Outdrive - What is it?

[BansheeVision]

The out drive is black so maybe its a merc?. The boat is a 1990 Stingray (270?) with a big block chevy motor. The boat is to be auctioned on 2/29/12. I'm trying to find out which outdrive this probably is before making the 140 mile round trip to do a inspection. The out drive make and model is the deal breaker for me and I can not tell from the pics what it is. I have not been able to find anything on the web saying what Stingray was using in 1990. Any information or best guess would be greatly appreciated. I have let this question soak in the Stingray forum for a few days with no response.

Yes the boat is being auctioned from an insurance pool and it was a total loss claim(fresh water damage) or else it would not be there. This is what I do, mostly rebuilding cars and trucks with a few boats a year, so I'm not looking for advice to stay away from such things.

This one would probably be a keeper for personal use and I am really interested in finding out what drive these came with so I can do some research. I was able to find the three big block ratings that were used then, but they did not even mention the manufacture of the drive.

Thanks for your help!
Jim.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Looks like Volvo to me.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Looks like Volvo to me.

Ayuh,... No doubt, it's a Volvo, not a Mercruiser...

 

[BansheeVision]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Any ideas of what model Volvo this may be so I could do some searching and reading to find out the good, the bad, and the ugly?

Thanks guys for your quick response. This IS the goto site for information!
Jim.

 

[Don S]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

It's a Volvo DP-A or B series drive. You can find out for sure by looking at the tag on the ID tag on the upper gear box.

Have you looked at the forum stickies at the top of this forum, or the Volvo forum?

 

[BansheeVision]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Thanks all, I'm a lot closer to where I need to be armed with information now. All I had to go on to begin with was the not very detailed pics. I guess what I need to be looking for now is information on parts availability, reliability/cost/design problems, and problems common to the Volvo DP- A & B models. I will not have an opportunity to actually see any tags or numbers unless I take a day and make the trip to look it over.

I'll certainly take a look at the Volvo forum, though I suspect much like boat specific forums, the information would tend to be biased and the owners fervently loyal to their brand. Any unbiased opinions, especially pointing out shortcomings and what I should be looking for when inspecting it would be greatly appreciated. The inspection is basically limited to a visual one. I may be able to get away with pulling a oil drain plug, but that would be about the extent of wrenching on it.

Thanks again,
Jim.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Yes the boat is being auctioned from an insurance pool and it was a total loss claim(fresh water damage) or else it would not be there. This is what I do, mostly rebuilding cars and trucks with a few boats a year, so I'm not looking for advice to stay away from such things.

"Total loss claim" could mean many things. If it means the boat sank, fixing the engine/drive might not be all that hard and may indeed be just an oil "drain/refill" if the water intrusion was brief.

If it also means under-deck, transom, floor etc water saturation, Then you or a subsequent buyer could have far more serious problems.

Good luck.



Rick

 

[Don S]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

The drives are one of the best drives going. Had an earlier model on my boat. Bellows are a bit wimpy compared to other boats, but they also only take about 30 bloodless minutes to replace every other year. Keep the gear lube clean and they last for many, many years.

 

[BansheeVision]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Thanks Don, You have tipped the scales and I will definitely make the trip to look it over. Do you have any pointers as to what I should be looking out for drive wise? This boat is a "fresh water loss" so that could mean anything from being in a torrential storm (probably so due to our recent tornado activity) to have been sitting on the bottom of the lake (unlikely). An engine rebuild if needed is not that great of a problem and is actually a convenient excuse to toss another 50 to 100 hp into it. No such thing as too much power as long as you don't try to use it all at once! If both the DP A & B drives were offered with the big block chevy in 1990 in a Stingray, which would be the more desirable/what is the difference?

Jim.

 

[Don S]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

The difference between the A and B are minor except for the shift cone material. They went from brass to steel, but in newer drives they went to something completely different. Even the A thru C drives with steel clutches went to the newer material if they need replaced. But it's not a concern, those drives were used on 6 cylinder diesels for many years, and were harder on the drives than any gas engine.

Get the numbers off the drive, no big deal with either one.
PS: it's not just A or B, There is A, A1, A2, B, B1. The steel cone came in on the A2

 

[BansheeVision]

Re: Outdrive - What is it?

Ok, from what I understand/have learned so far... The general consensuses is that Volvo builds good equipment and parts should be readily available in the foreseeable future. There should be no appreciable difference in any Volvo drives that were offered in 1990 with a big block motor. I should probably be more concerned with the condition of the props than which sub model the drive is, as they are absurdly expensive. The Volvo DP configuration will considerably trade off high end speed for low end launch to plane performance, so I would not be able to run with Bravo equipped boats, but could possibly be the only one on the river skiing behind a 27 foot boat. Is there anything I have missed? What about the hydraulic cylinders?

Jim.