OMC Outdrive 1984 - Stay Away???

[Avenger 1975]

I'm looking at an ad for a used Checkmate with 350 OMC I/O. Would I be asking for trouble, or were the OMC outdrives OK with the small blocks?
Thanks for any comments.
Dave

[Outnumbered]

Dave, I have had good luck with my 1987 King Cobra OMC. This is the 3rd year on it and we have put about 100 hrs on it, 350 total. We are running about 340+ Hp behind a 460 Ford.
I don't know about the old ones. The hardest thing about OMC is finding someone that knows how to work on them. It can be frustrating. If you are in SoCal I can refer you to someone. I would expect a bargain price on the boat since you will have some trouble getting it fixed when the time comes.
Hope this helps,
OL

[HavasuDreamin']

Not sure...........but the power trim sure left a lot to be desired...........
Hit the button and WHAM...........your outdrive is down. eek! I am amazed the drive didn't crack the transom half the time.
Overall......... yuk

[Avenger 1975]

Thanks for the input, OL. I'm guessing this drive is not as strong as the King Cobra, but I don't even know what model it is. The boat is listed on Ebay, its a Checkmate Enchanter, looks to be in good shape. Bidding is currently $3075 and reserve is not met. Looks in very good shape.
In the mid 80's I don't know how the OMC stacked up against the early Mercs.
I'm located in the northest.

[not guilty]

Should be a cobra drive or early 800. Everyone here knows I like 'em.
If youre anywhere around central Illinois I'll work on it.
Also a Chekmate is a pretty good solid boat.
As far as stacked against the early mercs I'd take a cobra over an alpha or 888 etc. any day jawdrop NG

[Avenger 1975]

Thanks for the input, NG. I'm in NH so won't be stopping in to Illinois for service! I've wanted a Checkmate for years now, I just like the look of the boat and it always seems like people who have owned them love them. I drove one that I was looking at a few years ago and the hull seems very stable once up to speed, though it took quite a while to get on plane, might look at adding tabs. Not sure if I'll bite on this one, will decide later today, but either way will end up with one eventually.

[Outnumbered]

Dave,
I saw this guy's boat in another post.
kevnmcd@cox.net
He has an OMC 800 in his 83 Elim. He should be able to answer all your questions. The post is "thru transome exhast" on this forum.
OL

[old rigger]

those old pre cobra OMC drives are work horses, but like Havasu says, they do have a funky trim set up. And that big rubber seal around the unit. Seems to always leak when it's messed with by someone that shouldn't be messin' with it. The problem is that even the newest ones of those are comming up on 20 years old.
When OMC came out with the Cobra it was when the patent rights for Mercruiser ran out. They had the Cobra waiting in the wings. The first one were crap. Problem after problem. You'd think they would have worked out all the bugs while waithing to offer their new product, but it took a few years for them to be good.
Omc was trying to shake the bad rep they were geiing over the original cobras and approached us to build a race boat. They wanted to set a record, any record, with the drive to give it some respectability. We setteled on the ETII class. We ran a single carbed SMC (prepped by Maclaren engines) and a stock Cobra drive, although it did have a nose cone and low water pick up on it and the entire thing was gone through by Joe Rodes. Stock gimble, but we raised the X on it to where the prop shaft was even with the bottom of the hull. This was on a 20 ft tunnel at Advantage. They call the boat a Banshee. I think they still offer it, but as an outboard or jet. Same as a Eliminator, Ultras 19 and so on.
We set the kilo record at 118 and change and it still stands today. It's a APBH record and I think I saw it on their site or a site that posts records recently. We raced the boat twice in the old Mississippi race, 1000 miles in 2 days (one DNF and one first in our class) and raced the Parker enduro with it too. Flipped in the first turn of the first lap!!!!!! ouch
Never had a moments problem with the Cobra drive, Omc got their record, but I don't think anyone noticed. They used the results in a few adds of the day, '88-'89, in some of the boat mags but that was about it.

[Craig]

Yeah, I think Advantage still has a big ol' poster of that ad in their showroom in Havasu.
Craig

[kevnmcd]

Old Lavey:
Dave,
I saw this guy's boat in another post.
kevnmcd@cox.net
He has an OMC 800 in his 83 Elim. He should be able to answer all your questions. The post is "thru transome exhast" on this forum.
OL That would be me! I do have an OMC 800 outdrive. I have rebuilt the entire thing...every bearing, seal, gear, shaft, etc. I believe before I rebuilt it, it was all original (1983). I have been very pleased with it. It is a good solid outdrive and it turns a lot sharper than the mercruiser. If you have any other questions send me an email.