what is too long a time to run a gimble bearing ---

[kpg7121]

Lou C-- i am slowly coming to the realization that the engine will have to come back out to fix this problem. Hard for me to accept the transom being bad when it appears so solid from the bilge side but it is sure looking like this is most likely what has happened . Even though i have to pull everything apart i don't think that i will be converting this over to an Alpha 1 as i restored this to resell it and have no intentions of keeping it . My plan is and has been to buy and restore then sell a few boats until i get a Starcraft Islander 1988--1994 to keep for myself. This is the second boat in the process and from the way it is turning out i will be lucky just to get my money back out of it . Hard to remember that i only paid 600 bucks for the boat and trailer to begin with.
An odd last couple of years with major illness interrupting the restore that got me derailed and i just kinda lost track of what i was doing.
I guess if i can get out of this one just getting my money back i will be lucky and try to not repeat the mistakes on the next one.

You only paid $600 for this boat? Me, I'd part it out. That engine & drive has to be worth a lot of a lot more then the $600. Plus the trailer. But, that's just my opinion.

 

[ab59]

I restored the boat. new deck new carpet new upholstery new seats pro rebuilt engine now with about an hour of run time but not under way use. if you are suggesting that you would part out what you just put in because of removing and repairing the transom if necessary then we definitely have a different point of view on how to do things.

 

[kpg7121]

I restored the boat. new deck new carpet new upholstery new seats pro rebuilt engine now with about an hour of run time but not under way use. if you are suggesting that you would part out what you just put in because of removing and repairing the transom if necessary then we definitely have a different point of view on how to do things.

Do what ya want with it. You're the one said you may lose money on it. So have fun fun sinking another couple grand on your new transom with an obsolete drive hanging off the back of it.

 

[kpg7121]

I have a Yugo out back with a blown engine. Maybe I'll have it rebuilt. Lol!

 

[ab59]

maybe you should go back to facebook and vent your frustrations on them , we don't need you or your mouth here.

 

[kpg7121]

maybe you should go back to facebook and vent your frustrations on them , we don't need you or your mouth here.

Have fun yakning everything out to repair your 30 year old boat transom so you can hang that dinosaur cobra from. Why do u think another poster suggested repowering with a Mercruiser? Duh! So while your ripping out your transom, grinding, sanding, mixing up resin, cabosil, csm, busting your hump on that transom I'll be parting mine out & taking the cash to put towards a boat that i can actually enjoy. Have fun!

 

[Lou C]

Its a pain. Everyone makes their own decisions about boat restorations. They rarely make sense from a $$$ and time perspective unless the hull is a very desirable one with a cult following. Ordinary boats, it really never makes sense unless you just enjoy it and don't mind taking some risks. As far as reinstalling Cobra after a transom job, well, if I was keeping the boat I might keep the Cobra since I am set up to maintain it and know how to do all the maintenance including the tricky transom shift cable adjustment. However, if I were thinking re-sale and the right used parts came my way, then that's the time to do it.

 

[ab59]

since i don't believe that there is anything wrong with the Cobra it is going to stay where it is. The Opinion of whether or not it is a good outdrive is like many other things where one guy hates them and the other would not have anything else. If the Cobra was damaged i would consider the Alpha . I am a firm believer in " if it ain't broke don't fix it " . Cobra parts are not hard to come by here and i can't see putting another 1000 into this project , THAT would not make sense to me.
kpg- this is a boat restoration site as much as anything and your constant reference to any older boat being restored to original not being worth it makes me wonder why you came to this site at all. I for one don't care what you think and your pissant little comments don't have a place here. I can only think that you are not old enough to have a clue that no one asked YOUR OPINION to begin with .

 

[kpg7121]

since i don't believe that there is anything wrong with the Cobra it is going to stay where it is. The Opinion of whether or not it is a good outdrive is like many other things where one guy hates them and the other would not have anything else. If the Cobra was damaged i would consider the Alpha . I am a firm believer in " if it ain't broke don't fix it " . Cobra parts are not hard to come by here and i can't see putting another 1000 into this project , THAT would not make sense to me.
kpg- this is a boat restoration site as much as anything and your constant reference to any older boat being restored to original not being worth it makes me wonder why you came to this site at all. I for one don't care what you think and your pissant little comments don't have a place here. I can only think that you are not old enough to have a clue that no one asked YOUR OPINION to begin with .

Where did I say older boats weren't worth restoring? I referenced Cobras because they're dinosaurs. Like it or not, they are. And i don't like the idea of putting used parts on a boat. Not one that m y 5 & 2 yr. old grandaughters will be riding on. And if you can't do a repair that's needed try to find an OMC trained tech to work on it. Try to find coolant hoses for your Cobra. Sorry, most NLA. Or a myriad of other parts without buying used on ebay. I kept my Cobra running for close to 30 years & as far as I'm concerned if they're maintained properly the damn things are near bulletproof. And my 3.0 engine purrs like a kitten. And it's never seen the inside of a shop since I've owned it. Me, I'm not rebuilding a transom to turn arpund & hang a Cobra from it. Many knowledgeable boaters won't go near an OMC & if my boat had a Merc or Volvo drive I'd fix it. Have fun with your project.