I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

[ONEGA]

I always thought that Volvo outdrives were painted white. This one is yellow.
Am I mistaken or what is this?
Thanks.

 

[Don S]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

It's a Volvo, probably a 270 or 275. Anyone with a can of paint can paint a drive the color they want. I've seen black ones, mine were gray, silver (like the newer ones) one guy came to the shop with a red one.

 

[ONEGA]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

Thanks Don. Owner states it's 275 but looking at the color I thought it might be something like limited ed. or something.
Question: Comparing to Mercruiser do these drives take less or more to mantain and repair? I'm going to take a ride on Sunday to see the boat.
Thanks.

 

[Don S]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

Actually, it takes less in many (most) respects.
The gear lube is engine oil, not gear lube. Straight 30w oil is the best. Choose your brand. 2.7 qts.
Nothing to align, no raw water pump in it to replace (it's on the engine).
The bellows are thinner, and only lasts about half the time of Mercs, but they can be changed easily in about 30 minutes.
No trim, but people have run them for years without the need for it. Starting with the 290's they all had trim.
The whole drive seldom needs to be removed. The upper gear box comes off easily for bellows change.
No shift interrupt system or lower shift cables that wants to fail every 5 to 10 years and cause your engine to die when you shift.

 

[ONEGA]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

Don, I do really appreciate your time. Sounds good so far.
But can you please clarify the "no trim" statement? I don't seem to understand.
And will I be able find service manual for this setup? It's '86 with 305 motor according to the owner.

 

[Don S]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

There is no trim on that drive, just tilt for trailering. There is a cross pin in the transom shield that you remove and move to a different set of holes for adjusting how far down or up the drive can be set at. Like outboards that don't have trim.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

It is yellow because that is the Zinc Chromate primer on the drive. it comes in yellow or green in some brands. When I had a VP drive and repainted it, I used the yellow primer. it then needs to be painted with the color of your choice. In my case it was the grey/Silver that VP uses on the Duo pprop drives.

 

[Don S]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

You mean that it must be ZC primer, no way possible for it to be yellow paint that actually matched someone elses boat at one time? Since the drive and helmet are a different color, I would bet it's paint and a replacement for what was there originally. Look at color of transom shield.
280's were the new model in 78 and was the end of the 270/275 era.

 

[ONEGA]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

Okay, I understand tilt/trim setup now.
But what do you mean by 78 being the end of the 270/275? Owner states the boat is 86.
And about the manual, is it available?
Thanks.

 

[Don S]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

Okay, I understand tilt/trim setup now.
But what do you mean by 78 being the end of the 270/275? Owner states the boat is 86.
And about the manual, is it available?
Thanks.

The boat may be an 86, but the drive has been replaced with something older. Yes, there are free manuals for those drives all over the internet.
The boat is over 25 years old, it's not original. Be careful. And make sure the transom and stringers aren't rotten.

 

[ONEGA]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

The boat may be an 86, but the drive has been replaced with something older. Yes, there are free manuals for those drives all over the internet.
The boat is over 25 years old, it's not original. Be careful. And make sure the transom and stringers aren't rotten.

Is there anything on the motor, like plate with numbers which would lead to the original setup? If yes, where is it located?
What the original drive could be there for the boat being 86?
Asuming the boat is solid, isn't this setup the one to stay away from being not original?
The price tag is $700 with trailer, on land for 2 years.
Thanks.

 

[Slip Away]

Re: I thought all Volvo outdrives were painted white...?

It was "re-painted" with yellow ZC primer. That is NOT the way it came originally.