Does an OMC King Cobra setup have any value?
 

Picking up a new to me boat this week and it has an OMC King Cobra drive on it. I will be switching it over to a Merc setup and was wondering if the old OMC stuff still had some value if I try and sell it. Anybody have any experience?

Is it a cone-clutch (later style)? If so they were actually good drives and guys that run them may be interested as parts are rare/expensive.

Yes, the later ones are worth a fortune. The second gen ones are impossible to get parts for. Ask how I know. I can't break mine though (not that I am trying), which is why I have not replaced it. It's only a couple extra holes in the transom, and the B1/B3 bolts on.

http://www.allamericandriveservice.com/OMCCobra.html

Just in parts alone you are talking a couple thousand dollars to sell the complete out-drive, then you still have the transom mount, gimbal, and everything inside...lots of money.

Get video of it operating in the boat before you dis-assemble to have proof.

There were some called King Cobra that were basically just cobras ...are you sure yours is a king ..Is the shift lever on the drive, under a cover on the port side..

See my link -- there are definitely two version of the King. I've had both. Like you said though -- the original king and the base Cobra, both share the upper housing, the lower is different with heavy duty gears, different skeg, etc. The second generation King is completely different animal altogether.

3 versions of the cobra . Didnt know there was variations of the big boy.
You would be nuts not to take a high definition video of it operating with your name and todays date sharpied on the side of that sucker .

It's a 1990 model boat. Talked to the guy that built and serviced the boat and he says it is a cone clutch style cobra not the clutch dog type. I'll find out more when I get the boat in my hands

i think all the cobra drives use a cone clutch.i rebuilt a 1993 king cobra this past winter and it is a cone clutch drive.all the gears in the upper are fitted in a forged steel carrier and looks to be much stronger than a bravo or xr drive.

OMC King Cobra is only valued if someone needs that exact drive and hopefully you have the gear ratio that they need. Not that many out running around even back then compared to Merc Bravo. If someone needs one then possible will bring the money. OMC product was not that reliable. Was an OMC certified shop back in the 90's.

A LOT of OMC sterndrive Cobra FAILURES was owner self inflicted because you not fill these with gear oil like Mercruiser drives Alpha and Bravo.

King Cobra if I recall correctly cone clutch was made 5 / 6 years only starting year model was 1990 for 3 apps the 7.5L / 460 Ford and the 454 / 7.4L chevy and a 350 mag 5.7 with the cone clutch in the upper. The model designation for the start of the KC and for cone clutch was APEPWS in which is true 1990 model year for OMC. This is how you determine year model of their apps -

More info for the 1990 sterndrive apps the 7.5 ford was model designation 754APEPWS and the 7.4 chevy was 744APEPWS. Both king cobras with cone clutch in the upper.

these started with cone clutch for King cobra in the upper drive - part number currently is 3853450 they ran from model year 1990 thru 1995 just an FYI

A good read and some of problems OMC sterndrives

http://www.hastings.org/~stuart/cobra/