Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

[Surfly]

I've gone and done it: yesterday I bought a boat. A boat, I might add, about which I know next to nothing. I have auto and motorcycle experience, but am I to understand that my OMC 4.3 V6 cools itself (hopefully) with water drawn directly from the impeller in the lower unit?? In my case, this will be salt water. No heat exchanger?

I'm sure that this is only the first of many posts. Thanks in advance for going easy on me. And yes, I'm a good swimmer...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Well,........ You have My Sympathies,.......

OMC has been Out of Business for Years,..........
Any other drive would have made for a Better 1st Boat.........

To answer your Question,.........
Ayuh,.......
It Sounds like you have a Raw Water Cooled motor,......
And,.....
In Salt Water,..... That's going to be Another Problem for you..............

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Well, I suppose I could winterize the thing and sell it again in the spring and do a little more research this time.....

The former owner ran the thing in salt water since it was new, which was '94. I don't know how many repairs, major or minor, were done to the boat since then. The rest of the boat is good, so maybe I ought to give it a chance.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

If it has the original exhaust manifolds they are way over do to be replaced. I would think pull the drive and check u-joints,bellows and gimbal bearing.Do full winterize on it,change oil,drive oil,ect..
Good luck with it.

Welcome to Iboats..

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

If you atually have the 94 OMC and not the 93, at least you have the updated drive with the cone clutch instead of the dog clutch.

Many of the parts are shared with Volvo including the exhaust manifolds and risers because that is the time when they formed their alliance.

Take off the back cover of the sterndrive and see if there is a shift linkage in there. If there is, you have the newer drive. If there is no shift linkage in there, you have the older drive and are also staring at the water pump housing. If you have the linkage, your raw water pump is driven off a belt off your engine.

If you have the older 93 drive, you have dog clutches but still use same manifolds and risers.

30 Years of OMC

 

[Bondo]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

If you can get Out of it, what you've got In it,..........
That's Probably a Good Idea,.............

By next Season,.... You'll have Plenty of time to do your Research Here at iboats,.....

Here's a couple of things I've gleened over the last few years,.............

OMC is Extinct,........ They Are, No More.........

Saltwater Boats are Bad for the Drives,........... But Great for the Hulls...............

Mercruiser Parts can be bought on Almost Any street corner..........

Volvo drives are claimed to be the Best,...... I Don't Know,......
But, I Do Know that around here,.... You Order Parts,+ Wait.....
Kinda like OMCs.......

And I personally have Never seen a Quality Built Bayliner,.........
But that's Just Me.............................................d

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

And I personally have Never seen a Quality Built Bayliner,.........
But that's Just Me.............................................d

I don't think he has a Bayliner if he has a 94 OMC. Bayliners started putting in Mercs in the late 80's.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Thank you all. The boat itself is '20 SeaSwirl Striper and it seems to be in very good shape. Whether this boat is considered a good one or not, I don't know.

I will check and see if the drive is actually a '94, as bruceb58 suggests.

Sunday I hope to actually fire the thing up. If it runs and operates properly, I'll have it professionally winterized and shrink-wrapped and then I have all winter to make a decision. If it doesn't run or gives signs of major problems, I'll have to re-group. Probably by screaming "HELP!!" The bigger question, however, is whether I should tell my wife that I bought a "problem" boat......

Any advice there, gentlemen? (and ladies, of course)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Didn't you run it and verify that it operated properly before you bought it?

Make sure you run it on muffs while you are out of the water. A few seconds without water will permanently damage the raw water pump impeller.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Well, no, I didn't run it at the time of purchase because it had already been partially winterized. I have assurances from the seller that it ran fine and had operated "flawlessly" all season.

I have no reason to think she is mistaken, but she may not know about any "hidden" problems, either.

We'll see.....

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

No! Don't tell the wife! :% LOL..

Really tho' Best of luck...It may be fine just get it checked out good..

 

[JoChek219]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

never buy a boat without testdriving it! unless its a complete project boat

 

[Don S]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Do you have any model or serial numbers to help determine what you actually have? If you have the Latest drive to be named Cobra, then you have what is more commonly known as a Volvo SX drive (can also be upgraded to a DP ) You can't get a better outdrive for a 4.3. It was the first year of the Volvo/Omc joint venture that Volvo later bought completely, after OMC folded. The outside of the drive looks like an OMC Cobra, the inside is strictly Volvo cone clutch and gears.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Well, here is the model number: 987344

If any of you OMC wizards can deduce the year from that, wonderful.

There are three small bolts holding on the rear cover of the drive. This cover appears to be plastic. I haven't removed the bolts yet to check what's inside but I will this afternoon.


Thanks again, everyone has been very helpful.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

See if you can find the model # of the engine on the rocker cover or t-stat housing, that will tell the year for sure. He could of bought a new 93 in 94 or it could have been powered with a "new" but previous year engine. Should also be able to see the boat hull ID number usually on the starboard side of the transom (outside).

just found that model # and it' a 1993 drive

 

[Don S]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

That is the model number for a 93 Cobra drive 1.68:1 gear ratio and not the SX style drive. The SX style would have had a 7 digit model number ie. 3868XXX

When you pull those 3 bolts and the back cover, you will find the raw water pump.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Is this '93 drive a particularly cursed mechanism? Is there a possibility of changing it out to the newer drive, i.e. '94?

It should be pointed out that I bought this boat thinking that it might need some significant repairs in the near future. The relatively low selling price allowed me this latitude. In fact, if I simply trade it in next spring for a new boat, it won't be a terrible loss. (Or is autumn the best time to get a new boat? My wife will LOVE that: "Honey, you know that boat I just got? I'm thinking we should trade it in on a new one.....")

On the other hand, I don't mind tinkering and if I can get a couple of years out of this thing, that would be great.

 

[rojoc]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

Not sure where you are but here on Long Island (NY) omc parts are readily available. I am running a 88' cobra with a 5.0 and I think it is just great! The service manual is a MUST and they are available on line. Good luck.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

That's good to hear. I guess there's a manual available from "Seloc" or something like that. Is that the one that is online?

 

[rojoc]

Re: Raw Newbie Raw-water Question OMC I/O

That's good to hear. I guess there's a manual available from "Seloc" or something like that. Is that the one that is online?