King Cobra Outdrive Conversion Options?!? Please help - thank you!!

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sl0flyer

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Hi everyone, thanks in advance for the help here.

I am considering purchasing a 1992 Four Winns 215 Sundowner. It is in decent condition, and would make a fantastic boat with a bit of cleanup and enbow grease. There are no major problems that I can see with the boat and the King Cobra 351 engine says only 180 hours. If anyone else has thoughts on this boat, please feel free to mention them. I'm getting this boat for super cheap, and anticipating $1500 to $2000 for new outdrive. I'm told the motor works, but no way to test it.

Engine: King Cobra 351 5.8L HO
Outdrive: OMC King Cobra
(I can't seem to upload pictures yet, will continue trying)

It's major flaw is, the original OMC King Cobra outdrive is removed and in pieces. It's pretty clear that it failed and the previous owner tried to fix it, and they were unsuccessful. My plan would to purchase a conversion kit and a rebuilt modern outdrive. I am techincal and plan to do the work myself over the winter.

Question: Is anyone aware of compatible conversion kits and outdrives for this setup? Which ones are recommended?

Thank you!!
 
job number one is run that engine!
As Simon says you can connect to water and run it. If it runs at least then you have the confidence to get the out drive sorted. If not you can run engine and outdrive repairs in tandem-could save you a lot of time!!
 
I am by no means an expert on the OMC drives but I think the King Cobra design was bought by Volvo Penta and released as the SX/DPH so perhaps spares/a volvo replacement may bolt in to the existing install.

Others are correct, get some water on the engine from a hose and run it before committing to the purchase, look at manifolds and risers first, if they have failed then you will have problems deeper in to contend with.
 
Scarron said:
I am by no means an expert on the OMC drives but I think the King Cobra design was bought by Volvo Penta and released as the SX/DPH so perhaps spares/a volvo replacement may bolt in to the existing install.

Others are correct, get some water on the engine from a hose and run it before committing to the purchase, look at manifolds and risers first, if they have failed then you will have problems deeper in to contend with.
Click to expand...

It was the standard Cobra drive that was bought by VP and turned into the SX. The king cobra was usually used for diesels and big block V8's. Are you sure it is a King Cobra and not a standard cobra with the wrong decals?
 
CLB said:
The king cobra was usually used for diesels and big block V8's.
Are you sure it is a King Cobra and not a standard cobra with the wrong decals?
Click to expand...
Did OMC make any diesels? I can't remember any.
Regardless, yes, the KC was definitely mated with the big blocks (454, 502), but also with the 351.
I'm not surprised to hear that someone gave up trying to fix it btw, because spare parts are very hard if not impossible to find.
So much so, that it might be worth selling the thing on eBay for parts!
As a replacement, IIRC the KC shared the transom hole with the Merc Bravo.
 
MapisM said:
Did OMC make any diesels? I can't remember any.
Regardless, yes, the KC was definitely mated with the big blocks (454, 502), but also with the 351.
I'm not surprised to hear that someone gave up trying to fix it btw, because spare parts are very hard if not impossible to find.
So much so, that it might be worth selling the thing on eBay for parts!
As a replacement, IIRC the KC shared the transom hole with the Merc Bravo.
Click to expand...

Yes cobra did market a diesel. It's very, very rare but I have seen the brochure and seen one boat in the UK with a Cobra diesel. Didn't realise they used the KC on a small block. I used to have an OMC 5.7 350 and that was definitely standard cobra. Standard cobra parts are quite easy to get hold of, but KC parts are like rocking horse poo AIUI.
 
Interesting to hear of an OMC diesel outdrive package.
Do you possibly remember which sort of block did they use, out of idle curiosity?

Ref. KC on the 351, you made me doubt of my memory, also because it wouldn't be the first time it doesn't serve me well, so I made a quick web search to double check. And it seems that this time I was right - see this repair manual cover with the models listed.
Which also confirms that there was a 5.7 standard Cobra, as you say.
Though I believe that the 5.7 and the 351 (aka 5.8) were actually different blocks, in spite of the very similar displacement.
GM and Ford respectively, IIRC. Or the other way round, maybe...?
 
I am sure that there was a shortage of GM blocks at one time and Ford blocks were used by Volvo so I may well have been a similar problem for OMC
I als believe that when Volvo took over OMC they only used half the drive ie either OMC bottom with Volvo top or vice versa
 
MapisM said:
Interesting to hear of an OMC diesel outdrive package.
Do you possibly remember which sort of block did they use, out of idle curiosity?

Ref. KC on the 351, you made me doubt of my memory, also because it wouldn't be the first time it doesn't serve me well, so I made a quick web search to double check. And it seems that this time I was right - see this repair manual cover with the models listed.
Which also confirms that there was a 5.7 standard Cobra, as you say.
Though I believe that the 5.7 and the 351 (aka 5.8) were actually different blocks, in spite of the very similar displacement.
GM and Ford respectively, IIRC. Or the other way round, maybe...?
Click to expand...

I believe the diesel was a 3.2litre straight six Styer motor producing 205hp. OMC did also use both GM and Ford V8 small blocks for some reason, and you are right that the GM was 5.0 or 5.7 litre (305 and 350), while the Ford was 5.8 litre (351)
 
CLB said:
I believe the diesel was a 3.2litre straight six Styer motor producing 205hp. OMC did also use both GM and Ford V8 small blocks for some reason, and you are right that the GM was 5.0 or 5.7 litre (305 and 350), while the Ford was 5.8 litre (351)
Click to expand...

Yes it was a Steyr diesel, not sure how many cylinders or what HP though, I remember when I used to water ski a few years ago a friend of a friend had a Broom Capricorn fitted with an OMC diesel, not sure how many they did but I believe it was quite short lived as it was around the time Volvo Penta bought out OMC.
I’m sure VP used the Ford V8 as well, maybe it was what they acquired when they took over OMC.
 
Boat2016 said:
Yes it was a Steyr diesel, not sure how many cylinders or what HP though, I remember when I used to water ski a few years ago a friend of a friend had a Broom Capricorn fitted with an OMC diesel, not sure how many they did but I believe it was quite short lived as it was around the time Volvo Penta bought out OMC.
I’m sure VP used the Ford V8 as well, maybe it was what they acquired when they took over OMC.
Click to expand...

From around 1992 OMC King Cobra mated to a Steyr Straight Six as installed in my old Triana Tropica; "Sonny".
Yes the association with OMC was short lived(An American company, when at the time there would not have been much demand for diesel power over there). However the Steyr engine is very much still with us...... a new flagship M16 225kw version has recently been announced.
 
Omano said:
From around 1992 OMC King Cobra mated to a Steyr Straight Six as installed in my old Triana Tropica; "Sonny".
Yes the association with OMC was short lived(An American company, when at the time there would not have been much demand for diesel power over there). However the Steyr engine is very much still with us...... a new flagship M16 225kw version has recently been announced.
Click to expand...

I would guess VP wanted that out the way quite quickly as they weren’t keen on the competition.
 
There were 2 types of King Cobra, Cone clutch and Dog Clutch.

I have a 7.5 Ford engine Dog Clutch King Cobra sitting in my workshop waiting to be parted out. it had loads of new parts including new exhaust risers. (they are on the shelf between the golden goose and the rocking horse sh!t)

I found nearly all parts for it on ebay but i got a bit scared as some parts were so rare they would have written the package off if they broke. The rubber cupling for instance. However Sierra now make this new again and a conversion is available for new exhausts from a GM 7.4.

If i had bought the boat now rather than 10 years ago, i wouldn't have swapped it out. however my Bravo 3 7.4 MPI is much better.
 
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