1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

[MasterGoa]

Hi all!

I recently purchased a Four Winns 278 that has, by corporate association, a
pair of Mustang Cobra engines in front of really Volvo looking Cobra drives.
I am not sure they are Cobras but they look like SX drives with the impeller
in the upper unit.

They work great and have excellent pick up while offering
very reasonable fuel economy at 2800-3000 RPM.
2800 is best but you feel the boat wanting to site back
down. At 3000 rpm, slight trim up and no tabs, the boat
is lively and very responsive.

SO here my love story with OMC starts.

Any advice on maintenance and what to look for to keep them
in tip top shape? They have 481 and 502 hours. They start
on a dime and idle super smooth when warm. Note that either
they have no thermostats or they are blocked open as
temp never goes past 120F but I know the gauges work
cause they did go up pulling another boat to the marina.

So thank for any advice as you will have a very attentive audience

 

[MasterGoa]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

So I guess they are pretty reliable?

Any suggestions on a code reader for the engine ECU?

 

[Levinz11]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

The usual Cobra suggestions. Keep the shift cable in tip top shape and properly adjusted. Keep the drive oil topped up, using the correct fill procedure. The stickies here are great!

To pull engine codes you can use the paperclip trick...http://oldfuelinjection.com/?p=13 OR buy an OBD1 diagnostic tool.

Enjoy your new ride.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Howdy,

I am not sure they are Cobras but they look like SX drives with the impeller
in the upper unit.

If you have the impellers in the "upper" units, they're not SX's. AND they may be 93 models. (Your 1994 model year boat could have come with 1993 engines and drives)
If they are, they're likely dog-clutch Cobras.
OMC used the Dog clutch drives up to about 1993 in the 5.8L and below........ The (Volvo) SX's came along in 1994 or 95 I believe....

BABY everything. Your particular EFI module may not be available anymore. So if you "Zap' it, plan on either replacing the entire fuel injection system with a carburetor or replacing the engine. (and you'd probably need to do both to keep the engines the same)

It would be helpful if you posted your model number.

Go to http://epc.brp.com to find your year and model number.

Once you identify the correct model number, I suggest you get an OEM OMC service manual. Here's a good online manual http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html


Good luck,


Rick

 

[MasterGoa]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Thanks for the replies.

Is the EFI the same as in the Mustang these engines
were from? I will try and post the model numbers on Wednesday.

Regards.

EDIT: Wow thanks for the OMC manual link! Awesome!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Thanks for the replies.

Is the EFI the same as in the Mustang these engines
were from? I will try and post the model numbers on Wednesday.

Regards.

EDIT: Wow thanks for the OMC manual link! Awesome!

You're welcome........and No. It's not the "same", OMC had to certify it's system to be SAE J1171 compliant to meet ABYC (USCG) requirements.

Like Mercury, I believe it requires a compatible code "reader". Since OBD-I and OBD-II has to comply with some FEDERAL DOT standard, and marine stuff doesn't have to, some of the codes might not be the same.

If you look at the OMC manual and compare to all the standard EEK-4 codes you'll find that many of them are the same. I don't know if OMC used the same connector but you could probably wire up an adapter.

I believe Volvo has a tester that works with that engine too. It's mentioned in the following manual.

http://dc148.4shared.com/download/z...?tsid=20120414-035035-a75dd39d&forceOpen=true

.....More 'stuff' I found in a regular Google search...... http://www.corral.net/tech/maintenance/eecivtest.html#two

 

[MasterGoa]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Thank you again for another excellent read!

This should allow me to track down a code reader for my engines!

I had a busy week but will be able to get the engine model this weekend.

However, I do have the engine and drive serial numbers from the survey, can this
help find the models of both engines and drives?

Thanks again!

 

[ddbaran]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Thanks for the replies.

Is the EFI the same as in the Mustang these engines
were from? I will try and post the model numbers on Wednesday.

Regards.

EDIT: Wow thanks for the OMC manual link! Awesome!

Sorry, but no. There is no association with the Ford Mustang Cobra. That is a vastly different engine from the bottom up.

These are definately good reliable engines. I have a 5.8L EFI in my 1994 Fourwinns that I bought brand new in 1994 and I have had next to zero issues in the 20 years I have been boating with this setup. I would 300% buy it again if I had the option. It has served me very well.

All that said, OMC has an older Cobra version which is a lesser design by all accounts and the newer Cobra SX which was a joint-venture with Volvo; which I believe is the one you have. The SX being common with Volvo is a great thing for you as it turns out (and me). You will find that many Volvo components are directly interchangeable on the drive unit and trim cylinders etc. I believe they used the same motors for a few years which were Ford 5.0L and Ford 5.8L up to 1996 when they switched over to the GM 5.0L and GM 5.7L.

The EFI fuel systems and fuel injection is all an OMC / Volvo aftermarket design. There may be some components like the injectors or fuel rails that can be used but I wouldn't count on it. Most of the time the marine companies put their own components on the motors to make them "marine" or "marine-safe". There are different USCG rules and regulations for fuel systems than there are for cars and trucks.

What I have been finding recently on my boat now is that some of the off-motor items are starting to corrode away within the fuel system. Apparently the stainless steel fittings don't like the moisture at all and will let the system draw in air under full load. So do the smart thing and plan on replacing all the fittings on your fuel delivery system with brass fittings. You will be glad you did. One of mine just snapped off in my hand. It had been eroded by the galvanic action.

Hope that helps and good luck with your new boat!

-Dave

 

[Lou C]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

If it looks like an SX but has the impeller in the rear of the upper gear housing, its the OMC Cone Clutch King Cobra. These were a strong drive, but only made for about 3 model years. Some of the parts are hard to find, but the drives themselves are very stout.
The plain garden variety Cobra with the dog clutch shifting can last a really long time as long as the shift cable is in good condition and adjusted right. Mine has the same cable on it that it had when I bought it 11 years ago and it shifts very smoothly. Take a pic of the drive and then we can tell you for sure what you have.

 

[MasterGoa]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Hey guys, thank for your responses.

Lou, they are 1993 Cobra drives with dog clutch.
I did set the cables correctly, and so far, they have been quite
reliable drives, so no issues.

ddbaran: I am going to have to dissagree on one part:
Even though OMC did a lot of stuff on those engines to
make them marine compliant, they DO have a Ford
fuel injection system and all the sensors and parts
related to the fuel injection have Ford markings.

I am told that they are mostly from a 1988 Ford F-150 pickup
but with changes for marine.

You are correct in terms that the fuel and advance map
are marine specific. Up to now, they have been great engines!

Happy boating!

 

[Lou C]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Oh if they are dog clutch drives then that is better for the issue of parts availability. Most of the parts you can still get either OE or in the aftermarket. You can actually get brand new aftermarket complete gear housings from Sierra (upper gear housing+gears) and GLM (lower housing and gears). I don't know how well those hold up though.
As far as the FI and electronic ignition system, it is possible that it is basically a Ford system slightly modified to meet marine specs.
Your '94 boat has a '93 drivetrain because in '94 the regular Cobra was re-engineered as the joint venture product. Just keep the shift cable in adjustment and replace it when it gets sticky. You can probably still get the OMC or aftermarket tools that make setting the cable easy. Once I spent a couple of hrs with it I can do one now in about an hr as long as the cable is good. Change the drive oil once a year and those drives will last nearly forever as long as they do not jump out of gear because of a sticky cable.

 

[ddbaran]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Hey guys, thank for your responses.

Lou, they are 1993 Cobra drives with dog clutch.
I did set the cables correctly, and so far, they have been quite
reliable drives, so no issues.

ddbaran: I am going to have to dissagree on one part:
Even though OMC did a lot of stuff on those engines to
make them marine compliant, they DO have a Ford
fuel injection system and all the sensors and parts
related to the fuel injection have Ford markings.

I am told that they are mostly from a 1988 Ford F-150 pickup
but with changes for marine.

You are correct in terms that the fuel and advance map
are marine specific. Up to now, they have been great engines!

Happy boating!

I have worked on both types of engines, I have worked at Ford for the last 20+ years and I can tell you they added a lot of extra items that do not exist on the Ford F-150. All that said, you can attempt to interchange parts, but many look like a Ford part but have been changed for the marine applications (some even had Ford markings) and were installed at the factory.

 

[MasterGoa]

Re: 1994 OMC Cobras w/Ford 5.0 MPI engines, what to look for?

Even if they have a valid Ford part number?