need a power steering pump and Cobra steering actuator? I have one)
I also have the power steering cooler and hoses etc... That's about all I have left from the swap. Luckily, I sold everything else.
I got a total of $3000 for all the OMC 460 "stuff" I removed from my boat selling it all over a 2-3 year period. I just shipped the drive, exhaust manifolds, risers and manuals to the East Coast last month.
I got $1400 for all that stuff. I wouldn't have paid that much for it but the guy that got it was very happy to have spares for his boat...
If you like that boat, and cannot live without it, now would be a good time to start looking for a Mercruiser or Volvo Penta engine, gimbal and drive to replace what you have. (I would suggest Merc because there's FAR more used and new parts out there in the aftermarket and on ebay etc) If I had found a Volvo first I would have bought it.
Time marches on.....and as such a lot of the other parts will be less and less available.
There is a company in Canada that will take your flywheel and drill it for a more available coupler. I believe there's also a company that makes adapter plates to allow the use of 454 exhaust manifolds. (although I heard from a guy that tried them and they didn't work all that well and made it much harder to match up the plumbing) you can also buy custom made stainless steel manifold/riser combinations for about $3500 or so....
I have also heard that SEI is planning a replacement drive for Dog-Clutch Cobras.....That will be a pretty good deal but I'll bet their drives will be for all engines except the 460
I sold my flywheel housing to a guy in Ca a several months ago who had his coupler literally explode during a full power run. When the coupler went it destroyed the aluminum flywheel housing. The shop that bought mine was just about ready to give up looking for one because like many other parts for the 460 it was non-existent. he also bought my gimbal because all the used ones he could find were rather corroded from salt water use. Mine looked like new.
The guy that bought my exhaust Y-pipe in FL said his boat almost sank because his Y-pipe was nearly corroded through and had started leaking badly..... He said he was ready to give up and go to thru hull exhaust.
It goes on and on but you get the picture.
We had a huge wind storm up here in the NW a few years ago and a guy with a 98 24' Bayliner (that he bought new) had a 150ft maple tree fall across the bow and "total" it.
He put the engine and drive Craigslist and I bought it.
The results are in my signature below.
Good Luck!
Rick
