Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

[Spivy30]

I'm going to start a controversyal thread here and everyone please be nice. Starcrafts with sterndrives or outboards? I always thought I was a outboard guy until I got into cabin cruises and now I swear by Alpha ones. My first boat was a 18' ss with a 115 v4 evinrude, I loved it but it used so much more gas. Now that I have my 18' Holiday running good I love how good the 120 mercruiser uses hardly any gas, always starts easily, and has no smell. I never minded mixing gas but it nice not to have to do it now. Just curious what other people though.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I agree, I have had 2 O/B's and 3 I/O's.
Im a fan of the I/O, they are a little more work but I just like them better.

That being said I have never had (nor can I afford) a twin O/B, say in the 150 to 200 HP each. That would be something I would like to try...

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I have had so much trouble with my I/O I would not touch another one if I could afford the alternative. But at this time I am stuck with my I/O.
At this time over the past 5 yrs I have installed brand new 3.0, new sei drive, and many other stuff. Never the same thing twice.
I just installed a new u-joint bellows because the old one leaked (less than 6 yrs old, always stored in the down position and inside). The leak rusted up the u-joints some and just found out caused the seal to go bad. So now I have no water in the u-joint bellows, but now I have outdrive oil.
Just packaged the upper unit to send back to sei (3 yr. warrenty appears to cover this failure) even though the water leaking in through a hole in the bellows caused the problem.
Still have no clue how the bellows got a hole in it, looks like a defect in the bellows.

My ideal boat would be 24-26' welded alum. and have twin evinrude e-tec or honda's.
Or a straight inboard diesel with about a 35 hp kicker motor. The straight inboard would have a recesest hull so you could drive up on the beach. I have stop dreaming I am not made of money.

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I have had both, and the Outboards win hands down by me. I must admit tho I have been on a private boat delivering to Jueno Alaska from Seattle area with twin I/O Diesels and it was a wonderfull trip. Our local marina dealetrhas a shop Osopay wit two 250 suzukis and a 9.9 kicker on a 30 ft boat. Nice rig. The present application of the Stern drive units have no comparison to the older so its hard to say for sure . Equal I guess for whaterve you want. And can afford

 

[86 century]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I have had three I/O and now own 5 outboards. The outboards are noisy and shake a bit. I don't have any complaints about the v4 johnyrudes they are fairly quite and smooth alittle thirsty but not so bad. On the other hand my 200merc is loud(scares my wife),shakes like h#ll at an idle and drinks fuel to the tune of about 20gal per hour which is a bit of a problem when you only have 20gal tank. I put up with it for the power on my little 18' SS it is just nasty.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

Well, I am flexible. Whatever makes the most sense for the application I suppose. I guess a lot like EZ, IO, OB, either way is just peechy.

My ideal boat would be 24-26' welded alum. and have twin evinrude e-tec or honda's.
Or a straight inboard diesel with about a 35 hp kicker motor. The straight inboard would have a recesest hull so you could drive up on the beach. I have stop dreaming I am not made of money.

OOOoooooo, I love what you are thinking there elkhunter! Can I have one too!

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

Alright to each is his own. How about comparing a Super Sport 18' with a 120 stern drive and one with a 120 hp Mercury or 115hp Evinrude.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

The outboard will be noisier and use more gas but will beat the pants off the I/O and have less stuff to break.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

The outboard will be noisier and use more gas but will beat the pants off the I/O and have less stuff to break.

As least IO's wear pants. Seems like every time I turn around those OB's are sporting purple spandex, sheesh!

 

[GLG fishing]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I have had both and I wish I had an outboard on my boat. My boat never sees fresh water. It?s a pain in the butt to winterize, as I like to use it over the winter. I end up doing the winterization more than a few times. I have had the dreaded chocolate milk shake in the oil pan from various failures. It?s not hard to fix but I would prefer not to do it in the first place. My other dislike is the way I have to connect my outdrive to the kicker for trolling.
I have a tie bar that I have to hookup each time I troll. It?s getting old fully extending off the transom reaching down into the water to hook it up. It would be much better having the kicker mounted on the transom with the tie bar on the front of the motors.
It maybe that the I/O gets better gas mileage but to me I don?t care as that is only a small price to pay for the fishing I do. For me, a 115 etec would be the perfect motor on my boat. Too bad I have neither the time nor dough to do the conversion. Next boat I buy will have an outboard.

This topic has been beaten to death on the Internet. The bottom line is?.
It all depends on where and how you use your boat.

GLG

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I don't have any idea which is better. The only other boats I have owned are 12 footers with small outboards. I do find this post very interesting though.

In South East Michigan we can fish up to Thanksgiving or even later. I'm wondering how to deal with the winterizing of my I/O when it's late in the season but I still might fish. It gets cold and then warm (40-50), cold (20-30) and then warm again.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

You could get an engine compartment heater

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

How about an (AUTMOTIVE ) head bolt heater. Would that work???

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

Im gonna start a thread in the i/o section

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

All the boats that my entire extended family has ever owned have all been outboard models, so I'm a bit biased here.

I like being able to take a motor off one boat, bolt it on another and head out whenever necessary. The fact that a 100hp outboard blows the doors off a 120hp I/O is cool too

I would love a 30' inboard diesel as mentioned, ideal for touring the Great Lakes and dragging lures around to keep them clean

 

[barato]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

Qs for Elkhunter338 here, but it does bear on the original poster's Q:

i saw that you'd converted your I/O to a semi closed cooling system. what's your take on those after living with one....worth doing for a salt-water-only boat, or just PITA? was your motor freshly rebuilt or did you add it to an existing motor? did you use one of the kits and if so, which one? if i do complete rebuild of my block, thinking hard about going with one of these. winterizing is less of an issue here, and not one in Sonora.

thanks!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

When you turn the key..and she fires right up..Idles down..Drop the hammer..she takes off...gets you there and back safely time after time..
Thats the best motor no matter the horsies or how they are saddled up

 

[fshngho]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

When you turn the key..and she fires right up..Idles down..Drop the hammer..she takes off...gets you there and back safely time after time..
Thats the best motor no matter the horsies or how they are saddled up

Once again the words of a genius in disguise.

 

[Bob Gilvary]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

I'm not an acrobat or a weight lifter, so I stay away from working on I/O's.

Would any of you drain your antifreeze and replace it with saltwater, then put back antifreeze in your car for the winter, come spring, do it all over again?

Pulling the outdrive every year to inspect all the boots, and grease the gimbal bearing is proper maintenance for I/O's. Not many do that though.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Starcraft I/Os vs O/Bs?

What's the difference in flushing your outboard