Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

[~CONNER~]

Hello everyone,
I would like some advise and some ideas;

88-89' IMP Eleganza 460 King Cobra OMC w/ trailer

I bought this boat on a leap of faith and i learned my lesson the hard way. What was supposed to be a bad shift cable turned into a complete rebuild on the drive unit. Only to find out that the 460 was not winterized and found a hole, "not a crack" but a hole in the front of the block and two missing freeze plugs on the passenger side.

I work on tractors and farm equipment, not on boats. My main question is, is it worth trying to locate a 460 block and get this boat running before i sell it, or should i just try to part this boat out as is?
Is there any market for these IMP's?

Again, it has a fresh rebuild on the drive unit. I have another partial drive unit that i had to buy in order to rebuild the one currently on the boat due to a bad casing. I hear about people buying risers and couplers and all these other hard to find items... I seem to have it all except a good motor....

What are your thoughts?

Thank you,

Matt

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

Hmm. you have what I had!!

If your drive is ok, your manifolds are not rusty junk and your coupler is usable, you *could* just find yourself a 460 out of a truck and put it back together!

After it's all together it just might be "ok" for quite some time.


If you need manifolds and risers, those parts alone could cost you as much as a long block (usually around $2000 or so.......) I am not sure you can buy risers though......I have seen manifolds for around $700 each they seem to come and go......it appears that someone is making them again.

I don't think you can buy a coupler but there is a place in Canada that will modify your flywheel to work with a different coupler (about $600 after 2 way shipping, VAT, taxes, ripoffs unless etc)

Once it's all together, you still have the same (OMC) problems if anything else breaks!

It's up to you.

I got about $3500 parting out my OMC 460 KC over a couple of years, a few parts at a time.........(and I only got $150 for the engine!!!)

I paid $5000 for the complete 1997 Mercruiser 454/Bravo III setup locally.


Sorry about that..........



Rick



Oh......welcome to iBoats!! I too made my first post here after I bought (FROM MY BROTHER!!) my 1987 FourWinns 211 Liberator powered by a Wonderful OMG 460 King Kobra!!!

the joke was on me!!!

 

[~CONNER~]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

Thanks for the quick reply Rick and i'm glad to finally make a post.
I'm not partial to the boat at all at this point, that's what's got me thinking about parting it out or selling it as it sits. I would imagine eBay or craigslist would be my best bet on selling the parts. Manifolds and coupler are currently in good shape.
If i do decide to swap motors, is there a link for instructions on removing the engine? I don't have a manual and i'm not 100% sure on what i need to remove except for the obvoius motor mounts, electronics and fuel system. I have no idea how to split the motor from the outdrive.

Thanks again for your advise!

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

Removing the engine is fairly easy (except it weighs a "TON")

1. First remove/disconnect the battery(s)

2. Then remove the vertical drive......6 SS nuts on the drive at the top and the thru-bolt that holds the trim cyls at the "tail" of the drive.

3. Get a helper and pull the drive straight back. (it's heavy too!)

Once the drive is off the back, you can remove the rear bolts that hold the flywheel housing eng-mounts to the transom plate.

After you remove fuel lines, unplug the 10pin plug, exhaust tubes, wires, fuel lines, power steering hoses, raw water hose from the transom plate, etc, you can lift the engine up and out.

If you do decide to put an engine back in, I strongly suggest getting an OEM OMC service manual that is specific to your year model. It will outline installation, alignment, lower shift cable adjustment etc.


I would also suggest looking in Craigslist for a Mercruiser engine package. That's a pretty good size boat. I would want at least a 454/Bravo III package. When I looked for mine, I also looked for a Volvo Penta BBC/DPS combo. but I didn't find one. There's a Lot of Merc stuff out there....

Any newer Mercruiser or Volvo SX/etc will "fit" with minimal work other than maybe moving the front engine mounts a bit and drilling a couple of extra holes in the transom cutout (Bravo has 8 thru-bolts, Cobra has 6) I would want at least 300 propshaft HP.

Your 460 was rated at around 340 crankshaft HP. (probably 300 prop)

My boat was a real DOG out of the hole with the 460 but ran about 60mph at WOT.

With the 454 Bravo III it's literally a ROCKET out of the hole and runs 57(GPS) at WOT. (My brother, who bought the boat new, couldn't believe how much better it runs with the stock 454.......He had the 460 rebuilt with a "trick" cam etc in the early 90's and it was still pretty slow out of the hole)

 

[~CONNER~]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

Once again, thanks for the reply. That is a lot of help. I've got a big overhead gantry in the shop so pulling it should be a piece of cake... I'll take a look on craigslist for the other powerhead systems you have mentioned above!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

I'll take a look on craigslist for the other powerhead systems you have mentioned above!

Ayuh,... Believe it or not, the Best way to find another Complete driveline is to buy a Complete boat, possibly with rotten wood....
Then Junk it out...

It's Way Cheaper in the long run, as you get ALL the little piece$ that co$t ton$ of money by them$elve$....

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Considering parting out boat ~ IMP Eleganza 235 ~ Need advise

Ayuh,... Believe it or not, the Best way to find another Complete driveline is to buy a Complete boat, possibly with rotten wood....
Then Junk it out...

It's Way Cheaper in the long run, as you get ALL the little piece$ that co$t ton$ of money by them$elve$....

Yes.....in reality, that's exectly what I did. I just offered the guy a little less for the 454/Bravo FWF and he kept the boat and trailer!! (FWF="Firewall-Forward"----- everything forward of the firewall!!)

I got everything including the harness, gages, trim pump,and controls etc..... !!