Outdrives

I Have A 1987 Bayliner Capri 5.0 Without An Outdrive. The Part On The Boat Says Omc Cobra. My Question Is What Outdrives Will Fit On This Boat

Re: Outdrives

You can mount a Volvo Penta SX drive to an OMC Cobra drive shield. Goolgle OMC to Volvo conversion. That should point you in the right direction.

Re: Outdrives

Thanks For The Info. Does It Have To Be Only Omc Brands? Or Will Merc Cruisers Or Anything Else Bolt Up And Work?

Re: Outdrives

TIM BROWN SR. said:

Thanks For The Info. Does It Have To Be Only Omc Brands? Or Will Merc Cruisers Or Anything Else Bolt Up And Work?

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Howdy,

Your best might be to get a Mercruiser bellhousing, transom, and drive since you have no drive.

Once you get it all switched you'll have a setup that will be well supported for many years to come. Also, you can probably buy a NEW SEI drive with a warranty etc.....

You can easily buy just about everything you need used on ebay if you don't want to get new "stuff"

Cheers,


Rick

Re: Outdrives

The Volvo Penta SX abd DPS Duoprop drives are the only ones other than OMC that will fit onto the OMC Cobra shield. This will be your best bet due to the ease of conversion and that Volvo Penta is still in business. Another advantage of going Volvo is the smooth shifting cone clutch Vs the dog clutch. The Volvo SX is comparable to Mercruiser's Bravo 1 and the DPs is a duoprop outdrive Simialr to the Bravo 3.

You don't want to bother with messing around with converting to Mercruiser, especially messing with an Alpha 1, you'd have to replace transom shield on your boat to mercruiser and that would be a downgrade unless going to Bravo series drive. I got to beta test one of their first Gen II units on my 91 bayliner 2655, good boat good chevy engine crappy outdrive since boat was new back in April 1991. That outdrive is a price point engineered piece of bad shifting junk, so you get to know your boat mechanic too well replacing lower shift cables and always needing adjustment.

If you price them out a New Volvo SX is cheaper than a Mercruiser Bravo 1. As far as the 150% pricing premium that was mentioned don't be scared away by that. The Volvo's used to be made in Sweden and parts were expensive to get. Volvo builds their I/O units in Lexington, Tennessee now and most parts can be gotten easier and cheaper plus just about every boat shop that services Merc also services Volvo.

I hope this clarifies things for you and helps you in looking for a replacement. Make sure whatever you get, it's the proper gear ratio for your engine. Good luck and post back with what you ended up doing. Sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes, I like this forum everyone is very helpful.

Re: Outdrives

If you price them out a New Volvo SX is cheaper than a Mercruiser Bravo 1

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Maybe....but he doesn't need a Bravo......... But it will be FAR cheaper to get a new SEI drive and used Alpha bell housing/gimbal/etc.

I bought a complete, steering wheel-to-props, used, 122hrs since new, 454 Bravo III (for $5k) after I pulled the 460 King Cobra (which I sold for $3K).

The 87 Cobra is a Dog Clutch model. You can't just direct bolt an SX on it. it requires some sort of a kit that is not all that cheap.....


If it were me I would do an SEI. (or wait a bit for their adapter kit I keep hearing about to use an SEI ON the Cobra gimbal....

Re: Outdrives

Here is a link to a Volvo sales brochure http://www.marinepartsexpress.com/SX_Cobra.pdf

The Dog or Cone clutch is in the upper unit. Maybe I misread, but i thought the OP needed an entire outdrive (complete upper and lower unit). Granted none of this is cheap and I was assuming that the OP would be sourcing certain parts used. To the OP, before you do anything as far as putting a new outdrive on your boat, make sure that the engine is in good shape before you proceed. If it isn't, the previous poster is correct in that you might be able to find a complete used engine/transom shield and drive cheaper.

I still stand by my original statement, that you should stay clear of a Mercruiser Alpha 1 or SEI 106/116. The dog clutch stern drives have a system in them that momentarily cuts the ignition when you shift out of gear that easily falls out of adjustment causing the motor to die when shifting in and out of gear which can make docking stressful. In my opinion a dog clutch, which was originally developed for outboards has no business in a sterndrive especially any one with a motor that has more than 6 cylinders.

To the OP: considering that your boat is a Bayliner, you may want to check out the Bayliner Owners Club website. There are several members on that board who have done the OMC to Volvo conversion and would be able to give you first hand advice on what is involved and what it costs. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Re: Outdrives

pk2655: glad to hear I'm not the only one who does not like the Alpha family drives, and for exactly the same reasons. I'm a big fan of the Volvo and the Bravo series drives though. Love that cone clutch, so nice and smooth.

Re: Outdrives

Alpha I's are ok the Gen II's totally suck.

Re: Outdrives

pk2655 said:

You can mount a Volvo Penta SX drive to an OMC Cobra drive shield. Goolgle OMC to Volvo conversion. That should point you in the right direction.

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An SX or DP-S drive will not bolt on to the Cobra transom shield. New pivot housing, new shift cable setup, new raw water pump and hoses are needed.
Volvo does make kits for it, but it's not a take the cobra off and install an SX drive conversion.
I've done several of these Cobra to Volvo conversions. Not a big deal except the Ford 460's.

Re: Outdrives

Don S said:

An SX or DP-S drive will not bolt on to the Cobra transom shield. New pivot housing, new shift cable setup, new raw water pump and hoses are needed.
Volvo does make kits for it, but it's not a take the cobra off and install an SX drive conversion.
I've done several of these Cobra to Volvo conversions. Not a big deal except the Ford 460's.

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Cobras have a dog clutch setup in the lower unit with a water pump in the drive vs the Volvo's upper drive cone clutch and engine-mounted water pump right? Haven't messed with many newer Volvos but I seem to recall thats how they worked.