'91 228 Concept

5.8L OMC Cobra

New to this. What should I look out for on this rig?

It seems mechanically sound but what do I really know. Motor starts right up with a muff on it. Oil pressure is good, temp is good, charging good. Shift lever operates freely.

Re: '91 228 Concept

5.8L OMC Cobra, run, Run, RUN away fast. they are no longer built or supported.

Re: '91 228 Concept

If you're buying a used boat, you're stuck with the drive already installed. If it's a Cobra, you can use the information here to get it shifting perfectly; properly maintained, it is just as good or better than the comparable MerCruiser products.
http://www.hastings.org/~stuart/cobra/index.html

Who am I to believe?

Re: '91 228 Concept

They are not bad drives. However, you say you are new to boating. Do you really want to start out with a drive system that may be difficult to obtain repair parts for? Or when you do find the part it costs 4x as much as a comparable Mercruiser or Volvo part? That's the only point TD was trying to make. Is the 5.8L a Ford motor? If so you've got another difficult situation there as Ford got out of the marine business years ago.

Re: '91 228 Concept

Yes it is a Ford. Other than tune-ups and the like what does "got out of the business" mean to me? If you're saying I can't get replacement parts trust me, if it breaks badly enough I don't have a ton of $$ invested in it, so I'm not out that much.

I've done alot of reading on this board and it seems no matter what I/O you buy it breaks and/or needs constant attention.

My philosophy when it comes to things mechanical is if you abuse it, it's gonna cost money.

You say they are "not bad" drives. That's alot different than saying "run away". Again, who to believe? I'm fully aware of the shift cable issue on these drives and will make certain that it's in working order and get's the proper attention.

Re: '91 228 Concept

As long as you are going into it with your eyes open and aware of the potential parts/service issue then go for it. However, I would absolutely not pay the same amount of money for a boat with an OMC in it as I would a comparable one with a Mercruiser.

On the run away thing, maybe we should clarify...

You RUN RUN WITH FULL SPEED away from Force L-drives and Yamaha stern drives

You run quickly from Force/Chrysler outboards and Mercruiser 470s

You calmly turn and thoughtfully walk away from OMC stern drives and OMC electric shift outboards

Re: '91 228 Concept

Lots of OMC parts out there, just google it. You'll see. It is very popular to bash OMC drives, I don't know how many of those posters have actually owned one.

If it's a good deal, buy it and have fun. If you know your way around a motor, even better.

I keep trying to find an OMC part you can't find anymore?