swap omc cobra 460 ford with smaller ford

jim372

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 24, 2010
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145
I am looking at a boat that has no engine
it had a omc king cobra ford 460 and drive
​what I want know is can I put in a smaller ford engine like the 351
is it and be bolt in or can I use some other engine
also what drive will bolt up.
jim
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Sell your OMC stuff to a dieheart OMC fan, and you can almost pay for a 454/outdrive longtail from either Mercruiser or Volvo Penta and actually have parts support
 

jim372

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 24, 2010
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145
only thing there is inside mount and outside gimbel
​can a 5.o ford bolt to inside plate or di I need to replace everything
I can get 5.0 for 500 with out drive.
 

Bondo

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Nope,.... The 460 is a breed all it's own,...

Ford ain't like Chevy, where you can bolt in any motor ya want,...

Ford made all sortsa very different motors that don't swap well amongst themselves,....
'ell, they built 3 very, Very different 351s,... 1 of which ain't even 351"s,... Windsor(a boat motor), Cleveland, 'n Modified,...

If this is a really nice hull, find a Merc/ Chevy driveline from a rotten donor boat,....

If it ain't a really nice hull,... walk away,....
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,..... I believe so,..... not sure,....
 

Scott Danforth

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You have to drill 2 additional holes
 

vasy

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Dec 14, 2014
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What he said: If it ain't a really nice hull,... walk away,....
Ford and GM are not the same. Ford likes to be difficult, I mean different.
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
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Dec 8, 2005
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10,083
is transom hole same as mercuiser

Yes. It is "the same" and yes, you must drill 2 additional holes (at the top)

If you have a boat that had a 460 in it and you install a smaller engine, you will likley NOT be very happy with the performance. If you spend a WHOLE lotta money on building up a 351 to make it perform it might be "OK" but you'll spend a LOT more than the entire boat is worth AND you spend more than you would to just replace the entire OMG mess with a Mercruiser 454/Bravo (like I did)

SO, I am with everybody else. sell the drive and transom. (a good 460 drive is worth quite a bit)

The 460/King Kobra was actually rated at 340(crankshaft) HP.....which translates into about 300hp (propshaft)

You could replace it with a 350 MAG MPI to 496 Bravo I or III (if it's a big boat get the Bravo III)

In any case, do not pay much for the boat. (ask the owner how much he'll pay you to take it of his hands......REALLY) it's not worth much......maybe the trailer value and drive value only if it's in good shape!!

Then find a rotten hulled boat with the engine and drive you want. (APR-JUN is the best time to find broken [frozen block] boats if you live in "Freeze-Country")

Or buy a complete engine/transom/drive package complete with trim pump and cyls etc from someone.

It will not be worth it to put ANY FOMOCO engine in that boat.

Good luck,

Rick
 
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