BOATING ON A BUDGET

High&dry I just got done with the same kind of project as you are talking about.
I did all of the work my self and it coasts 3 to 4 times more than expected.
I did stringers on a 86 baja.
The project just kept getting bigger and bigger. then i thought I can do the motor and it got even bigger. (long and upsetting story on rebuilding my boat)
it took 2 years of gut wrenching work and lots of money. about 18000 when I was done.
I would never do that again!!!!!!!
Listen to these people on this board there is a lot of info here.

FOUNTAINATLAST

This is no joke, My 221 Liberator had new interior, brand new gel-coat, new rims and tires on the trailer not to mention the motor mods with nice polished headers.... I had well over 20K into the boat without half the work your doing, I ended up giving it away just to get rid of it. First question asked was always WHAT DRIVE IS ON IT (King Cobra 454)????? OMC! That was it, end of conversation. I loved the boat and still miss it from time to time BUT never another OMC in this lifetime. Good Luck.

Liberator21

It sounds to me like he knows what he’s doing, and has things well under control. The transom, and stringers are already done, and you’ve got a good price on the interior? Sounds good to me. As far as engines go, I would build a set of mild strokers. I don’t know what size your boat is, but my 211 Liberator moves real well with a single 383. The cam I’m using is a mild marine cam (too mild if you ask me), and I have no reversion problems. I’m on my third season with this engine, and my Cobra drive is holding up real well. The “King Cobra” setup you have is just a package name. The actual drive is just the cobra. If your flame arrestor cover says King Cobra 350, you have the 270 HP package, as opposed to the 260 HP 5.7 package. The King Cobra drive is quite a bit larger than the Cobra, and as far as I know, only came with the big blocks. As far as the ignition goes, don’t you have electronic already? I thought 1989 was the first year for electronic ignition on the 5.7 Cobra. If not, there is a reliable electronic conversion kit that is fully ESA compatible. I’ve installed a load of them with no troubles. I will agree with everyone else however, project boats are always a lot of money (but I do them too).

fund razor

Well huh, Bill.
Never gonna break a King Cobra with 270 hp either.
Next somebody will tell me that they have a 4.3 liter merc with a Bravo butt.
I guess Liberator made one of everything. I have only ever seen Kings on 460s. (The idiot that sold me my boat advertised them as Kings, but of course, he lied.)


Hp500... you cheeze whiz. I wasn't trying to take a dump on his dream either. It just sounded like a really losing proposition in todays market.

But if he wants a project... he's got one.
Best of luck.

On the cam thing... I just know from changing cams on previous blocks that a small change doesn't do jack for the top end. Maybe make the sound more "lopey" or beasty. But no new MPH without radical cam, rework heads, springs, valves, intake, ignition and exhaust.
A cam mild enough that you can use the stock springs will change everything but speed. In fact, you might lose some.

We all know how much money and work that those extra couple mphs are. I would stay stock and reliable. Make a hot rod out of the next project. The ESA vs. ignition upgrade is a limiting factor.

fund razor

I shoulda read Liberator21s post. I'm not as wrong as I thought.

Dam you Bill

fund razor

By the way... Liberator21 has been a huge help to me in the past couple years with my OMCs. Thanks Lib.

Bill272

Damn you fund, it's Damn, not dam.

Ok, so I was wrong. I don't recall anything on the drive saying it was a king cobra or just cobra, just the flame arrestor with the king cobra and the big snake head.

And I agree it does sound like he has it under control. I'd be worried about putting too much power in it since OMC has been out of business for several years. (correct me if I'm wrong. ) Drive parts will become scarce, keep an eye out on ebay.

fund razor

I wanted to be wrong dammit!!!!

OMC is gone... but the parts are not. Cobras and aftermarketcobras are around. OMC replacement parts are being manufactured by Bombardier/Evinrude/Johnson. I have had good luck finding stuff, which is good, because I got had and I needed two of everything. (sometimes three.)

I could get parts at the dealer two miles from work 90% of the time, and from Outdrive Man's business (Dubberts) 100% of the time.

Maybe they will get more scarce... but so far so good getting parts and support. Maybe I am lucky where I live. Outdrive shops will take them on trade and give a very fair credit against a new unit.

The problem is perception. They are actually solid drives. I had one alpha off of the boat and apart WAY more times that I have had to service TWO cobras. They have huge drive oil capacity. Who needs showers? I am just careful not to shift with a bad ESA. (I carry an extra ESA onboard so that I can replace it at sea and not have to limp back on one screw.) Pretty much plugs in.

And water intake impellers are really easy to change. You could do it swimming behind the boat. Carry an extra impeller kit too... why overheat when you can change it in 3 minutes without splitting the drive?

mopower

Worst problem with KC's is shifting and 89 should be the year they changed to a cone clutch like Bravos. My 88 had the ignition interupter and shift dog like the Alpha. Now ready for this???I was in a 211 Liberator , with a 460 , that was replaced with a 540(bored and stroked Ford) 625 hp and never a problem with the drive. I was warned by two OMC mechanics "NO STRAIGHT ARM HOLESHOTS" and I heeded their advice. I could stand an 80 mph speedo straight down. No gps back then

Carbon Footprint

iTrader: (4)

They are King Cobra engines(carb cover and serial #) and the drives are labeled king cobra on the trim cylinder however I know they are cobra drives with a cute sticker!!
I'd like to talk to mopower about that 625hp!

The engines and drives are 1988 ( for a 1989 boat) they are clutch-dog cobras and the distributors are points type.

The boat is a 241 liberator. All original with all original parts, not molested just neglected.