351 ford seaswirl cordova

[Cconti17]

I am about to go and look at a 24ft seaswirl cordova to buy. The seller is asking $2800 and has a trailer included. The boat has a 351 Ford in it and according to him "it runs great" my question is what should i be looking for to ensure the motor is in good working running condition? I dont want to buy a lemon that is going to cause more problems down the road.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Welcome Aboard,...... Is this an I/O, or an inboard,..??

Ford has been outa the marine industry for decades,.......
Ford parts a fewer, 'n further in-between, 'n considerably more expensive, when ya do find what ya need,......

Chevy power, 'n parts are a dime a dozen, 'bout anywhere ya go,.....

 

[James E]

A compression test followed by a test cruise on a lake would be appropriate for a good engine mechanic to locate problem sources.

 

[Lou C]

I see Seaswirl and Ford 351 in the same boat and I’m thinking OMC Cobra system because OMC owned Seaswirl and used 351s (5.8 liter) with the Cobra drive. Keep in mind the parts availability and service concerns with the Cobra system. I’ve had one for 18 years and had great luck with it but would not advise someone to buy one unless they can do their own work or have several shops that will still work on them.

 

[Lou C]

And, if that turns out to be true and you're considering buying it, pay attention to these points:
does it shift easily into gear? if you get grinding even when you shift it properly (briskly not slowly) that suggests a stiff dragging shift cable or mis adjustment
does it stay in gear or clunk when accelerating (rounded off clutch dogs, needs lower gears replaced)
does it shift easily into neutral or is it so stiff you have to force it? A Cobra in good shape with a good shift cable/adjusted shift system will shift out of gear with one finger pressure on the control. Mine does. Engine idle at 600 rpm and proper shift cable adjustment and ESA system working is what it takes. Once you know the points to check these shift very well, nearly as smooth as a Volvo cone clutch. I wouldn't have stuck with it this long if that were not true.
But if you can't find any shops that will work on it, then find a boat with a Mercruiser if you want an I/O boat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if its fuel injected, remember, all the ford EFI parts are now NLA....

 

[Lou C]

True true you would wind up having to go back to a Holley carb then, not the worst thing though, parts for those are everywhere....if it has a points distributor and Holley carb you are in good shape, the parts are available for those..
I've been buying up OMC spare parts from freshwater mid western ebay sellers, just picked up a very nice 4.3 Cobra outdrive that looks like new, also have trim rams, steering actuator, Y pipe, etc. I have a whole Cobra spare parts corner in my garage lol. Reminds me of the taxi garages in NYC with piles of Crown Vic parts!

 

[Scott Danforth]

True true you would wind up having to go back to a Holley carb then, not the worst thing though, parts for those are everywhere....if it has a points distributor and Holley carb you are in good shape, the parts are available for those..
I've been buying up OMC spare parts from freshwater mid western ebay sellers, just picked up a very nice 4.3 Cobra outdrive that looks like new, also have trim rams, steering actuator, Y pipe, etc. I have a whole Cobra spare parts corner in my garage lol. Reminds me of the taxi garages in NYC with piles of Crown Vic parts!

I have a complete VP 290DP drive that I acquired in parts..... LOL

 

[Lou C]

I have a complete VP 290DP drive that I acquired in parts..... LOL

It becomes an addiction, Scott!

 

[Scott Danforth]

It becomes an addiction, Scott!

nah...... its coming across good deals and jumping on them. I have $625 in essentially a complete drive including transom shield.....bought in pieces by keeping an eye out. I am set "WHEN" something breaks

 

[Lou C]

Yep agreed staying operational when you have old stuff is the name of the game....
Next thing will be a transom assembly. The original OMC stuff has held up surprisingly well after many years of mooring in salt water.