sierra vs mercruiser

[mg822]

Does anyone know how the sierra parts compare to mercruiser? I am installing sierra bellows kit, heard I should use mercruiser parts instead. do the sierra parts hold up?

 

[ziggy]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

to me, the bellows is a mighty critical part. keeps my boat from sinking....
sierra parts, or any other aftermarket part is a copy at best of a mercruiser part..... i figure mercruiser has had R&D figure how and what to make the part out of for best operation.... for the cheaper aftermarket. i wonder where they cut corners at to keep the price down....... i'd think many folks have fair enough luck with aftermarket, but for me. bellows is not where i'd try and save some money at.....
i can't answer yer question. i did bellows prior to the spring splash. but i used mercruiser parts... so far so good....... i just figure they're gonna give me the best chance of a successfull bellows R&R....

 

[Don S]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

I used to work for a Mercruiser dealer, and we used OEM parts exclusively. Now, I work at an independent shop and we use Sierra and Mallory parts exclusivly.................. at least we did. The aftermarket stuff was never quite the same or the quality. Always harder to install the bellows etc, shift cables are really low quality, carb kits never have all the gaskets, and on and on.
I now order OEM on anything I work on.

 

[Robj]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

I have used sierra, but OEM is better. Some sierra stuff is low quality and not quite right.

Have a great day,

Rob.

 

[wil7483]

I know I am going to get blasted for this but how many of us use OEM parts on our cars? 90% or more of us use aftermarket oil in our vehicles with no apparent consequences. Same goes for brakes, filters, and a myriad of other maintenance parts. In my opinion 50% of the price of most OEM parts is in the name. Case in point, bleach is bleach. There is but one way to make bleach, one scientific formula, yet Chlorox brand bleach is always more expensive than say a store brand but the ingredients are all the same. That's not to say that some OEM parts aren't superior in quality than standard aftermarket items. Obviously they are but I don't think that aftermarket suppliers intentionally cut corners to cut costs. Their prices are usually lower because they are not charging you for a name. Any savings that they are able to manage through intentionally manufacturing inferior products would be offset by litigations arising from premature catastrophic failures.

 

[mg822]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

Thanks for the input. Never used this site before. Still not sure what I will use. Already have the bell housing off, so it should not be to hard to replace all three bellows and put back together. Thanks again.

 

[bigbob_FTW]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

I just finished replacing all 3 bellows and gimble bearing with sierra parts. So far so good. Sometimes money is the deciding factor.

 

[JustJason]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

doesn't anybody realize you get what you pay for?

 

[bigbob_FTW]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

yes, I believe they do.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

I know I am going to get blasted for this but how many of us use OEM parts on our cars? 90% or more of us use aftermarket oil

well,


There's no such thing as OEM oil. (or OEM oil filters for that matter) NO automotive or Marine manufacturer makes oil...... zero, zip, nada. eek: Oh no....might this become an oil thread?)

A lot of the parts for Mercruiser are not "made" by Mercury and might well be made by the same company that makes some of the Sierra parts (Sierra is not a manufacturer they're just a marketing company)

I will say that if someone told me that over the years that it was their experience that the "Mercury" parts were of better quality, I would be inclined to believe them...... and for "Show Stopper" parts I would probably buy the Mercury parts.


Cheers,

Rick

 

[tommays]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

yet Chlorox brand bleach is always more expensive than say a store brand but the ingredients are all the same.


I can assure you right down to uS( microsiemen) that Bleach in fact is not Bleach as we sanatize a complex water system weekly and Chlorox is the only brand that reaches the required uS level when we put a 1.44 gallon bottel into the system

 

[bigbob_FTW]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

well,


There's no such thing as OEM oil. (or OEM oil filters for that matter) NO automotive or Marine manufacturer makes oil...... zero, zip, nada. eek: Oh no....might this become an oil thread?)


what about motocraft oil?

http://www.motorcraft.com/products.do?item=15

 

[wil7483]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

Auto manufacturers don't make all of the componants that they put in their vehicles either, they outsource it to other companies and then they just assemble the pieces. So as explained earlier, what you call OEM can well be the same product, made by the same company, but marketed under a different name.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

Uh...Ford Motor Company does not own any refining capability (I.E. they're not an oil company). They just buy it from a major oil supplier just like Yamalube, Volvo, and Supertech, NAPA, and everybody else that puts their name on a can of oil........

This dangerously approaching an oil thread......and due to previous agreements between me an "others"

I mUsT SHUT UP!!!!


(I keep my word!)


Cheers Y'all!!


Rick

well,


There's no such thing as OEM oil. (or OEM oil filters for that matter) NO automotive or Marine manufacturer makes oil...... zero, zip, nada. eek: Oh no....might this become an oil thread?)


what about motocraft oil?

http://www.motorcraft.com/products.do?item=15

 

[bigbob_FTW]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

Auto manufacturers don't make all of the componants that they put in their vehicles either, they outsource it to other companies and then they just assemble the pieces. So as explained earlier, what you call OEM can well be the same product, made by the same company, but marketed under a different name.

That was my point with the oil. It is made to their specs. They don't make most of the parts on their cars, but the parts are made to their specs. Could very well be the same with sierra parts.

 

[tombstone]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

When I am in need of marine parts, I use Sierra. I found the quality to be equal and never had a problem. Merc parts are plain over-priced in my opinion.

 

[Dakota47]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

i use OMC only

 

[Bondo]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

i use OMC only

Ayuh,.....

Now That's Funny.....

 

[Don S]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

When I am in need of marine parts, I use Sierra. I found the quality to be equal and never had a problem. Merc parts are plain over-priced in my opinion.

Do you do 25 or 30 bellows and shift cables a year where you can actually see the difference? I do.

I'm not talking about oil, filters and all the other little stuff, I'm talking about the bellows, shift cables, marine carb kits for Mercarbs, Mercrusiers made items.
Trust me, a DIYer will never see the difference in them, because they will only change them once. I have had to go from OEM to Aftermarket, and there is a difference, you just can't see it or know the difference.

 

[getinmerry]

Re: sierra vs mercruiser

I have posted in another thread a while back with a Sierra impeller. In a nut shell, my father started my old boat on the shore with no water and toasted the impeller. I was able to get a Sierra replacement right away, so that's what I bought. I installed it and went on with our vacation.

I had good flow up to about 3000 rpm, then it would start to overheat.

Long story short, the Sierra impeller was a softer compound and would collapse at higher rpms. Installed a Merc impeller and the problem was solved.

Both parts looked exactly the same, but weren't.

Chuck