Mercuiser or Volvo

[fishseeker]

I am doing a transom and stringers on a 24' Silverline. Plan on plugging the hole and changing the OMC to something more better. LOL Boat is a 79 and would like to go at least that to mid 80s. What would you put in and why?

 

[180shabah]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

They both use the same cutout, so I would use which ever one I got a great deal on.

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

I like my Volvo! its smooth, shifts without the crunch! they really make good drives. It has a dipstick on the drive too.
Ya mine has power steering, you can let go of the wheel and just sit there.

 

[fishseeker]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

I currently have power steering on the omc, will my settup work on otheres with different brackets? Donor boat is the plan. Remove the goodies and give the rest away. If I can't get rid of it, break out the chain saw and turn it into little bits for the dump!

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

I had a pre alpha mercruiser, the volvo in my signature line bolted right in. I dont know about omc, just couldnt believe my 97 would be so easy to replace the 74!!

 

[mtnrat]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

Volvo. They really last and a smooth. Get a duoprop if you can.

 

[tbear1964]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

If you don't need power trim, get the Volvo. Bulletproof. Mid 80's VP single prop Aquamatic drives didn't come with trim, just a tilt feature. ( there might be an exception, but none comes to mind) If you boat in deep water, this is a non issue.

Duoprop would be the way to go, if possible. I doubt one with power trim will be a bolt on.

Don S. would be the one to chime in here on transom shield cutouts.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

Nothing will be a bolt is for the huge gaping hole he has right now. After rebuilding the transom the cutout for a Mercruiser, "current" VP or OMC cobra are all the same. Exceptions to this are Bravos and GenII alphas, but they only require two additional bolt holes.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Mercuiser or Volvo

I am doing a transom and stringers on a 24' Silverline. Plan on plugging the hole and changing the OMC to something more better. LOL Boat is a 79 and would like to go at least that to mid 80s. What would you put in and why?

Howdy,

Well I went to something "More Better". I pulled the OMC and installed a Mercruiser Bravo.

I don't think there's a HUGE difference in design and quality between Mercruiser and Volvo (The first Volvo drive was designed by a Kiekhaefer Mercury engr anyway)


If you're going to buy brand new, the Volvo might be a little more money but I doubt it.

If you're going to buy used, you're going to have a MUCH better time finding a vast assortment of Mercruiser parts, drives, etc than you will with Volvo.

Using Ebay as an example, if you do a search in "Boat Parts" for "Volvo", and then do a similar search for "Mercruiser", You'll find roughly 3 times as many Mercruiser hits as for Volvo. (Right now it was 2825 vs 905)

A search for "Volvo Drive" produced 43 hits. Of those 43, there was only 3 or 4 actual drives and a couple of uppers or lowers....

A similar search for "Mercruiser Drive" produced 159 hits and I stopped counting complete new and used drives after I got to 50.

ebay is a pretty good indication of how available used and new "stuff" is for both systems.


When I went looking for an engine/drive to replace my OMC 460 King Cobra, I went looking for damaged boats where the owner or dealer was parting them out.

(I even considered new and found that Mercruiser engine/drives were priced very close to similar sized Volvo engine/drive combinations.)

I would have bought a Volvo if I could have found one. I found multiple Mercruiser engines, drives, combinations, new and used, take-outs, etc.

I did not find ANY Volvo stern drive systems for sale. NO ONE CAN TELL ME that people with Volvo powered boats don't damage them or part them out.....

My engine/drive came out of a 24ft Bayliner that had a tree fall on it.

I have bought several parts since from ebay and usually have several choices for different parts.


If I had to do it again, I would get a Mercruiser.


Cheers,


Rick