Mercruiser D Tronic

[Gemini]

Can you please offer any comments good or bad on Mercruiser 2.4 D Tronic 250HP and out drives. including performance, fuel and dealer servicing
Normally when talking to brokers they suck there teeth.
All comments of intrerest.
Thanks
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[davedpc]

I think that should read 4.2 . I have the 4.2L with bravo2 and they are smokefree and reliable. Some not so good reports on this forum in the past slate the bravo3. Due mainly to corrosion i believe. The internal oil resovoir is one of the good points over Volvo legs.

 

[RogerRat]

I had the 4.2L 's on my BMB, excellent and I really liked them. The 250 D-tronic is just smarter with 30Hp more and has the ability to switch off by key, not switch.

They are not as quiet as the equivalent Volvo but they sound quite cool. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif For servicing cost, you can look at any Volvo of similar series, they are virtually the same.

Bravo 3 duo's were fitted on mine and they known to be heavy on anodes partially due to stainless props.

I have no idea why the sharp intake of breath when mentioned, but I also experienced that. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif May be 'Col' can enlighten us as the fountain of all techy knowledge. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DAKA]

I have the 4.2L and agree with Dave, they are smoke free and reliable.
A pleasure to own.
Also have easy access to service parts including twin oil fillers in case you cant reach one.

(mine are cummins-mercruiser 4.2L D300 year 2004 300hp).






I used to have volvo that were very reliable but smoke /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[rubberduck]

I bloody hope they are good cos new boat is going to have em. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Col]

Bravo 3- Huge appetite for anodes (use genuine ones) Corrosion problems have reportedly been cured on later models. Also known to break when on the back of the more powerful engines (Yanmars in ribs) A lot of people fit "drive showers" to help with top end cooling.
Spannerman has more to do with Merc set ups, so he may have further comments.

 

[spannerman]

I would agree with most of the above comments, and have never had any big problems with them ( I run a D300 on a 27 ft rib with a B I drive)
I have replaced a few collapsed B 3 drives fitted to the back of some of the bigger Yanmar 6 cylinder motors, but these were because the builder had used the wrong engine/drive/hull combination, they are designed for high speed lighter hulls, not heavy cruisers which should use B 2 drives in the Mercruiser book.
The cause of failure is a heavily loaded drive, which then runs hot and cooks the oil resulting in upper gear box /clutch pack failure. I have installed drive showers on boats that had collapsed the drive before and now they are fine, the critical factor is making sure the oil doesn't get too hot and break down from either, a heavily loaded drive or one that runs high out of the water due to the hull speed and getting insufficient cooling, this is where a VP drive scores as it circulates its oil from upper to lower gearboxs ensuring good cooling of the oil.
On the plus side because of the internal oil reservoir they almost never get water in the drive, whereas it will happen to almost every VP drive at least once in its life.
I can confirm that the engines start first time with little or no smoke, don't require as much maintainance as KAD/ Yanmar motors as they have hydraulic valve adjusters , also because of it being a 4.2 its a very understressed engine compared to the 3.6 block used on VP from the TAMD 40 up til the KAD 300.