Eaton outdrive risks?

[W_Guy]

Before considering purchasing a boat with an Eaton I/O, I wanted to ask you folks about their known weak links and the availablity of parts for any needed repairs. Do they have a good reputation or they prone to a list of problems?
Thanks
Verne

 

[Tahorover]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

What year and model Eaton?

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

It's on a '64 boat behind a Ford motor. It swivels up 180deg for towing, etc.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

if it's a particular boat for collector purposes, and that's the drive it happens to have, it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if it was "the boat". No worse than any other 1964 drive system you will find. There are a couple of places with a cache of parts like anything... supply and demand pricing will apply when you need something.
I might worry more about ever getting another exhaust manifold for whatever Ford motor it is.
If you are just buying this boat as a family runabout for regular or heavy use, and will therefore consume a lot of parts over the years, then choose something way different.... like a 1970 to current Mercruiser MC1 or Alpha One and Chevy based engine... parts are everywhere for those setups

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I like the challenge and the reward for having and using something old and original. Would I put an LS1 in my '62 Chevy? Nope. The old 409 is all so fine.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

yeah, pity no one could answer questions like "what model Eaton is it?" lol
check this out: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=220416

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I don't have that information. All I know at this time is that it's a '64 vintage. I don't know if Eaton had different models in the same year. It swivels up 180deg for towing and launching.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I like the challenge and the reward for having and using something old and original. Would I put an LS1 in my '62 Chevy? Nope. The old 409 is all so fine.

This thread is over since no one can answer my question. Pity.

The difference between the 409 in your '62 Chevy and this drive system is that GM produced hundreds of thousands of W motors which enjoy a broad range of aftermarket support to keep them alive. Your Eaton drive would have been probably lucky to have a hundred thousand brethren, most of which are now landfill or have been melted down 5 times over, and have 0 aftermarket support. Therefore you will be using a drive system that will take countless hours of scrounging to find maintenance parts, let alone anything needed to repair damage/failure. It's like driving around with a piece of century old china on the back of the boat. You're 1 rock away from waiting months to years to find the parts to fix it.

Howard made valid points, and he personally knows the pain of keeping a stringer drive running, which most consider obsolete. Those went the way of the Dodo 21 years after your drive was bolted to the transom.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

they have a pretty good reputation
Marysville Marine in Michigan has a good parts supply, but it only takes one part to put you in dry dock and waiting and watching eBay etc...
if the boat comes with spare drives it helps, but if your hobby is collecting spares and you eventually fill part of a shed, you can have your own warehouse as a lot of vintage drive people do

there were different models and some only did well behind a 4 cylinder

the vintage car analogy doesn't work that well for a few reasons imo:
1. every tire shop in town has a tire for your old car should it get a flat... but if you knock a blade off a powernaut propeller, will the local prop shop have a replacement?
2. if your old chevy loses it's reverse gear, do you crash into the parking lot wall and risk injuring your passengers? or run over a person who was skiing behind you and needs to be picked up?
3. if your 409 breaks down, will your car drift out to sea?
4. do you have to paddle that chevy several miles if it breaks down?

I know a dozen places that could weld up a set of exhaust headers for your 409... but if that Ford is some rare FireballSix or some weird rare thing, there may just not be an exhaust manifold for it in the world, and no one will make you one. And unlike a car, water passes through the exhaust and if it's ever been in salt water, well...how is 47 year old cast iron going to look?
If it's a 289 or 302...something could probably be worked onto it.

If the seller can't provide info like model numbers, run away.

 

[Tahorover]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I know a dozen places that could weld up a set of exhaust headers for your 409...

Why weld Osco makes them:
http://www.marineparts.com/osco/osco48.aspx

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

Why weld Osco makes them:
http://www.marineparts.com/osco/osco48.aspx

Interesting, although i think they would look a bit out of place in his '62 Chevy...

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

The motor in the boat is a 221 Ford Interceptor V8. It's the same family as the 289 and 302 so I'm not really worried about motor parts or marine parts for it. The seller doesn't really know anything about boats or outdrives. He just happens to have it and needs to make it go away. And I don't know anything about Eaton outdrives, so that is why I came here to ask about their risks of ownership and parts availibility. I do know that it was on the water recently and everything functioned fine (so I'm told).
My analogy about the motor in my '62 was purely to illustrate that I prefer an original set-up in the complete package, rather than going with a "modern" drivetrain for the servicing and reliablity. Therefore, my intention would be to leave the original outdrive in place......as long as the risk to keep it operational isn't too great. From what I'm hearing, that may be the case and I might be better off waiting for another boat.
My '62 is very reliable, as is my '60 Thompson with its original Evinrude 50hp. Either of them could still breakdown and each would result in the same thing............a phone call and a tow. In their cases, I could get either one back in service in a short time. That doesn't seem to be the case with the Eaton, unfortunately.

thank you.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

That doesn't seem to be the case with the Eaton, unfortunately.

Ayuh,... As Howard said earlier,...
Marysville Marine, in Marysville Mich is a Great resource, 'n the only resource I've found...

I've got a pair of the Eaton/ Dana drives on my houseboat,...
Different models than yer's, but dana's anyways...

 

[lima385]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

It's on a '64 boat behind a Ford motor. It swivels up 180deg for towing, etc.

:facepalm:221 260 v8 it should be model 16 originally made by the dearborn marine engine corp.even the donzi sweet 16 with a 302 used that model. behind the engine close to the transom on top should be a serial no. plate about 2 or 3 no. before the end you should see a16.:facepalm:

 

[120_i/o]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

Outdrive parts? Try the engine!!!!!!
http://www.mre-books.com/interchange/index.html

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

Thanks for the information. It seems that the 221 wasn't available after '63, however this '64 boat might have been made at the end of '63, and/or the factory may have had a stock of these Dearborn marine engines. The timing cover on the motor has this number: No. ER90R319043 which I believe decodes to a 221. Of course, it's always possible that the motor could have been upgraded to a 260 and the marine timing cover was reused. I don't have access to it to check the casting numbers on the side of the block. I'd probably be better off if it was a 221 in order to save the outdrive from more abuse.
Verne

 

[bobwinkel]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I have the same 221 with an Eaton model 14 outdrive that has been in covered storage since 1978. It had a heat exchanger on it but the Port exhaust manifold failed during storage and the cylinders got wet and rusted. The 221 is a right (reverse) rotation as is the outdrive. Because the engine is a reverse rotation it is nearly impossible to find a replacement. As a result I have taken the opportunity to upgrade to a 351 Ford normal rotation 280 Volvo Penta outdrive. I should have everything removed this week and be ready to recut the transom. If you are interested in parts I will have the engine, transmission, outdrive and a second normal rotation outdrive.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I have the same 221 with an Eaton model 14 outdrive that has been in covered storage since 1978. It had a heat exchanger on it but the Port exhaust manifold failed during storage and the cylinders got wet and rusted. The 221 is a right (reverse) rotation as is the outdrive. Because the engine is a reverse rotation it is nearly impossible to find a replacement. As a result I have taken the opportunity to upgrade to a 351 Ford normal rotation 280 Volvo Penta outdrive. I should have everything removed this week and be ready to recut the transom. If you are interested in parts I will have the engine, transmission, outdrive and a second normal rotation outdrive.

Ayuh,.... Yer touchin' the edge of the forum rules here Bob,... Please re-read 'em, eh,..??

Any, 'n All transactions 'tween members shall be done via pm's, 'n Not in the open forums,... Right,..??

Thank you,...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

Howdy,


You know,

If I was going to buy a vintage wooden boat to restore and use, I probably wouldn't be all that concerned with what was under the hood or hanging off the back.

I would want all the wood work to look great because that's what you (and everybody else will see!)

THEN I would get my hands on a similarly powered Mercruiser drive train (like a similarly sized inline 6, V-6 or V-8) to replace the entire mess with.

This way you have the antique look of the cool old boat but with modern drivability, reliability and parts availability!!

Just saying.....

 

[W_Guy]

Re: Eaton outdrive risks?

I appreciate what you're saying. But like with an old car, a big part of the enjoyment and satisfaction of ownership is having the original motor and trans, and have it run like it did when new. The reliability aspect of it though is a major concern. If I planned to just take it to boat shows, it would be a no-brainer, but I would like to use it and enjoy it on the water. I couldn't enjoy it much if it was always broken and there were no parts available. It's a tough choice....

Thanks.