I/O vs Outboard?

[HZickefoose]

Hi all! Fairly new to the forum. I recently purchased a 1997 VIP Valiant 19'. It has a mercruiser 4.3 190 HP thunderbolt IV. I fouled the plugs the 3rd time out but replaced them and next time she ran perfect! I was talking to a few people and they said I made mistake...people who really know anything about boating would never buy an I/O...they say I will have a pure headache on my hands....they say that they are glorified car motors and belong on the streets and not on water! So my question is.....should I expect problems all the time or are they full of it?

 

[southkogs]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

...people who really know anything about boating would never buy an I/O...they say that they are glorified car motors and belong on the streets and not on water!

And direct inboard drives are?

Admittedly, depending on the water (ocean, great lakes, inland lakes, etc.) there will be a tendency toward one or the other. On the coast I see a lot more outboards and true inboards, and on the inland lakes I see a heavier mix of I/O's. All have advantages and disadvantages. If you have a headache on your hands, it's that particular system - not the type as a whole.

...should I expect problems all the time or are they full of it?

It's a boat, my brother. It likes attention and will do all sorts of things to make sure you spend time and money on it. They just break ... all of 'em. The better you get to know it, and stay on your maintenance, the less you'll have surprises. But you'll have no more problems (in general) with an I/O than with an OB or IB.

Welcome aboard.

 

[matt167]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

Saltwater or Brackish, an OB is preferred because it can be pulled out of the water completely and they drain out all the water out with gravity, but inland lakes and rivers, it's an either or kind of deal. Both can have problems equally

 

[agallant80]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

I am going to go with you are talking to some boat snobs. I see plenty of boats out there that have I/O setup. There is nothing wrong with it and I would say that I/O are way more common than v-drive or Pods.

 

[MarkSee]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

....I was talking to a few people and they said I made mistake...people who really know anything about boating would never buy an I/O...

...those "people" just admitted they don't.....stay clear of them....

Mark

 

[Maclin]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

Gotta watch the weather closely, sometimes a Smug Front comes thru...

 

[hall832]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

Boating costs money. Outboards (Yamaha in Particular) are what i prefer. Easier to work on, that being said so long as you keep up on the maintenance of Inboards you will have the best boating experience. Mercruiser, Volvo and Indmar are basically GM Blocks fitted for Marine use. the worst thing you can do to either inboards or outboards is to not use them and let them sit. I see allot of people going way over the recommended usage of there exhaust manifold and risers, not changing there impellers yearly, on and on and then complain when something goes wrong. It is boating and its costly to keep your vessel up to par. it costs way more to repair then to keep up on the PMS. I love My Yamahas.

 

[HZickefoose]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

How often should you change the manifold and risers? new to this and have no idea.

 

[agallant80]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

I bought a new boat. I will let it go three years before I pull them off and inspect. If I have any dobut in my mind as to the condition of them then they are trash. With that said Volvo is moving to life time heads and risers. Won't see them for a while but they are coming.

 

[hall832]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

I have heard several different schools of thought on this subject from the old salts. I lean more towards you can get 2-3 years out of your manifold and riser from a owner that stays on top of maintenance and flushing. neglecting your manifolds can lead to serious problems internally and externally. I am swapping out a Mercruiser 454 with a new motor because of this. 90 percent of the work this last 6 months is because
of poor to no maintenance. These Manifolds are 5 years old. 1989 Formula 292. Its in very good condition except the engine room. Completely neglected.

look at the sparkplugs

 

[dan02gt]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

I like both, but they both have their problems. My 07 Optimax 150 was a PIA and cost me thousands. Look through the outboard section and you'll see plenty of issues with them. From SHOs making oil to Optimaxs blowing up and everything in between.

 

[Lou C]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

You are in freshwater, there an I/O is fine, as long as you keep up on the maintenance. Where an I/O becomes a nuisance is if its moored or slipped in salt water. That's because the anti fouling paints for aluminum don't work that well and corrosion becomes a concern. I'd say in freshwater an I/O really is not a bad thing to have. Outboards do have some basic advantages, such as ease of winterizing and some basic safety advantages, (no concern with fuel fumes in the bilge, no chance of a cooling system hose failure filling the bilge with water, no bellows to leak) but they can and do corrode, and powerhead repairs are very expensive (new high tech 4 strokes). Some do not tolerate fuel with ethanol as well as an old school carbed V-6 or V-8. You have to be on a maintenance schedule and stick to it. My set up is 25 years old and I have not had much trouble with it beyond replacing things like exhaust manifolds (every 5-7 years in salt water), starters (when they get wet they don't work well) and impellers. It has the original engine and drive still.

 

[mr 88]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

My question is how did you foul out your plugs,pretty much unheard of in a 4.3. Replacing. plugs because of age,yes.

 

[Lou C]

Re: I/O vs Outboard?

If you fouled plugs, then there are basically 3 causes:
burning oil in the combustion chamber
Overly rich fuel mixture or choke does not open
weak ignition