VP Outdrive opinions please..

[[164147]]

I've just bought a Windy that is having both outdrives rebuilt. One has a duoprop stuck on it (steering seized too) and both have water in the gearbox. I knew this before the purchase so factored the costs in but unless you maintain them meticulously bills can mount very quickly.

I would also choose shafts over legs if that were an option.

 

[LBRodders]

I've just bought a Windy that is having both outdrives rebuilt. One has a duoprop stuck on it (steering seized too) and both have water in the gearbox. I knew this before the purchase so factored the costs in but unless you maintain them meticulously bills can mount very quickly.

I would also choose shafts over legs if that were an option.

IMO, that's the best engineering solution available in a used boat. Buy them knackered [pay accordingly] and then end up with rebuilt/new ones! At least you have a starting point and base line for future maintenance etc.

The worse situation is paying a good price for something that is advertised as 'well maintained' when in reality it is hours away from catastrophic failure.

Windy - Nice boat, enjoy!

 

[oldgit]

The worse situation is paying a good price for something that is advertised as 'well maintained' when in reality it is hours away from catastrophic failure.

A real old sceptic might suggest that outdrive owners could just possibly be more prone “to our old friend economical… with the actualité” ,
regards this matter.
No one here on the forum of course .

Boats, Yachts: Maintaining Stern Drives

 

[James L]

A real old sceptic might suggest that outdrive owners could just possibly be more prone “to our old friend economical… with the actualité” ,
regards this matter.
No one here on the forum of course .

Boats, Yachts: Maintaining Stern Drives

Still waiting for the list of problems you had.
It's all well and good reciting second hand stories of problems, but the point of a forum such as this is to hear directly from those affected.

This forum is the first place most of us would come to ask for advice when we have a problem, so I doubt anyone can be economical with the truth as you say.

At some point every boat becomes scrap, so just pointing out that some people had outdrive problems is like me saying that everyone should be sailing as I've heard of people with engine problems or nobody should be sailing as I've seen boats here with the mast down.

 

[Chris_d]

A real old sceptic might suggest that outdrive owners could just possibly be more prone “to our old friend economical… with the actualité” ,
regards this matter.
No one here on the forum of course .

Boats, Yachts: Maintaining Stern Drives

Blimey not still quoting Dave Pascoe, thought he died 20 years ago

 

[Portofino]

Blimey not still quoting Dave Pascoe, thought he died 20 years ago

Which bit of the link do you challenge?

I could post Galileos workings / calcs on how he proposed the earth was a sphere and orbited the sun . A few centuries old never mind “ 20 years “

Still holds up y know .

 

[BruceK]

Dave Pascoe didn't slate the outdrives in that article. Far from it. He was advising on correct maintenance. And he is right. I had my drives stripped and repainted professionally. Lasted 6 months before they were bare metal again. Painting outdrives is an extremely difficult operation after the fact and even my experiment of gelcoating them has now failed after 6 months so the saga continues. So kudos to him. Wish I had read the article before embarking on my efforts and stripping the original paint off. Let that be a lesson for everyone here. Now having said all that it's owner mistake not outdrive mistake.

 

[Chris_d]

Which bit of the link do you challenge?

I could post Galileos workings / calcs on how he proposed the earth was a sphere and orbited the sun . A few centuries old never mind “ 20 years “

Still holds up y know .

Not challenging it at all I have read all Dave's stuff, I was challenging Oldgits continuing use of his articles to knock outdrives though, which as Bruce has stated is not what they are about, its about lack of maintenance and the consequences.

 

[oldgit]

Not challenging it at all I have read all Dave's stuff, I was challenging Oldgits continuing use of his articles to knock outdrives though, which as Bruce has stated is not what they are about, its about lack of maintenance and the consequences.

all you need to do is maintain this.

and this

and this

and this

 

[vas]

I could recount the story of a man I know that bought a nearly new 50 footer with around 60 hours on its shaft drive engines. By the time the boat reached 90 hours, it required two replacement gearboxes. I could have paid off my mortgage with the bill that was presented to him at the end of it. No help from the boat or engine manufacture, despite the young age and low hours. The worst I could face is a bill of around £10k for two complete drives. My friend would have been over the moon if his bill had only been £10K

curious, what was the problem leading to two replacement gboxes?

 

[madabouttheboat]

curious, what was the problem leading to two replacement gboxes?

I don't know. Something in them gave out. I can't even remember what engines he had now, but I remember around that time there were a few issues with D9 Volvo gearboxes, which may or may not be relevant.

 

[James L]

all you need to do is maintain this.

and this

and this

and this

You have obviously never looked at a diagram of a normal gearbox, here is just the reversing gear part



Outdrives are not very complicated and are not very difficult to maintain - the only issue is that you have moving parts under water so the maintenance needs to be kept up.
yes if a boat is left unmaintained and unused in the water for a couple of years the outdrives will likely be damaged where an internal gearbox might be fine. But if your most important criteria when buying a boat is how it will hold up to not being used, then maybe you shouldn't be buying one.

 

[oldgit]

You have obviously never looked at a diagram of a normal gearbox, here is just the reversing gear part

View attachment 114165

Outdrives are not very complicated and are not very difficult to maintain - the only issue is that you have moving parts under water so the maintenance needs to be kept up.
yes if a boat is left unmaintained and unused in the water for a couple of years the outdrives will likely be damaged where an internal gearbox might be fine. But if your most important criteria when buying a boat is how it will hold up to not being used, then maybe you shouldn't be buying one.

The Sealine T42 mentioned in my previous posts was meticiously maintained by a Essex main dealer and boat was in regular use, the first major failure was accepted by the owner as the way of the outdrive world, the second was the final straw.

Having actually been involved with dismantling and the repair of a couple of gearboxes, well aware of whats inside and also what shade of green matches the original VP paint.
Volvo Penta Engine Enamel Paint
........and all of it is nice and dry inside the boat, it takes 30 secs to lift the hatch and check its health and well being.
Any fettling or repairs can be undertaken while boat is still afloat.
No expensive lift out and block off every year.
It also does not require the expense and aggro of changing all the ancillaries every year or mebbe two years .....if you want to push your luck.
Why on earth somebody would what to dangle it in the briny is mystery unless of course it was a way of builders saving money.
Save money during the build and let somebody else pick up the bills later on . Neat ?

 

[simonfraser]

quite agree with OG, leaving an OD submerged long term is asking for trouble
on a trailer is much better

 

[James L]

The Sealine T42 mentioned in my previous posts was meticiously maintained by a Essex main dealer and boat was in regular use, the first major failure was accepted by the owner as the way of the outdrive world, the second was the final straw.

Having actually been involved with dismantling and the repair of a couple of gearboxes, well aware of whats inside and also what shade of green matches the original VP paint.
Volvo Penta Engine Enamel Paint
........and all of it is nice and dry inside the boat, it takes 30 secs to lift the hatch and check its health and well being.
Any fettling or repairs can be undertaken while boat is still afloat.
No expensive lift out and block off every year.
It also does not require the expense and aggro of changing all the ancillaries every year or mebbe two years .....if you want to push your luck.
Why on earth somebody would what to dangle it in the briny is mystery unless of course it was a way of builders saving money.
Save money during the build and let somebody else pick up the bills later on . Neat ?

Once again you're quoting second hand problems other people had.
With all the problems you say they caused you, surely you could use your own examples.

 

[oldgit]

Once again you're quoting second hand problems other people had.
With all the problems you say they caused you, surely you could use your own examples.

Lifes to short and now having boat with shafts, can spent time boating, if you need any indication of the problems with outdrives have look on this forum.
Should provide one or two examples if you look really really hard.

 

[Chris_d]

Lifes to short and now having boat with shafts, can spent time boating, if you need any indication of the problems with outdrives have look on this forum.
Should provide one or two examples if you look really really hard.

That's the thing though I've been on this forum for 20 years and it isn't full of outdrive problems, loads of engine overheating,cooling, turbo, propeller selection, fouled hull issues but outdrives complaints are actually fairly rare. Loads of anecdotes though.

 

[[164147]]

Maybe outdrive owners are too busy working to pay their VP bills?!

I think it's fairly obvious an outdrive is a bit more complicated than a shaft-drive and having that many components outside of the boat can inevitably cause problems if not maintained. It hasn't stopped me buying a boat with them mind you - but only because there isn't a shaft version.

 

[oldgit]

That's the thing though I've been on this forum for 20 years and it isn't full of outdrive problems, loads of engine overheating,cooling, turbo, propeller selection, fouled hull issues but outdrives complaints are actually fairly rare. Loads of anecdotes though.

Some anecdotes.



Just quick lick of paint and bit of maintenance should soon have this back under the water?

Shaft Drive boat annual haul mout.
Quick jet wash off , change anodes lick of A/F and back in we go.

and next up we have

 

[LBRodders]

Some anecdotes.



Just quick lick of paint and bit of maintenance should soon have this back under the water?

Yeah, the Titantic sunk - that was on shafts