Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
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12,702
Hey Vinney--<br />I see you really know your OMC's. I have an 88 4.3 Cobra, so far it is shifting well, and when I changed the gear oil after the end of this season there was no water in it. Are there any tips and tricks to making these last other than keeping the oil clean and making sure it is adjusted correctly and the shift cable doesn't start getting too stiff??<br /><br />Thanks for any info--<br />Lou C
 

vinney

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Oct 29, 2002
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437
Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

Hey If the boat is used in salt water. You need to pull the drive once a year and clean the salt out of the shift linkage.It will build up and make it hard to shift. We take the core wire out.(the center of the shift cable) and clean the wire and lube it with crc-656. If you clean the cable and keep it freed up. You will get acouple extra seasons from the cable. grease the gimbal bearing and u joints while you are there. V
 

Lou C

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Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

Yeah Vinney it is used in salt (I keep it on a mooring from about May to Oct here in Long Island). So I will follow up on your suggestions. Is removing this drive something a DIYer can do (with the right lifting equipment)?? My neighbor with a Merc Alpha pulls off his drive himself with a helper, but the Cobra looks bigger to me.<br />How tough is it to get it lined up correctly??<br />Thanks again Vinney!!!<br /><br />Lou C
 

vinney

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Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

The set up is everything. Put a piece of wood under the skeg(the bottom of the lower unit)Make it so the drive doesnt fall down at all. Put the drive in neutral and pull the lower unit back tipping it on the wood. Then pick up the drive and service it. When you install use the same piece of wood that has the correct height. Use a 5/8 wrench to turn the input shaft of the lower unit to line it up to the engine coupler. You need to get real good at this to show up your neighbor. V
 

Lou C

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Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

Thanks again Vinney, I figured I had to build a holding fixture of some sort to support it securely. In the OMC shop manual they show putting a lifting eye in the oil check hole but that seems like a lot of weight on those threads!!<br />Yeah my neighbor across the street (Chapparal 235 5.7 Merc) is a real DIY'er, saw him pull out a Chev 5.7 using a big oak tree as a support for his lifing chain!! Didn't get near his yard that day!!!<br />What I was thinking of building was a fixture out of 2x4's and mounting it on a dolly so I could just slide it under the drive and pull it back after removing the bolts, etc.
 

AdmiralQ

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Oct 31, 2002
Messages
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Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

I just pulled the lower unit on my OMC Cobra a couple of weeks ago. Defenitely have a helper for pulling it off. I pulled mine myself. Got the 6 nuts off, got the lower unit off a couple of inches before it stuck on something, I think it was the u-joints getting caught up on the lip of the bellows. Well, I figure I've almost got it off, so I brace my feet forward, grab on to the lower unit, and lean back and pull as hard as I could. Still stuck, so I started rocking forward and back. After the 4th or 5th tug, the lower unit lets loose. I go flying back a couple of feet, my arm lands in my nice hard metal toolbox, and the lower unit gets airborne and lands squarely on my chest. Dislocated an elbow and knocked the wind out of me. Luckily, the lower unit landed squarely on top of me, so I padded it nicely. Not a scratch on it. Anyways, check out your bellows while you're in there. I ended up replacing my u-joint bellows, they were pretty bad. It was a really simple and easy job while you're in there.
 

Lou C

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Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

You know, I could just see that exact scenario happening to me, that's why I was thinking of building a fixture. I saw one in the OMC fac service manual, but who knows where you could actually buy it, so I am going to build a support to go on top of a moving dolly, raise up the drive, slide the support under it, lower the drive onto the support, then loosen all the hardware and hope for the best. I used a similar method to pull out a VW Bug engine (1965 VW in 1975!), reinforced a mechanic's creeper, put 2 scissors jacks on it, put a piece of plywood on them, rolled that under the motor, jacked up the 2 jacks, disconnected everything, then pulled motor back, jacked it down, got my 2 teenage brothers, 3 of us lifted VW up and over engine!! Worked like a charm, took only about 1 hr or so. Creeper is still being used!!! (bro #3 has it!!)
 

AdmiralQ

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Oct 31, 2002
Messages
19
Re: Question for Vinney--OMC Cobr***

That sounds like a great idea. The lower unit is actually pretty light once its off. Maybe 80 - 100 lbs or so. I was able to pick it up myself and walk it around the yard and garage. It's more unwieldy than heavy. If you could mount a couple of 2x4's on the support, on either side of the outdrive so it's cradled between them, it'd be a breeze.
 
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