Impeller issues needs some help.

Hey all. I’ve got a 1991 imp Europa 205 with a 5.7l omc and a king cobra outdrive. I have knowledge working on boats but never been around an omc. I went to replace the impeller and there is a hose connected to the impeller housing that runs down into the lower unit. My question is is that hose supposed to connect to something in the lower unit. If so how do I go about it because it’s not connected to anything down there.

first, a '91 with a 5.7 should not be equipped with a king cobra.... is the top plate on the drive unit humped or is it flat? the king cobra had the cone clutch and had a different shaped top cover, as opposed to the dog clutch cobra models with the flat top cover.

the king cobras were only in production a couple years and were placed behind the ford 460 engines, so if you have one behind the chevy 350, its a conversion.

the hose is likely the water pick up tube for the pump/impeller...

Serial number traces it back to a 91 king cobra. Where that hose drops down into the lower does it connect to anything in there.

First that hose just plugs into the gear housing as you found; it is there to allow the impeller prime fast by letting air escape and water get in when you launch the boat.
Next OMC called various things King Cobras, not all had the KC cone clutch drive, some just had thru the transom exhaust (350 KC is one example). Others were still a dog clutch Cobra but different like the 460 Ford KC, this had a BBF 460 V8, the drive had the normal Cobra upper gear housing but with a stronger larger lower unit from the V8 Evinrude outboards. So yes it is possible to have a King Cobra that is still a dog clutch drive.

louc said:

First that hose just plugs into the gear housing as you found; it is there to allow the impeller prime fast by letting air escape and water get in when you launch the boat.
Next OMC called various things King Cobras, not all had the KC cone clutch drive, some just had thru the transom exhaust (350 KC is one example). Others were still a dog clutch Cobra but different like the 460 Ford KC, this had a BBF 460 V8, the drive had the normal Cobra upper gear housing but with a stronger larger lower unit from the V8 Evinrude outboards. So yes it is possible to have a King Cobra that is still a dog clutch drive.

Click to expand...

also referred to as the "baby" king.... the "daddy" king had the cone clutch.

Correct!
I happen to like the Cobras even though the reputation isn’t great I must have been lucky because I have had very little trouble with mine over the 18 years I’ve owned it. I wish there were better parts availability although I’ve been able to find what I really needed. The one bigger modification I had to make involved the one piece batwing exhaust manifolds used on the 4.3s from 1985-1990; these have been NLA for about 15 years. I had bought 2 sets when I bought the boat in 2002 figuring this would happen and that lasted till ‘17 when I was due for its next change...while GLM had been selling a conversion kit I was reluctant to use it because of their bad quality rep. So I got the Barr Marine after market late OMC/Volvo manifolds and elbows and the VP 90* exhaust pipes and hoses. It all fit perfect on the OMC Y pipe (probably because that exhaust was designed by OMC before the OMC buy-out by Volvo!)