stern drives
 

whats the consensus on stern drives? been looking for a few months for a 23 cc, have found several that I like but most that are setup the way I like have stern drives, with mercruiser engines. many of my friends say stay away from these, I love the layout in a couple of these but dont want to regret my decision if I go for one. will be using it in new england waters, both inshore and offshore.

My last two boats,and the current one,(1974 23 Seacraft Tsunami) have been stern drives.I always ran outboards and was skeptical of I/O's when I switched over.After running stern drives now for the last 12 years,I can say that I prefer them for my type of use.I like the fact that I can actually do most of the engine repairs myself,as it's basically a car engine.Even the drive doesn't take a degree in rocket science to maintain or repair.I like the big high flat transom that it offers,it feels a lot safer to me when trolling with waves coming at the stern,and even with the engine box,It's easy to net fish.

Now,I must admit that I run it in fresh water only(great lakes)so That is a big advantage over the ones used in salt water.No doubt,there are some disadvantages to stern drives used in the salt.
They can't be tilted completly out of the water like an outboard,so any fasteners can be difficult to remove from the corrosive effects of saltwater when service is needed.Exhaust manifolds and elbows corrode much faster and need more frequent replacement.A fresh water cooled heat exchanger system is best in I/O's used in salt.Things like the intake bellows,gimball bearings,U-Joints,impellers,manifolds need to be checked and serviced regularly.Other things like the engine to drive coupler can fail regardless of fresh or salt.

I think a lot of the bad rap you hear about stern drives is way way over hyped.Yes in salt water they require more maintenence than an outboard,and like any other piece of mechanical marine equipment,they can be costly to repair.But I wouldn't want to see the repair bill on any modern four stroke outboard either,and most backyard mechanics can't fix one.
I/O engines will also last for many many hours,I know of several that have over 2500 hours on them and run like new.Another advantage is it's a whole lot less costly to replace a complete 5.7 liter 260-300 hp I/O engine,than a comparable outboard.

I guess if I was buying,or repowering a project from scratch,and was going to use it in the salt I'd probably go with twin outboards,and that's only because there is a little less maintenance required and I like the safety factor of a second motor.Stern drives are like anything else if you take care of it properly,and do your maintenance regularly.it should service you very well.

On the great lakes,almost every boat over 21' is either powered by stern drives or true inboards.Not to say outboards are uncommon,but they are outnumbered by a large degree.I love the I/O and would never go with outboards for what I do.If I was to go up in boat size to something over 25' then I would go with twin inboard power.

Maybe member Abl1111 will chime in,he runs a Mercruiser Bravo I/O in Long Island sound.He can probably be a big help .

Hey. I love the performance of my 23' Tsunami with a Mercruiser 300hp, 350 with a bravo 3. I honestly don't think that the boat could run better with any other motor... Fast, torque'y, maneuverable, responsive, fuel economy etc ! Better than any O/B I've been on.

At the time of my resto from twin V4, i/o's to one big V8, for economics as well as the work I was willing to do, I went with a new V8 and new Bravo 3.

Prior I had always been an O/B guy - ALWAYS... Old school carb'd ones...

And, with all that said, I still love the simplicity of an O/B. Cannot be beat ! If you're keeping the boat in the water, being able to lift that hunk of aluminum out of the water completely after use is a great feature.

Todays outboards are awesome. Though expensive and nearly impossible for the DIY'er to tackle; however, dependable, efficient - turn the key and go...

The i/o is great, but I am a very meticulous DIY'er and to see what the drive, gimbal, transom-mount looks like after a long salty season gets my blood to boil. It takes a lot of work in the Spring to clean her up and make her look like I think it should.

Also, the parts that are expected to be routinely replaced can be staggering; elbows/ risers, manifolds, fuel coolers, bellows, water pump, freshwater exchanger, ( I have a dry manifold so it was just elbows for me )... It has been a lot of maintenance - all I have done myself except this past seasons preventive-maintenance, bellows job. And these parts ain't cheap !

My motor and drive is an '03 with about 500 hours. They are absolutely MINT. My attitude has always been to keep things in perfect mechanical condition and cosmetically, as clean as possible. This way, when something goes wrong, it's obvious...

Every Spring I bitch about the amount of maintenance I have to do. But, once she's in and done. I am VERY happy with her.

So, I probably confused you more than when you started. If I had my boat in a lift, or I trailered her - this would be a moot point. But, the fact that I'm in the brine for (7) months a year definitely is a factor.

If $ is not an issue. Go with an O/B. If you are super handy and have time and want the best performance, IMO, then a I/O is a great option. The other thing - a Bravo 3 drive is bullet proof - any Bravo drive is. Down the road, when you need a new motor, you can get one for 6-7K and re-use your Bravo. A new O/B ?? OUCH !

The above is just my opinion - I'm sure completely debatable - just my opinion and experiences... Good luck...

i have a repair shop - so,i see all sides of this...


my sea craft's powered by a merc 350 magnum MPI with the horizon package,bravo I drive

it's been my experience,stern drives get a bad rap from owners who do not follow good maintnance practices.the drives need to be pulled every year - best to do at winterization.bellows need to be replaced,merc reccomends 5yrs - shift cable and drive shaft bellows will allow water to enter the boat - will they sink the boat imediatley ? NOPE !

manifolds and risers will require replacement-sea water corrosion - flushing will not prolong the life of these.

granted,the upkeep is a little more than what an outboard requires,but it's certainly not a deal breaker...

here's a thread i started a while ago,it shows what's involved in changing bellows and gives some good usefull info...take a look at it

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...ad.php?t=23364

Another confirmed and happy I/0 user. A volvo duoprop is hard to beat for efficiency, torque, low speed planing, balance and general performance. I'm also finicky about maintenance, which you need to be to be successful with an I/0.

I really like the fact that old car engine will warn you before it quits. That is well worth the extra maintenance. It is critical that you do that maintenance, otherwise the system is both expensive and unreliable.

That said, if I had to keep the boat in the water in Florida, I would have an outboard or a straight inboard.