stelican
Well-Known Member
Yes but your engines are contributing to global warming
Make smoke Number One
Make smoke Number One
outdrives - which one to choose
- Thread starter kashurst
- Start date
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
My experience of outdrives;
Volvo penta 290dp;
Can't fault the engineering behind it, but as they get older, a total pain in the arse to remove. Silly smooth gear change, but expensive when/if it goes wrong
Mercruiser Alpha one gen 2;
It's not the most popular drive in the world for nothing....capable of handling up to 300hp reliably when well maintained. Use the quicksilver high performance gear oil and you won't go far wrong. Cheap parts and so easy to remove for bellow replacement.
As for the rather rude comment about Sealine boats....can't speak highly enough of the build quality and capabilities of a small Sealine. Surely with the exception of Princess, perhaps sun seeker, there isn't a finer make of boat and certainly on a par with fairline.
Volvo penta 290dp;
Can't fault the engineering behind it, but as they get older, a total pain in the arse to remove. Silly smooth gear change, but expensive when/if it goes wrong
Mercruiser Alpha one gen 2;
It's not the most popular drive in the world for nothing....capable of handling up to 300hp reliably when well maintained. Use the quicksilver high performance gear oil and you won't go far wrong. Cheap parts and so easy to remove for bellow replacement.
As for the rather rude comment about Sealine boats....can't speak highly enough of the build quality and capabilities of a small Sealine. Surely with the exception of Princess, perhaps sun seeker, there isn't a finer make of boat and certainly on a par with fairline.
Boat2016
Well-Known Member
I suspect a Sealine would fall apart before the outdrive did regardless of where you took it
The only boats that fall apart are some on the French ones, shocking build quality when you look close.
Boat2016
Well-Known Member
We all start out with outdrives.
Well remember defending them against the no nothing detractors on this very forum many years ago,when my own boat sported a pair.t
What did they know after all ?
Rather lot as it turned out !
If despite all the warnings, a boat with outdrives is all your money will buy or shafts were never an option, just get the newest outdrives you afford.
You will search long and hard for anybody who started with O/Ds and then progressed to shafts who would willingly go back.
You will note that the only supporters of O/Ds are those stuck with them
Might be wrong of course,so c,mon all you shaft men lets see hundreds of posts in praise of outdrives and prove me wrong.
I'm assuming from reading about your opinion on outdrives that your experience was not as expected, that of course doesn't mean all outdrives are bad, if looked after properly they will last well, if neglected then don't complain when they need money spent on them. You must have been unlucky.
It's more to do with type of boat whether you have shafts or drives, some sizes of boat need drives and some need shafts, I wouldn't expect to have drives on a 45ft flybridge cruiser and wouldn't expect a shaft on a 20ft sports cruiser.
Bouba
Well-Known Member
Where does this information come from?
There's a dozen ports within spitting distance of me (on the French Riviera) full of French built boats of every age imaginable and they all seem to be fine to me. I'm on my third Frenchie and each boats build quality is as good as anyone's.
The limiting factor on any boat is its motor not its build quality, put a Cummins under the hood or a Honda on the back and that boat will last forever.
Jim@sea
Well-Known Member
I have never forgotten a remark a Volvo mechanic said to me in 1975. "I have managed to save your leg" I had bought a brand new boat the year before and to comply with the Volvo warranty I had to have the engine and outdrive serviced at the end of the first year. I had perhaps done 100 hours. The boat had been bought the previous August, out of the water in Nov, back in in April and Serviced in August.
I understood that the leg had oil water in the oil, perhaps it was a fishing line which had cut through the oil seal.
If I was going to buy a boat with a leg now I would have the tools available to change or inspect the oil seal frequently.
And of course had I needed a new Leg, it would not have been done under a guarantee.
I understood that the leg had oil water in the oil, perhaps it was a fishing line which had cut through the oil seal.
If I was going to buy a boat with a leg now I would have the tools available to change or inspect the oil seal frequently.
And of course had I needed a new Leg, it would not have been done under a guarantee.
julians
Well-Known Member
I must have been unlucky twice , firstly with a mercruiser alpha 1 gen 2 drive, owned from brand new, maintained by the book, sheared teeth off a gear at ~250 hours old.
Secondly with a volvo DPH, not owned from new by me, but the original owner was a friend of mine who I know maintained by the book, the drive shaft snapped in half at about 300 hours. Not to mention the two sets of steering rams I have been through in 4 years.
I've probably saved enough in fuel to cover the rebuilds on both these, but its still frustrating. Having said the above I'll still buy another boat with outdrives because for the sort of boat I want I have no choice.
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oldgit
Well-Known Member
Regal with twin Mercruiser OD. Unlucky
Princess 25 with single Volvo. OD. Unlucky Again
Princess 33 with twin Volvos. OD. ARGHH...
Constant problems of keeping the water out and the oil in.
Still trying to work out why my luck changed after buying a boat with shafts ........
Any suggestions. ?
The Outdrive Owners Lament.
Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time
QBhoy
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a maintenance issue Oldgit ? ?
Stats007
Well-Known Member
Jeanneau & Beneteau are built to a price but hardly shocking. Ocqueteau are also solid boats and Kelt's Whiteshark range are certainly better built than Sealine.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Quite probably.
The over complicated things are a mix and clash of just about everything possible.
Umpteen changes of drive direction,a myriad of bearings to hold the rotating stuff in position,the entire sheebang held in a casing that corrodes on contact with water and numerous bit of rubber rubbing against steel shafts attempting to keep water and oil apart.
The entire thing dependant of yet another set of hydraulic wizardries of pumps,pistons, an valves all controlled by expensive electronics whos only purpose is to drag the contraption clear of the very element its supposed to be used in.
Then dangle the whole lot in salt water.
Whats not to like....
Scubadoo
Well-Known Member
What Outdrive models were they, particularly Volvo? It might help others, hence this thread.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Regal .The mercruisers were so long ago cannot remember model.
Princess 25. VP 270.
Princess 33. Definately had hydraulic rams so was either a VP 280 T or VP 290.
Still have a more or less complete spare outdrive including transom assembly,the odd ram and other odds and sods hanging in the garage.
Stuff failed so often had spare set up of donor bits.
Did not bother with nuts and bolts in the end everything was held together with zips.
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Murv
Well-Known Member
GrahamHR
Well-Known Member
Sitting in the morning sun on land as my shaft drive has been pulled out/ my boat has sunk due to fouling on something ?
Siochair
Well-Known Member
Has anyone any experience of Konrad drives? They are meant to be very robust.
CX54WEK
Well-Known Member
Did not bother with nuts and bolts in the end everything was held together with zips.
That might be why you had problems with them
MapisM
Well-Known Member
No 1st hand experience, but in the US many boaters swear about them - not just for robustness, but also for high power/torque handling.
Mind, if you are considering them as retrofit, you should consider that they are (purposely) built with neither propeller exhaust nor cooling water pickup for the engine.
Well, they used to, at least. They might have made a more civilized version lately, 'dunno...
...though imho straight transom exhausts and separate water pickup are MUCH better in more ways than one, regardless of the outdrive.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Probably hit the mountain of outdrives lying on the seabed.............
Just walk round any "Boatyard" anywhere in the world,marvel at the sheer number of forlorn boats with gaping holes in the transom, a few ` with merely the leg missing and little puddle of oily mud marking its removal.
At the premium end of the market ie, "The Marina" watch the Volvo Penta technician glance at his Rolex, logging travelling time on his IPad and handing an unfortunate outdrive owner an impressive estimate for repairs which unfortunately will not be covered by the warranty.
VP limit liability to first user and 600 hours only.
Twin Disc give 2000 hour warranty on all their gearboxes .
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omega2
Well-Known Member
This thread has gone as far as it need to, we all know what a real boat has for propulsion.
This one has nothing to do except to turn the prop, but I renamed the boat YO-YO, due to the times it was swinging in the lift.
This one has nothing to do except to turn the prop, but I renamed the boat YO-YO, due to the times it was swinging in the lift.
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