Outdrives a serious Question.

[oldgit]

Have been approached by a skipper interested in purchasing a smallish 30 year old boat with pair of duo prop outdrives.
He has sensibly had the boats power train inspected by a reputable well known company who are a authorised VP agent.
They have emailed a report regards everything that can be gleaned from an external inspection and no doubt years of experience, they have concluded that with "work" the outdrives can be returned to useful service.
Problems.
All the usual outdrive grief due to long term lack of maintainance on both outdrives
All rubberwear on both outdrives will need replacement.
Steering fork seals etc.
Shift cables need replacing.
Emulsified Water oil in Gearbox(es)
Assorted other usual bits U/S .

Boat will need to be lifted and both outdrives removed to perform a complete inspection and rebuild.
The question is how much ? and how long to do all this work by any company capable of doing the job properly.

Even if the seller was prepared to reduce the price to totally account for the work that needs doing , finding somebody to do the work before the end of the season would be problematical ?

My comment............They will almost certainly uncover other stuff on dismantling, does he want to go boating or really should he just start looking elsewhere.

 

[Chris_d]

I had the same issue changing boat last year, new boats outdrives had been well maintained but seals had failed, drives full of water. Condition of sale was full rebuild by Volvopaul which took a couple of weeks and cost the seller a few grand, £5k maybe, with other things like clutches replaced etc... but no issues since and I know they have been stripped and properly rebuilt.

 

[Wavey]

Original reply deleted as post misread.

If it was me I’d look elsewhere, but it really depends on how badly the skipper wants that particular boat and if the vendor can be persuaded to foot the bill when he has no idea what the cost will be. Until they’re properly stripped down it’s impossible to say.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Have been approached by a skipper interested in purchasing a smallish 30 year old boat with pair of duo prop outdrives.
He has sensibly had the boats power train inspected by a reputable well known company who are a authorised VP agent.
They have emailed a report regards everything that can be gleaned from an external inspection and no doubt years of experience, they have concluded that with "work" the outdrives can be returned to useful service.
Problems.
All the usual outdrive grief due to long term lack of maintainance on both outdrives
All rubberwear on both outdrives will need replacement.
Steering fork seals etc.
Shift cables need replacing.
Emulsified Water oil in Gearbox(es)
Assorted other usual bits U/S .

Boat will need to be lifted and both outdrives removed to perform a complete inspection and rebuild.
The question is how much ? and how long to do all this work by any company capable of doing the job properly.

Even if the seller was prepared to reduce the price to totally account for the work that need doing , finding somebody to do the work before the end of the season would be problematical.

My comment............Does he want to go boating or really should he just start looking elsewhere.

If a price reduction covers the costs of rebuilding he has known good outdrives.

If he buys a boat with seemingly usable drives he could be facing the above costs himself in a year or two.

Decisions, decisions......

 

[Wavey]

If a price reduction covers the costs of rebuilding he has known good outdrives.

If he buys a boat with seemingly usable drives he could be facing the above costs himself in a year or two.

Decisions, decisions......

Personally I’d be very wary of negotiating a price reduction when you don’t know the cost of repairs. An extreme case maybe but I bought my current boat 2 years ago, and the previous winter the then owner needed one of the VP legs rebuilt. Once stripped it was deemed irreparable. I have the bill for the work and just the cost of the leg was £11k.

 

[Parabordi]

Have been approached by a skipper interested in purchasing a smallish 30 year old boat with pair of duo prop outdrives.
He has sensibly had the boats power train inspected by a reputable well known company who are a authorised VP agent.
They have emailed a report regards everything that can be gleaned from an external inspection and no doubt years of experience, they have concluded that with "work" the outdrives can be returned to useful service.
Problems.
All the usual outdrive grief due to long term lack of maintainance on both outdrives
All rubberwear on both outdrives will need replacement.
Steering fork seals etc.
Shift cables need replacing.
Emulsified Water oil in Gearbox(es)
Assorted other usual bits U/S .

Boat will need to be lifted and both outdrives removed to perform a complete inspection and rebuild.
The question is how much ? and how long to do all this work by any company capable of doing the job properly.

Even if the seller was prepared to reduce the price to totally account for the work that needs doing , finding somebody to do the work before the end of the season would be problematical ?

My comment............They will almost certainly uncover other stuff on dismantling, does he want to go boating or really should he just start looking elsewhere.

There are enough boats for sale at the moment without the need to take this kind of risk. I would swipe left.

 

[BruceK]

Personally I’d be very wary of negotiating a price reduction when you don’t know the cost of repairs. An extreme case maybe but I bought my current boat 2 years ago, and the previous winter the then owner needed one of the VP legs rebuilt. Once stripped it was deemed irreparable. I have the bill for the work and just the cost of the leg was £11k.

They worked on your leg and charged you 11k? You were robbed blind. That is just incompetence running down a rabbithole on behalf of whoever did that job. You can buy second hand and get the rebuild done by a volvo mechanic for less than half that.

@oldgit. Tell your friend to budget 4k per drive for 2nd hand replacement and inspection / rebuild per drive as a realistic option given the age of the boat and guessing they are DP-D or DP-E's

 

[Wavey]

They worked on your leg and charged you 11k? You were robbed blind. That is just incompetence running down a rabbithole on behalf of whoever did that job. You can buy second hand and get the rebuild done by a volvo mechanic for less than half that.

It wasn’t me it was the previous owner if you read the post. And the work was done by a VP agent on the south coast. His choice not mine necessarily. I have my own VP approved engineer who I’ve used for years who may have suggested a different course. Overpriced? Possibly , but I’m not really qualified to say. I’m just quoting what’s on the invoice. The legs on my boat are DPG and I understand unique to the KAD300s. Whether that makes a difference I again can’t say.

 

[BruceK]

Even so a 2nd hand DPG replacement in good condition is 5.5. to 7.5 k and a brand new one is USD 15.5 k /12.1k GBP in todays money. I would have opted new.

 

[Wavey]

Even so a 2nd hand DPG replacement in good condition is 5.5. to 7.5 k and a brand new one is USD 15.5 k /12.1k GBP in todays money. I would have opted new.

Different people will have different views but given the prices you indicate and the fact it’s for a 40 knot Windy, I’d opt for a new one.

 

[BruceK]

Yes, but my post was really in response to OGs. And his 30 year old boat. Slapping new on old doesnt make much sense to me. Good Secondhand neither devalues the boat nor has an affect on performance or aesthetics just as much as new will not enhance any of these either one year in the water

 

[petem]

All rubberwear on both outdrives will need replacement.
Steering fork seals etc.
Shift cables need replacing.
Emulsified Water oil in Gearbox(es)
Assorted other usual bits U/S .

Replacement of bellows and seals is just a standard service task.

Shift cables are nothing to do with the outdrives themselves and is a pretty cheap straightforward job.

Emulsified oil in drives is no big deal. Just need to flush it and ensure that the prop shaft doesn't have a groove in it. If it does, then get it welded and made good.

Nothing above suggests a big or expensive job to me.

 

[Wavey]

Yes, but my post was really in response to OGs. And his 30 year old boat. Slapping new on old doesnt make much sense to me. Good Secondhand neither devalues the boat nor has an affect on performance or aesthetics just as much as new will not enhance any of these either one year in the water

Can’t fault the logic of that

 

[jon and michie]

Even so a 2nd hand DPG replacement in good condition is 5.5. to 7.5 k and a brand new one is USD 15.5 k /12.1k GBP in todays money. I would have opted new.

New DPG Last year with Stainless Props pushing £16k
2019 price was around £14K ( I Know and yes it was painful on the Wallet )

 

[ChromeDome]

Have been approached by a skipper interested in purchasing a smallish 30 year old boat with pair of duo prop outdrives.
He has sensibly had the boats power train inspected by a reputable well known company who are a authorised VP agent.
They have emailed a report regards everything that can be gleaned from an external inspection and no doubt years of experience, they have concluded that with "work" the outdrives can be returned to useful service.
Problems.
All the usual outdrive grief due to long term lack of maintainance on both outdrives
All rubberwear on both outdrives will need replacement.
Steering fork seals etc.
Shift cables need replacing.
Emulsified Water oil in Gearbox(es)
Assorted other usual bits U/S .

Boat will need to be lifted and both outdrives removed to perform a complete inspection and rebuild.
The question is how much ? and how long to do all this work by any company capable of doing the job properly.

Even if the seller was prepared to reduce the price to totally account for the work that needs doing , finding somebody to do the work before the end of the season would be problematical ?

My comment............They will almost certainly uncover other stuff on dismantling, does he want to go boating or really should he just start looking elsewhere.

Didn't those who inspected it leave a quote or at least a guesstimation?

 

[petem]

New DPG Last year with Stainless Props pushing £16k
2019 price was around £14K ( I Know and yes it was painful on the Wallet )

Why did you need to buy a new one?

 

[oldgit]

"Didn't those who inspected it leave a quote or at least a guesstimation?"

He is awaiting an full estimate for cost of repair from the company who a inspected the units.
Did suggest another couple of companies he could forward that list of problems to in order to get more quotes for the work.

Nobody curious about what the VP agent also said regards the engines on these outdrives ?

 

[SC35]

Feels like £3k+ of work there, depending on who does it, and what the problems actually are.

 

[BruceK]

New DPG Last year with Stainless Props pushing £16k
2019 price was around £14K ( I Know and yes it was painful on the Wallet )

I am sorry to hear that. SS props are expensive.

Dealer prices are still 14k but you can get them cheaper as my prices above if you import

aquamatic drive

VOLVO PENTA DP-G STERNDRIVE | eBay

https://www.volvopentasterndrive.co.uk/product-page/volvo-penta-dp-g-sterndrive

 

[jon and michie]

Why did you need to buy a new one?

Hi Pete - The Choice I had was a new Bottom half from Volvo who wouldn't guarantee the top half for £6k or Recon and by the time I bought new props it was estimated around £7.5k with a few months warranty or £12k for the Drive and £1600for the props guaranteed for 2 years.
The incident happened whilst in the River heading to the North Sea and we had our friends on board with their 7yr Son - all was safe and recovered by the Harbour Master - The Insurer's at the Time had told me I was not covered But Had I ran the Boat aground then they would have paid out --- Something I wasnt Prepared to do was cause more Damage and be stranded on the edge of a field let alone having other people and a child onboard.

Hence wanting a T43 with Shafts - I don't want anything to do with the devils fans.
Jon