oldgit
Well-known member
Everything and anything and above all do not get them wet !
What makes stern drives unreliable?
- Thread starter wipe_out
- Start date
epervier
Active member
epervier
Active member
CX54WEK
New member
A bit harsh really Oldgit!!
There are 100's of 1000's of stern drives out there in use so they cant all be unreliable
blueglass
New member
lot of luck people on here claiming trouble free drives. The vast majority of them talking about relatively new boats in the first 10 - 15 years service.
The OP was wondering about older boats. Only one guy so far with an old boat and a good experience.
It all goes back to KISS, and drives multiply the complexity and opportunity for grief tenfold as they get older.
The OP was wondering about older boats. Only one guy so far with an old boat and a good experience.
It all goes back to KISS, and drives multiply the complexity and opportunity for grief tenfold as they get older.
CX54WEK
New member
There must be a lot of scrap boats about then if everything beyond 15 years old with drives is a waste of time and money...........
blueglass
New member
Where exactly did I say that? What I said was that an old boat with simple and robust engineering with most of its moving parts protected inside the boat, stands a better chance of reliability than a complex, delicate equivalent immersed in seawater.
oldgit
Well-known member
Pop down to your local boatyard and wander around looking at everything ashore for repairs....
Count the number of boats with mysterious large gaping holes in the stern or even more frequently a corroding aluminium transom assembly with a few miserable hoses dripping hydraulic fluid.
Easy to tell how long the boat has been there by the amount of vegetation dying around it.
Nasty horrid things.
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CX54WEK
New member
Pop down to your local boatyard and wander around looking at everything ashore for repairs....
Count the number of boats with mysterious large gaping holes in the stern or even more frequently a corroding aluminium transom assembly with a few miserable hoses dripping hydraulic fluid.
Easy to tell how long the boat the boat has been there by the amount of vegetation dying around it.
Nasty horrid things.
Actually the last walk around the yard at our marina (last weekend) highlighted a large number of big flybridge shaft drive boats ashore.
DAKA
Well-known member
You would expect to see flybridges out at this time of year.
Shaft drive flybridge boats are used year round.
Its cheaper to have the lift out during the summer offers.
I can arrange for my boat to be lifted on a Monday, AF on Monday afternoon, cutlass bearings,rudder bearings , seacocks and anodes checked /changed by Tuesday , few days drying and back in the water for thursday weekend start.
rhino_mac
New member
This thread is almost funnier than the usual "raggies vs stinkers" threads that pop up
carlton
Active member
Dunno if it's been mentioned as yet, but one important factor is cost of replacement.
These days, a drop in replacement for the Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive - complete - can be picked up for £1,650 plus Europe Tax...
http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/acatalog/complete-replacement-drive-for-mercruiser-alpha-gen-2.html#aSE_20116147
Cheap as chips.
These days, a drop in replacement for the Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive - complete - can be picked up for £1,650 plus Europe Tax...
http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/acatalog/complete-replacement-drive-for-mercruiser-alpha-gen-2.html#aSE_20116147
Cheap as chips.
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oldgit
Well-known member
"Cheap as chips."
That somebody thinks a they can make money importing rebuilt Mercruisers legs from halfway across the world probably indicates the sheer volume of outdrives that are beyond economic repair and need replacing.
That somebody thinks a they can make money importing rebuilt Mercruisers legs from halfway across the world probably indicates the sheer volume of outdrives that are beyond economic repair and need replacing.
carlton
Active member
They aren't rebuilt - they're new. But nevertheless, you musn't miss another opportunity to tell us how ker-rap they are...
Duster
N/A
From personal experience owning a Mercruiser and chatting with US dealers, I've come to the conclusion that stern drives are designed to serve the first owner well but after 5or 6 years you have had the best out of them. The manufacturer only care about the first owner.
The second problem is, that with all the good intentions in the world, in most of the UK, away from the south coast, getting them serviced is difficult and repaired properly, nearly impossible.
If Honda / Yamaha / Suzuki started to build them AND the leg units were available on a service exchange basis (they are very easy to remove and refit) then I might consider them again............otherwise, no thanks.
Mikej
The second problem is, that with all the good intentions in the world, in most of the UK, away from the south coast, getting them serviced is difficult and repaired properly, nearly impossible.
If Honda / Yamaha / Suzuki started to build them AND the leg units were available on a service exchange basis (they are very easy to remove and refit) then I might consider them again............otherwise, no thanks.
Mikej
CX54WEK
New member
Yes getting ours serviced is really difficult in the midlands. I have to pick up the phone and book it into the workshops. Tiring work
Duster
N/A
Then you are very fortunate, it is all but hopeless in Scotland. The only good service I had was from Coastal Rides in the south of England, 500 miles from my boat.
rafiki_
Well-known member
I get great service when I need it from SOS Boat Services here in the Midlands. There are plenty of others around too.
rbcoomer
Active member
I read all these anti-outdrive threads with some bemusement - and some degree of concern given that my ongoing project has an Alpha-One!
I'm not in the shaft vs outdrive segment (more the outboard vs outdrive) but would probably opt for the outdrive every time under 50' on the basis of economy and ability to take the ground. That said, I enjoy coast hugging, rivers etc and if our boating was open water A to B type use, I'd probably take a different perspective!
My ethos with pretty much everything however is to learn how it works and how to service and fix yourself. That way you build a good understanding of what wears, how long things last and more importantly when things aren't right or need attention. It doesn't mean that you HAVE to DIY, just that you have the option. My sterndrive is in a state of partial disassembly on the workbench - not because anything is wrong, but because it's new to me and I will replace everything that isn't 100% - i.e. total overhaul/recondition. Admittedly not everyone wants to go to these lengths, but I've found with most trades (motor, builder, electrician, plumber etc) that if they believe you have a good understanding of the product, they are much less likely to spin you a yarn and much more likely to do a proper job! There are always the 'real' tradesmen like some regular contibutors of this parish that do a good job regardless and they gain their reputations as a result of this ethos, but I fear like the motor trade that the marine industry has it's share of bods with stetsons and and quarter-horses... It's also true to say that once you've done some of these jobs yourself, you start to appreciate why the good guys charge what they do!
I'm not in the shaft vs outdrive segment (more the outboard vs outdrive) but would probably opt for the outdrive every time under 50' on the basis of economy and ability to take the ground. That said, I enjoy coast hugging, rivers etc and if our boating was open water A to B type use, I'd probably take a different perspective!
My ethos with pretty much everything however is to learn how it works and how to service and fix yourself. That way you build a good understanding of what wears, how long things last and more importantly when things aren't right or need attention. It doesn't mean that you HAVE to DIY, just that you have the option. My sterndrive is in a state of partial disassembly on the workbench - not because anything is wrong, but because it's new to me and I will replace everything that isn't 100% - i.e. total overhaul/recondition. Admittedly not everyone wants to go to these lengths, but I've found with most trades (motor, builder, electrician, plumber etc) that if they believe you have a good understanding of the product, they are much less likely to spin you a yarn and much more likely to do a proper job! There are always the 'real' tradesmen like some regular contibutors of this parish that do a good job regardless and they gain their reputations as a result of this ethos, but I fear like the motor trade that the marine industry has it's share of bods with stetsons and and quarter-horses...
It's also true to say that once you've done some of these jobs yourself, you start to appreciate why the good guys charge what they do!oldgit
Well-known member
They aren't rebuilt - they're new. But nevertheless, you musn't miss another opportunity to tell us how ker-rap they are...
Nowhere in that ad does the word new appear and would wonder if Mericruiser would allow anybody to manufacture an exact replica of one of their products in direct competition to their spares department. ?
