Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

[Shabah 182]

I bought a 2001 Monterey 218 cuddy last fall and only managed to get it on the water once. It has a carbureted Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine (220 hp) with an SX outdrive. It ran great although I thought the idle was too high at 700. As a bored boating fanatic, I spent a lot of time surfing sites like this during the winter for ideas and information. My last boat had a carbed 4.3 Mercruiser with an Alpha One outdrive that served me well for hundreds of hours. I am hoping that the 5.0 will be equally as reliable and trouble free. It is tuned, fogged and has fresh oil and treated gas in it. I am picking it up in 2 weeks from storage. I will likely go out on a few short trips to ease my mind before taking it on long runs in the bay with guests. Thoughts from current owners on how this engine performs and holds up? It has 315 hours on it, all fresh water. The original owner sold it to me.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

Ayuh,.... It's a SBChevy,

It oughta give ya 1000s of hours of service, if treated right, 'n serviced properly...

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

I bought a 2001 Monterey 218 cuddy last fall and only managed to get it on the water once. It has a carbureted Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine (220 hp) with an SX outdrive. It ran great although I thought the idle was too high at 700. As a bored boating fanatic, I spent a lot of time surfing sites like this during the winter for ideas and information. My last boat had a carbed 4.3 Mercruiser with an Alpha One outdrive that served me well for hundreds of hours. I am hoping that the 5.0 will be equally as reliable and trouble free. It is tuned, fogged and has fresh oil and treated gas in it. I am picking it up in 2 weeks from storage. I will likely go out on a few short trips to ease my mind before taking it on long runs in the bay with guests. Thoughts from current owners on how this engine performs and holds up? It has 315 hours on it, all fresh water. The original owner sold it to me.

You are aware that the 'engine' part of the Volvo-Penta and the Mercruiser brands are both GM engines. So, there is no real differences there. The outdrives too are very similar, some folks like the V-P clutch mechanism better than the Mercruiser.

So, I don't think you have any worries.

I see that you are from the Boston, MA area . . . Where will you be boating out of ?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

As Bond-o pointed out, the life and longevity all depend on service and maintenance. other than that like tpenfield pointed out, its a GM 5.0 liter coming out of GM's industrial and marine division as your previous 4.3, as well as the 5.7's and the 7.4's, and 8.1's.

 

[Don S]

Re: Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

GM is also the only one with IO engines for sterndrives. Ford and Chrysler have been out of the Marine business for a long time.

 

[Shabah 182]

Re: Opinions on Volvo Penta 5.0 GL engine?

Tpenfield, we typically have trailered our boat to the bays of RI, both the Mount Hope and Narragansett Bays and cruise the various rivers, islands and waterfront restaurants from Newport to Bristol. With my new to me 22 footer, we will be trailering to Plymouth also and start exploring the Cape Cod Bay and possibly Buzzards. Looking forward to checking out Bassets Island. We don't fish, just pleasure cruisers. We live in Mansfield MA, in between Boston and Providence.