Transom seal

I an a proud owner of a 1992 OMC 5.0 cobra I have a bad leak around the transom I raised the boat on the trailer as heigh as i could in the front filled with water to find water running out around the transom in the parts manule it shows a seal can any one tell me is this a rope seal or is there a bellows inside also.

 

Do yourself a big favor, buy a manual and have a look at what you need.

There are several areas of interest that could be causing your problem.



This is your transom assembly.

 

Thank you I have seen this brake down I have a manule on order just wondering if there is a seal on the inside were I my need to pull the engine out

 

There's a number of places it can be leaking from, the transom seal, water lines, O rings, shift cable, etc. Pull the drive and the leak point should be obvious if you have any experience. You'll need to toss a transom service kit at it to put is back together (about 100 bucks), which will probably fix your problem. While you're there check the tilt/trim lines for leaks, as the drive has to come off for these to be replaced and also check for the shift cable upgrade. This generation of Cobra drive had a recall to upgrade the shift the cable. It's a common issue with these drives. It's also difficult to install properly and have good shifting without eventually ripping out the gear set (improper adjustment).

 

Well as you can tell I do not have experince working on this but I am very mechanical have worked on all orther types of things cars tractor planes etc is there a way to tell if the shift cable has been upgrded i seen some info on this the new cable has a red cover I am having some shifting problems some times comming from forward to rev. I ma just replace it because of convenience ONe more thing I do Not need to remove the engine correct I should be able to replace all this by removing the stern drive correct thank you for the info

 

A typical cause of leaks is a rotted transom. Considering the age of the boat it is rather likely. A soft transom will prevent the seal from sealing.

 

Yes, you don't have to remove the engine. I didn't want to mention the transom as Gonzo suggests, as it's a whole different can of worms. I was hoping you'd strip the transom of it's drive, gimbal ring, etc. then discover the problem.

If it is a soft transom, you could repair it without removing the engine as well, but it takes a good bit of planning and careful work.

 

Parr do you have a recommadation on the fix of a soft transom I have not recieved the manule I am waiting thanks for the info

 

The only fix for a soft transom is to replace the core (typically plywood). Replacing transom cores is a well discussed subject. Use the search tool and have a look at the previous threads on the subject.

If you leave the engine in place, you'll have to cut the outer transom skin from the outside, but your boat probably needed a paint job anyway, right. If you work neat, you can limit the paint job to just the transom, but most novice usually bugger up the corners enough to warrant painting the sides as well.

 

Shift cable for omc important...

If you do see a newer red cable serving the lower unit...
then check on right hang side of the outdrive look for a radom grease fitting just above where the lower and upper halves of the outdrive attach.
if it is not there then it was only a half a$$ repair. there is a shift cable UPGRADE KIT and i reccomend you get it before you endup with what my fatherinlaw had a new anchor.....3500 later we got a new outdrive with the shift kit upgrade (includes new style brass bushings for the (lever the cable attaches to)

(search for a guy named george on ebay in the omc outdrives)
if you cant find him i will post his info. he can get ANYTHING OMC!!!

happy hunting