omc lube type and qty please!

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Peter1959628

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Oct 28, 2003
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91
My buddy wants me to change his stern drive oil& engine oil.This is a black drive with a 3.0l 4 cylinder. age 1976<br />api gl5 80-90 gear oil? qty 64oz approx<br />engine oil grade 10-30 qty approx 5 quarts sound right
 
Walt T

Walt T

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Use gl-5 gear oil and fill it till it comes out the vent hole.
 
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Rainmaker

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Pete,<br />If it's a 1976 it is an OMC Electric shift. The outdrive has three reservoirs.<br /><br />1). There is the lower unit, filled by a hole on the port side about a foot from the bottom and emptied by a plug on the bottom. The lower unit takes about 1.5 quarts of a specially spec'd oil. It's called "Type-C, and it's still available. Do not put 80 - 90w gear oil in this reservoir.<br /><br />2). The upper housing is just above the lower unit. It is drained by a plug on the port side and filled (hopefully you have this, some don't) by a plug on the top of the outdrive. This reservoir will take the normal marine spec'd 80 -90w gear oil.<br /><br />3). The intermedeate housing is the part that goes thru the transom. The only way to change this oil is to remove the outdrive and then remove the ball-gear/bearing assembly (to allow the oil to drain out, there's no drain plug). So it's a lot more difficult. But you can top off the intermediate housing with a plug right next to the transom. This housing also takes a marine spec'd 80 - 90w oil.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br />mike
 
Walt T

Walt T

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Thanks for the correction Rainmaker
 
LubeDude

LubeDude

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Because of the beating the oil gets in a boat, Several on the forum are using an HDDO (Heavy Duty Diesel Oil). I would recomend Chevron Dello 400 15W-40. Its a great oil and will take the beating well, you could easily go to 100 hrs or more. Its also available in a 30 weight, but it is harder to find, but you will like the 15W-40.
 
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Peter1959628

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

I have looked at the out drive and it appears to have lower drain similar to the mercruiser.<br />Rain maker how do i know if its an electric shift?<br />I will take a couple of photos and you can probably tell me what type it is.<br />Then to remove the o/d do i need any aligning tools to replace? <br />Next how do i post a pic here.I can e-mail them as never posted here before.
 
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Rainmaker

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Pete,<br />When you said it was painted black I got a little worried. OMC's were always white.<br /><br />The easiest way to tell the old OMC from Merc is the rubber boot that keeps the water from rushing thru the transom. The OMC will have this large boot going around the drive sealing the drive to the transom. Mercs bolt right to the transom.<br /><br />If it's an electric shift, there will be a wire coming thru the intermediate housing going up to the shift lever.<br /><br />Let us know what you are dealing with.
 
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Peter1959628

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Pretty sure its not an electric shift and purely mechanical.Its on a Dixie Bandit 17ft if that helps any.Will try and get a pic tommorrow and i will let you know.<br />Last time i felt under the boot it was poor and perished & may even have a hole in it.I think its the exhaust bellows and probably have to do that as well. Is this detrimental? I know i left this on my old boat and it was ok. <br />I know when we took it out it clunked at about 15mph and after that it was fine.Not at all familiar with these beasts,more of a mercruiser person myself.
 
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Rainmaker

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Peter,<br />That's much newer than 1976, so it is definately not an electric shift (stopped making those in 1977).<br /><br />But I don't personnaly have any experience with the newer ones. I believe they were actually the same as Volvo-Pentas.<br /><br />Good Luck and have a nice weekend.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

If you are sure that's it, that is an OMC Cobra, not the earlier stringer (usually painted white, big rubber gasket in transom of boat). If so it is probably a 1986 not 1976. <br />They are drained from the lower hole on the lower unit, and filled not from the lower but the hole just below the cavitation plate, until the dipstick (screw in the middle of top cover) reads full. It should take about 64 oz of OMC his vis or HPF gear oil. Make sure you fill it right (slow to avoid bubbles) or you will toast the upper gears! When filling, just put the dipstick in (don't thread in) that allow a little extra to make up for any air. Then thread in the dipstick plug.
 
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Peter1959628

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Ok its definately black with no rubber gasket.Looks very much like the picture.<br />Guess this is a Cobra .Is that OMC or Volvo/penta because i am not familiar at all with these.<br />I will try to get to see it again but feel certain there is an upper plug/could be dipstick, and plug in lower portion of foot.<br />The motor is a 4 cylinder.<br /><br />Could not get a pic because my buddy was down at the Dmv for the afternoon trying to sort out title/tag for his sea doo trailer.Thats another absolute Fiasco typical of Nc trailer laws.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

That pic is one of the orginal Cobras, 1986-1993, those were pure OMC. Then OMC and Volvo formed a joint venture, and the 1994 and up were sold as the OMC Cobra/Volvo Cobra SX, which is still being sold as the Volvo SX. The joint venture ones used a cone clutch shifting system in the upper gear housing (Volvo style), whereas the original Cobras used a dog clutch in the lower shifting style.<br />Like I said you have to make sure that you do the drive oil change right or you will burn up the upper gears. Also shift cable adjustments and the condition of both the transom shift cable and the ESA system are pretty critial on these units. One plus is that the impeller in the upper gear housing is very easy to change.<br />look at <br />www.funkopolis.com:8080/~stuart/cobra/<br />that info plus an OMC shop manual will tell you all you need to know.
 
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BillP

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Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Lou C,<br />A tip of my hat to you on the article...it is excellent.<br />Bill
 
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Peter1959628

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Oct 28, 2003
Messages
91
Re: omc lube type and qty please!

Ok got to the lower unit.<br />Drained out approx 64 oz of fluid which didnt look too bad.<br />filled from the lower hole until came out of the side less than 32 Oz.?????<br />so pulled out three other plugs 2 on starboard side dry and 1 on port which was a water drain.<br />then bright idea pulled out plug on top of gear housing.<br />Bingo had a dipstick so there was mystery solved.Pumped remainder of oil in.<br />It was an OMC cobra.<br />4 quarts and oil filter fill took care of the engine oil.<br />If i knew how to post pics here i would .<br />Thanks for all your advice
 
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