Mercruser = **** bellows
- Thread starter Smeghead
- Start date
GrahamHR
Well-Known Member
There are things in your list of parts that aren't on my outdrive ( no, they haven't fallen/ corroded off!) I don't have reverse lock springs, mine has 2 U/Js, 1 motor/ pump, 2 relays, a simple up/ down switch on the throttle, no gear shift bellows, 3 hose clamps correctly bonded to the anodes.
Your comment "then marinate it all in the water for 2 years min ....." says it all; when the prescribed recommended maintenance is not followed anually, either due to ignorance of the requirements or a deliberate decision, problems should be expected; is that what left you with such a bad opinion of outdrives?
Graham
Your comment "then marinate it all in the water for 2 years min ....." says it all; when the prescribed recommended maintenance is not followed anually, either due to ignorance of the requirements or a deliberate decision, problems should be expected; is that what left you with such a bad opinion of outdrives?
Graham
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oldgit
Well-Known Member
Or you could have a gearbox nice dry and easy to get at on the inside of your boat.
A simple low maintaince box with two seals on input and output shaft.A short length of incredibly high tec stainless steel and a simple bearing bearing lubricated by that rare commodity..........water.
Shaft Yearly checks .....lift out of water and have good look round,lick of A/F and back in.
Outdrives
Get phone numbers of all parts suppliers Check credit card works.Go through all old receipts kept from previous maintaince,should be plenty of them what with replacing rubber bits every two years and all those seals and bushes every 3 or 4 years and if you have the boat long enough rams and hoses.
Make a start trying to dislodge all those barnycules hidden up inside the orifices behind transom shield.
Have cup of tea.
Watch shaft drive boat go back in water,moor up and owner go off to pub with all money he has saved by not having legs.
Drain oil from leg,decide wether it is supposed be that foamy cream colour and reach for phone........
A simple low maintaince box with two seals on input and output shaft.A short length of incredibly high tec stainless steel and a simple bearing bearing lubricated by that rare commodity..........water.
Shaft Yearly checks .....lift out of water and have good look round,lick of A/F and back in.
Outdrives
Get phone numbers of all parts suppliers Check credit card works.Go through all old receipts kept from previous maintaince,should be plenty of them what with replacing rubber bits every two years and all those seals and bushes every 3 or 4 years and if you have the boat long enough rams and hoses.
Make a start trying to dislodge all those barnycules hidden up inside the orifices behind transom shield.
Have cup of tea.
Watch shaft drive boat go back in water,moor up and owner go off to pub with all money he has saved by not having legs.
Drain oil from leg,decide wether it is supposed be that foamy cream colour and reach for phone........
tinkicker0
Well-Known Member
And that really is as efficient as a drive?
:fallingaboutlaughingicon:
:fallingaboutlaughingicon:
lovezoo
Well-Known Member
Or you could have it even easier to get at on the back of the boat held on by 6 nuts. If you want to work out whether that pool of oil in your bilge came from your gearbox (like in the shaftdrive thread I linked to) you either post on this forum to ask what other shaft drive owners think, or just open your engine compartment on your outdrive boat and take a look at the drive lube reservoir bottle.
The annual maintenance on an outdrive consists of changing the oil and 8-10 pumps of grease on 4 grease nipples - that's it.
The bellows and seals last a lot longer than the 2 years you like to make out - and they are not expensive parts when it is time to replace them.
The fact remains, that if your only criteria for buying a boat is simplicity, you may as well get yourself a Topper dinghy - not much to go wrong with that either and certainly won't go faster than you are used to in your shaft driven floating caravan.
PaulGooch
Well-Known Member
Only on your planet, here on planet Earth, there is more to it.
I've had both and no way would i go back to outdrive on a boat that had a shaft drive option.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
"The bellows and seals last a lot longer than the 2 years you like to make out "
"Of course they do"
"Of course they do"
PaulGooch
Well-Known Member
"The bellows and seals last a lot longer than the 2 years you like to make out "
"Of course they do"
Oh yes, forgot to mention the emergency lift out i had to have with the Princess 32. Driveshaft bellows split and water was pi55ing into the engine compartment.