Z Out Drive Cranchi Zafiro 34

[Mr T]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Z out drive system on these boats. Are they prone to any particular problems

 

[gjgm]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Z out drive system on these boats. Are they prone to any particular problems

USA boats tend to have Mercruiser legs and European, Volvo Penta. Then there are various versions so you will need to say which model or outdrive it actually is.
However, you have a bunch of gearing and shafts sending alot of power through an aluminium casing, so things can definitely go wrong. Mind you, this concept has been around for many decades and is fitted to vast numbers of boats, so it does work ! What you really need to check is for a good, detailed servicing history. I think the most common issue is likely to be water having got in either through the bellows or one of the seals. This can be very minor to a disaster depending on the extent and length of the contamination. The bellows need changing every two years and the oil annual, as a guide. The bellows should feel flexible and not hardened or brittle, and the drained oil should be...oil...no milky-ness or foaming when drained.
If there are stainless steel props, then check the various anodes have been doing their job.

 

[volvopaul]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Z out drive system on these boats. Are they prone to any particular problems

Plenty on here about drives.

 

[MapisM]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Z out drive system on these boats. Are they prone to any particular problems

Cranchi always used only VP engines and outdrives on their boats, and their construction is very industrialized and standardized (by boat industry standards, at least). On top of that, the Zaffiro 34 has been one of their most successful models.
In other words, if you don't mind the higher need for maintenance which is associated with ANY outdrive boats, I definitely would not expect them to be more problematic than with any other boat/yard - if anything, the opposite. :encouragement:

 

[Mr T]

Good evening and thank you for your very helpfull reply, I will be taking a detailed look at the servicing that has or has not been undertaken,

kind regards

Mark

 

[Mr T]

Thank you Paul, going through the pages as we speak,

Kind regards

Mark

 

[Mr T]

Good evening thank you for you advice, VERY helpfull indeed.

 

[Sneds]

Hi Mark

Don't be put off by all the doom and gloom merchants regarding out drives
Our last boat was five years old when we bought her and fourteen when we sold her, VP drives serviced every two years at a cost of around £500 each and happy to say absolutely no problems and I understand the new owner is also experiencing trouble free boating
Now on shafts and spending the servicing money on diesel!

 

[Mr T]

Hello Sneds, that's is reassuring indeed and thanks for the advice.

 

[alt]

I had a Cranchi Zaffiro 34 with KAD43's

I also look after a Cranchi Zaffiro 34, again with KAD43's

I happen to own a Cranchi Smeraldo 37 with KAD300's

What do you want to know!? Excellent boats, IMHO. Only thing that p1ssed me off about Cranchi was the use of laminate teak on the platform and the OE canopy. The canopy was no biggie (replaced mine last year) and the teak replacement will be a winter job in a few years.

Engine wise... I used to think the Z34 had a huge engine bay, until I got the Smeraldo 37. Still though, it's no problem for servicing. The whole boat is fairly accessible.

Feel free to ask any questions

 

[alt]

Good evening and thank you for your very helpfull reply, I will be taking a detailed look at the servicing that has or has not been undertaken,

kind regards

Mark

You're hardly looking at one in Ireland, by chance?