Is the OMC Forum Slowing Down?

PITBoat

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 26, 2018
Messages
286
Seems like there's not as much activity here as when I joined last summer. Is it just the season slowing down?
 

Redrig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Messages
849
It's not slowing down - it's just that OMC outdrives run flawlessly so we are all out boating :)
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
17,923
Or they finally got smart and bought a Mercruiser/Volvo/outboard anything but OMC

OMC was way behind on their engineering and seemed to have trouble with anything new
they decided to make.

The drives have never been the best :(

IF?? you have one after all these years??
You got a good one. Keep the oil clean and greased and it will be around for a long time.

In 86 working for a OMC/ Volvo dealer.
Saw test results comparing all 3 OMC, Volvo and Mercruiser
They hooked up identical 350 motors to their respective drives.
They started the motors.
The OMC (stringer) broke after 50 hrs. The Mercruiser broke after 250 hrs.
They ended up turning the Volvo off after 2000 hrs Didn't break.
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
11,802
The Cobra is a totally different and better design than the Stringer. If they didn’t have the difficulty with defective shift cables and the confusing adjustment procedure they would have been successful. With updated instructions and the 3 tools to make an accurate adjustment I taught myself to do this in one day. And it’s shifted fine the whole time I’ve had it. I have not even had to change the shift cable and I’ve owned it 17 years!
 

kenny nunez

Captain
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
3,056
I have to go with the results of the endurance test. I serviced all 3 drives and the Volvos would outlast the engines. The aluminum that Volvo used on the AQ drives was far superior as well as their painting process, and the least complicated to service.
As far as the outboards I still feel that the OMC brands were better back through the 70s. OMC had the largest die casting plant in the world at one time and was the first to use the lost foam method of casting. Their aluminum was better than Mercruiser but their painting process really was of bad quality when the Cobra series began.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,306
Seems like there's not as much activity here as when I joined last summer. Is it just the season slowing down?

every year there are fewer and fewer remaining OMC owners..... could be because the last true OMC outdrive was well over 30 years ago, and the last OMC anything was well over 20 years ago.
 

PITBoat

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 26, 2018
Messages
286
I was wondering if some of it was attrition, but didn't think that would be noticeable over just one year's time.

I'm happy with mine so far, but my initial efforts didn't fix the stiff shifting out of forward.
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
12,944
Maybe it is many more people are out of work and can't afford to go boating
 

88 Capri (2022 SOTY)

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Messages
792
I see a lot of parts in my area which leads me to believe not as many OMC's out on the water and people are realizing what the parts are worth to the current OMC group so they looks for $$$$ rather than fix the boats that contain them.
 
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Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
11,802
OK here are the parts that have been replaced on my 1988 Cobra over the 17 years I've owned it (not a pampered fresh water boat...moored in Long Island salt water 6 months out of the year)...

trim hoses (cut by a sharp barnacle shell)
bearing carrier due to corrosion
seals as per normal maintenance (it was last resealed in 2006, has not needed it since then)

every few years I do the impeller, anodes every year...drive oil every year...that's it.

a whole lotta defective parts there eh?
lets not let the facts get in the way of the truth...

Salt water maintenance….I am on exhaust system #4, so you can judge just how much harsher my use has been than any in fresh water.
BTW, if you have a V6 Cobra with the one piece batwings and need to convert....I've done it and can tell you what you need to make it work....
 
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