OMC stopped building drives decades ago, and a lot of shops will not touch a Cobra because parts and know-how got scarce. Brad still repairs and rebuilds OMC Cobra outdrives. He knows the Cobra cooling system, the shift setup and where these drives corrode, and he sources the bearings, seals and gear parts they need. If your Cobra is running and you want to keep it that way, this is one of the few places that will take it. Mail it in or drop it off.
OMC Cobra problems Brad sees
- Overheating from the Cobra's cooling path and a tired impeller
- Water in the gear oil from aged seals on an old drive
- Shift trouble from the Cobra shift cable and mechanism
- Gimbal bearing growl and cracked, hardened bellows
- Corrosion on housings from years in the water
- A drive that sat for a decade and needs a full refresh
What Brad checks on a Cobra
- Trace the Cobra cooling path and check the water pump
- Pressure and vacuum test the aged seals
- Inspect the shift cable, mechanism and engagement
- Check the gimbal bearing, u-joints and bellows condition
- Assess housing corrosion and whether parts are salvageable
- Source the correct OMC bearings, seals and gear parts
The fix and what to expect
Brad repairs or rebuilds the Cobra with correct OMC parts: seals, bearings, water pump, shift components and bellows as needed, then pressure tests it. Because parts take more sourcing on a discontinued drive, a Cobra job can take a little longer than a current MerCruiser, and he tells you that up front. For an owner who loves the boat, keeping a good Cobra alive is far cheaper than converting to a new drive and transom. Cost and timeline are set before work begins.
OMC Cobra cooling and why these drives overheat
The Cobra's weak spot is cooling. OMC routed raw water through the drive in a way that clogs and corrodes with age, and the water pump and passages get neglected because the boats are old. When a Cobra runs hot it is usually the impeller plus scale and corrosion in the cooling path, not the engine. The other Cobra gotcha is the shift system and the electric shift on some year models, which needs someone who has actually worked on OMC to sort out. Brad has, which is why Cobra owners ship drives to him instead of parking a good boat.