Buying a new sterndrive

[ontheplane]

Hi all,

Looking at a boat that has no sterndrive - when I say none I mean its gone, missing, never to be seen again.

Two questions:-

1) Do I need a mortgage to buy a new drive? I see Coastal Rides do recon units, but they need an old one to take back in p/x

2) The vendor insists the engine is fine, it's just the drive that's missing, but of course how can that be checked? There may be a way to feed some water to it thru what's left of the sterndrive, but running it at tickover is one thing, running it under load to check it's all ok is another of course.

And before anyone asks... yes, it's cheap! So if I can fix at right price, it is worth it.

 

[BruceK]

What sterndrive? I bought a mercruiser alpha1 MR last year and it cost £1800, but you can get after market copies for half that which is rather cheap. However! From there they start getting very expensive rather quickly and Volvo's I am lead to believe even more so.
Re engine, there are always compression checks that can give you a good indication of it's current state apart from the usual checks. But again, what engine?

 

[ontheplane]

Volvo

So drive needs to be either SX or DP.

I called Coastal Rides but they didn't seem able to actually commit to a price. Also you have to watch the hidden extras.... eg the DP drives didn't include props, which were another £1500!!!!!

Engine is (I believe) a Volvo 5.7 petrol.

 

[RIN]

Volvo

So drive needs to be either SX or DP.

the DP drives didn't include props, which were another £1500!!!!!

Engine is (I believe) a Volvo 5.7 petrol.

Crikey - were they made of platinum?

 

[GrahamHR]

Volvo

So drive needs to be either SX or DP.

I called Coastal Rides but they didn't seem able to actually commit to a price. Also you have to watch the hidden extras.... eg the DP drives didn't include props, which were another £1500!!!!!

Engine is (I believe) a Volvo 5.7 petrol.

If it's "just" the outdrive that's missing ( i.e. the assembly that attaches to the tilt assembly using 6 studs) you'll also need the cross shaft and its retainers if it's missing. If more is missing, then it gets expensive quickly.

The outdrives do come up secondhand occasionaly, especially in the US, more often than not as separate upper and lower units ( easy to assemble together). In the US second hand props are are common as well.

I happen to have a DPS lower unit with a damaged skeg in my garage, ideally t needs a rebuild to make sure everything is OK ( It picked up a lobster pot that had a steel hawser; After it happened, it did drive some 10 miles back to the marina with no odd noises or oil leaks). Also the pair of refurbished F6 DPS stainless props are there , I've been meaning to put them on Ebay for years !

 

[wofforduk]

Id keep a good eye out, as good drives to surface every now and again. I bought one for my project last year - a bravo 3X for 1200 which I thought was a good price - much better than coastal rides.