I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

[craigman]

Fellas,
i might possibly be looking to buy a used boat this summer to replace my outboard motor boat. Looking to buy a boat with a I/O.
Is their any particular outdrive to stay away from? Which ones should i look for?
Thanks for any advise!
Craig

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Look for a Volvo Penta or a Mercruiser (just make sure the mercruiser is not powered by a 3.7 Liter 470). That's the easy way.

 

[Cannondale]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Always heard, at least in the last few years, to avoid OMC Cobra outdrives. Hard to darned near impossible to source parts for them....at least from the reading I've done.

 

[gozierdt]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

+1 on avoiding OMC. The parts can be hard to come by, and service techs are few, compared
to Mercruiser.

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

I would agree on the "stay away from OMC" comments for the same reasons listed. EXCEPT for OMC Cobra SX (made 95 and after). These are the same as Volvo Pentas as these are dual partnership engine/drives.

I've got a 95 OMC cobra SX drive, and it has OMC stickers from the manufacturer, and the same sticker has 'made by Volvo Penta.' Every part is the same as on the volvo penta drive.

These are often overlooked drives that are done so needlessly. If you find a boat with one of these drives, you may be able to swing a pretty good deal, (if you are more knowledgeable about the drive than the owner )

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

omc is the obvious choice to stay away from price wise might be cheaper here n there because they are out of businuess but you can still get basic parts like impellors. as for finding mechanics to work on them maybe its just michigan but i have several shops around me that have no problem working on it if i needed them to. volvo is the higher up price wise if you need to replace the outdrive for anyreason with a new one you will empty your savings. mercruiser is the most popular doesnt mean the best but its a good set up. depending on your wallet the bravo 3 or 2 not sure? i think has dual prop which is very nice and volvo has the [dp] dual prop costly to replace the prop if you hit ground but extreamly nice.

 

[Tahorover]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

all of them, get a inboard.

 

[craigman]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Well, obviously OMC is one to stay away from.
Ok, when i go to look at a I/O, what should i look for? Potential problems?
Thanks again!
Craig

 

[JoLin]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

One additional comment concerning what to stay away from. Nobody mentioned the motor that the drive is bolted to (except the Merc 470/3.7). All 3 drive manufacturers used both Ford and GM motors. Like OMC, Ford has been out of the marine market for more than a decade. You want a boat with a marinized GM motor.

My .02

 

[greekfreek]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Stay away from older Volvo Penta outdrives with electro/mechanical tilt, no trim. The tilt motor and shaft are costly to repair. When the tilt is up you cannot go above idle speed, and then when down it locks into position. But the drive itself and engine were very reliable.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Make sure of the condition of the boots, can be self done easy enough but if goes to shop they aren't. Use as a barging chip.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

I have had a Mercruiser for the past several years and am pretty happy with it. It is a 350 GM engine with a Alpha 1 outdrive. The nice thing about them is that they are plentiful, and parts are easy to come by, used and new. My buddy has a Volvo on his 07 and it is a much beefier, and seemingly more stout unit. He has had an issue with his trim blowing fuses since he got it, but otherwise it is a solid unit.

I had a Yamaha outdrive on a 93 Chap. It was also a GM 350. It was very solid, but I fear, that as with Ford Mercruisers and older OMC drives that the parts will be hard to source, although I never had an issue with it at all. Only issue was the distributor, but that can happen to any V8 engine in a boat.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Mercruiser:
Stay away from the 470 engine, and any FORD equipped engines. There is nothing wrong with the durability of the ford, but parts are hard to find.

OMC:
Stringer drives you will not find parts for. You will also not be able to swap in another drive platform without replacing the transom.

Cobra drives prior to SX are not on the top of my list, but they are in plenty on CL and EBAY. Parts can be found. People own them and they remain trouble free if maintained. (Shift cable)

King Cobra drives have some very hard parts to find. Definatly avoid.

Volvo Penta:
170/270 drives are hard to find parts for, and hard to find a mechanic willing to work on them. Never owned one but hear they are durable.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Avoid Yamaha drives as well.

 

[JoLin]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Absolutely!!! Good catch, I had forgot about them. (Not many left in my area at all.)

That WAS a good catch, it'd be just the OP's luck to stumble on the last remaining I/O ever made by Chrysler, West Bend or BMW...

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Absolutely!!! Good catch, I had forgot about them. (Not many left in my area at all.)

I only thought of it because the Chaparral that I stopped to look at (while driving an armored truck) a few weeks ago had one. painted black trying to diguise it, too!

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

With regard to OMC. It's the redheaded stepchild of drives but there are some advantages.

1. An OMC equipped rig will be cheap...really cheap.
2. An OMC outdrive is like any other outdrive. If you treat it poorly it will break. If you maintain a properly functioning one it should last a long time.
3. Buy from a dealer who is willing to stand behind the drive for some period of time...even if its only 30 days.
4. With regards to #1, if it breaks forget about replacing it. Get an SEI conversion installed. You'll still be money ahead.
5. As with any drive take it out for a spin. A properly functioning OMC drive should shift smoothly. It should go into forward and reverse easily. If it is hard to get in gear it probably needs to have the cables adjusted. Don't bother having it done...very few mechanics understand how anymore. You should not hear any strange sounds after you've put it in gear.

As long as you understand the shortcomings of an OMC drive you can still get a properly functioning one. People on this board want you to believe that every other drive is good and OMC is death. Take a look. All drives break and cost money to repair.

 

[CaptOchs]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

Take a flashlight with you and look for signs of poor winterization. Any JB weld on the block? A cracked head would leak water from the top of the engine into the bilge. You could see rust streaks on the block if water has been leaking from the head. Run engine (on muffs or in the water) with the engine compartment open and look for water leaking out of the engine. Also, feel around the lower end unit for signs of damage. I've seen holes filled with bondo or JB weld. Finally look for any signs of submersion. If the bellows go, the boat will slowly fill with water. Some components like the starter are on the bottom of the block could be damaged. If water reaches that, it will start corroding very quickly.

You're taking a risk any time you buy a boat. Some things you wouldn't find until you really take things apart. It all boils down to condition. Doesn't matter if it's a GM Mercruiser, if it's been in the wrong hangs you'll have nothing but trouble with it.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

air, your comments only apply to OMC Cobra drives. But again, why buy something that is obsolete?

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: I/O's, which ones to stay away from?

air, your comments only apply to OMC Cobra drives. But again, why buy something that is obsolete?

I stand corrected...Cobra only. Care to comment on any of my reasons why a person might want to consider a Cobra?