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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks for the replies. I don't see how it could have been sticking on splines or alignment... Like I said the engine (and bellhousing / coupler) are not even fitted yet, when partially fitted the splines could be seen inside the boat, they'd already gone through the gimble bearing. It took a...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    The engine is built but I haven't refitted it yet, thought it better to fix the trim hydraulic issues before fitting the engine. Recap - When I bought the boat the leg was trimmed all the way up, it must have stayed up for months. But when I used it on the river the leg seemed to trim itself...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks again @Lou C It's been a while again since my last forum visit and I've just seen your last reply. I wouldn't have expected the OMC Cobra ram rebuild kits to come in Evinrude / Johnson packaging but I'm not doubting that your advice is correct. I did some work on the boat engine...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks @Lou C , I'll look into getting a rebuild kit.
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    The boat is a '96 model and so far everything else I've checked on the drive seems to be the same design as a Volvo SX, do you think this makes it likely the rams are the same as Volvo SX?
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Apparently it's a late modle OMC Cobra drive so is identical to a Volvo SX drive, so does that mean the rams will be the same as Volvo SX?
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks @alldodge and @kenny nunez . alldodge , sorry my fault for any confusion.. I was thinking out loud, rhetorical question about it being easier to work on the rams (outside the boat) when the engine and leg have been refitted than on the pump (inside the boat) when the engine has been...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Sorry to keep mentioning the rams... I have the engine and drive-leg removed. If I test the rams now will it cause me any problems when I come to refit the leg (such as rams not both in the same position making it difficult to line them up with the leg)? Could I damage the rams during testing...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks, that makes sense. At first I was thinking if the rams had a leak it would be external (leaking from the end of the ram). But I think I see what you mean... if the internal seal is leaking fluid can get past it, there won't be an external leak but the position of the ram can still move...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks. So it's possible that the rams have an internal leak (as opposed to the rams leaking fluid externally)? Any thoughts on whether or not it's OK to bleed and test the trim/tilt without the leg fitted, or would that damage the rams?
  11. L

    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I haven't done any work on the engine recently. Today I fitted a new bilge pump (the old one had snapped where the hose connects to the pump). Also today I changed an Oring on a tilt/trim hydraulic line, the pipe connection where one of the internal tilt/trim lines connects to the port side of...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I had already assembled the bottom end / short motor before I decided to Plastigauge... Pics of the bottom end with new pistons, cam and timing chain ftted. I also fitted the timing cover and water pump.. So I hope the Plastigauge tests I intend to do on the main and rod bearings don't...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Thanks, yes that's what I'm hoping... Or rather I mean I'm hoping all the bearings check OK when I use the Plastigauge. Would you advise using plastigauge at more than one crank position on each bearing (e.g. take a reading, remove used plastigauge, turn crank 90 degrees, fit another...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I haven't updated this thread since August 2023, over 4 months, but I've continued to do a bit of work on the boat/engine when I've had time since August. The engine is still in pieces as it was when I last posted. I didn't think there could be much of a problem with the heads because...
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    Only goes 20 MPH

    If you had a broken flapper or bits off a broken flapper constricting the exhaust, could the flow of water cooling the exhaust back up all the way to the engine causing water to enter engine cylinders through exhaust ports?
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    It turned out that only the rings for cyl#1 were tight, all the others were above the general 4thou per inch ring gap advice, most cylinders had 18thou ring gap low in the cylinders to 20thou near the tops of cylinders - probably due to cylinders tapering toward the bottom by a couple of thou...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    It's been a while since I last updated this thread. I stripped the engine down, honed all the cylinders (especially cyl 2 that had the bad scratches but a few other cylinders had minor scratches too). Used a calliper with a cheap comparative bore gauge to measure and record all the bore sizes...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Where can I look up parts numbers for this boat engine and drive? When I look for items like alternators, exhaust manifolds, gaskets, gimble bearings, etc, the seller usually lists a part number but I need a way to check if parts I'm looking at will fit my boat. As said in one of my posts...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    I measured the bore of number 2 cylinder, it's 4.040 (so the standard 4inch bore + the 40thou overbore as expected) but it has the up/dowm scratches. I now need to try to hone cylinder 2 to see if I can get rid of the scratches, then after honing re-measure the bore to see if it's oversized...
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    1996 Four Winns Sundowner with 5.0 Cobra engine and drive

    Bore and piston number 2 cylinder
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