What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

[Mile9c1]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm a complete newbie.

I think I messed up. I have an OMC King Cobra sterndrive and I removed the left side plug that is hidden beneath the round "King Cobra" sticker on the lower unit. The sticker was missing so I didn't realize the plug wasn't supposed to be removed (I just realized it's supposed to have this sticker on both sides).

Anyway, this plug must have thraded into a nut... the nut fell fell into the housing so I can't screw it back in. Is there an easy way to get this nut out? I'm guessing not

How critical is this plug/nut? Can I use my boat with this plug out??

 

[bruceb58]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Oh man! You didn't really do that did you? Only way to fix it is to pull the drive and shake that nut out and reinstall the plug. As a temporary fix you can put a rubber plug in there until you fix it properly. I believe you need to have it plugged up.

By the way, you are not the first person to do that. Do a search and you will find many.

 

[JustJason]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

you need to pop the top cap off and pull it out and rethread the plug into it. If you try and run the motor your going to chew through a gear set.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Jason,

You sure about that? It should be just a waterway.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

I think I messed up. I have an OMC King Cobra sterndrive and I removed the left side plug that is hidden beneath the round "King Cobra" sticker on the lower unit.

Uh, yep. You screwed up.


You removed the "Never remove this screw"-- screw!

{sorry!!}

Even the OMC service manual doesn't help you on this one. (It doesn't even mention it)

All kidd'n aside, Yes you dropped a nut into the drive.

It probably won't hurt anything though unless the nut gets "washed" into the engine. I can't remember is it's small enough to fir into the water inlet in the gimbal. If it were to get lodged there it would impede the water flow and increase the chance of over heating. AND if you didn't close the hole, some of the water from the pump will spew out of that hole (which means it doesn't go to the engine) further reducing the cooling water to the engine...


You need to pull the drive. It will be right there inside the housing and you can fish it out with a piece of wire and a flashlight and put it back on.

If you haven't pulled the drive to inspect the U-joints and bellows (water-tight integrity) you should anyway .....Now you have to !

you need to pop the top cap off and pull it out and rethread the plug into it. If you try and run the motor your going to chew through a gear set.

Uhh.....no. It's in a water passage that ports water into the gimbal._

 

[boatguya1]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Doesn't the square nut thing drop into the water passage when the plug is removed? Maybe it's different on the king, but on regular cobras I'm pretty sure you need to pull the drive to fish it out.

James

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

All the dog clutch cobras were pretty much the "same"

If you refer to the picture below, the screw and plug are even with the water port right to the left of number #42.

That gasket was the same for all the Dog clutch Cobras. the nut will be laying in that hole. (which is the same as the smallest hole in the gasket...#27)

Water discharge is pumped thru that hole to the gimbal to the little plastic fitting connected to the hose that goes to the thermostat housing (or heat exchanger for closed cooled models)

Chances are the little square nut won't go thru the fitting. but the exterior hole needs to be plugged and as I said earlier, if you have not removed the drive and had a look at the U-joints, now would be a good time!

Here's a view of the gimbal and if you look at the picture below, The fitting, hose and nut, #37, 18 & 19, and gasket #100, you can see where the water comes from the drive and goes into the gimbal.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Doesn't the square nut thing drop into the water passage when the plug is removed? Maybe it's different on the king, but on regular cobras I'm pretty sure you need to pull the drive to fish it out.

James

In the later years, OMC was putting the name King Cobra on a lot of drives even if they weren't the cone clutch type. Basically, there was no difference between a King and a regular Cobra.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

In the later years, OMC was putting the name King Cobra on a lot of drives even if they weren't the cone cluttch type. Basically, there was no difference between a King and a regular Cobra.

Yeah I think you're right.

The original King Cobra was really the one behind the 460 that held 108oz of oil and was somewhat bigger and heavier than the other ones.

In the 90's they started calling the "cones" King.....

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

By the way as someone said earlier,

There's a LOT of people that have removed the "do not remove" plug!!


The only reason I didn't when I got my King Kobra was I was I pulled my drive first.....Then I looked inside and decided that I didn't need to open that hole......Otherwise I would have been asking the same question......HERE!!


You've joined a popular club!!


Cheers,

Rick

 

[JustJason]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Jason,

You sure about that? It should be just a waterway.

Doh.... your right. Don't know what I was thinking.

 

[Mile9c1]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

There's a LOT of people that have removed the "do not remove" plug!!

IMO OMC was dumb for making it a slotted screw, they should have made it with a torx or something so that we'd think twice about removing it!

Anyway, thanks for the advice, you guys are great!! My reason for wanting to half-arse the repair was because my friends wanted to go boating today I'll do it right, though.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Pull the drive,grease everything,find the nut and put the screw back in..
I JB weld the nut on the back so nobody else will do it again.

This pops up on the forum all the time...the dreaded port side plug for nothing...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: What's this drain plug for? (King Cobra)

Pull the drive,grease everything,find the nut and put the screw back in..
I JB weld the nut on the back so nobody else will do it again.

This pops up on the forum all the time...the dreaded port side plug for nothing...

You know, I have always wondered why that thing is there!

It's obviously there to have access to the discharge water from the raw pump.........but what could you use it for?

There's excess water there on the smaller engines (the same raw pump was used on the 460 and there was plenty of flow) So you *could* use it .....for something!


Hey, stick a "hose-barb" on it and use it as an engine driven "warsh-down pump"!!