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#1
11-13-2011, 06:07 PM
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Don't have one. Typically they never last long anyway when repleced.
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http://lecharters.com '76 23 SC CC I/O '86 20 Aquasport 200 '98 15 Boaton Whaler Dauntless There's more but w/e 
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#2
11-13-2011, 06:57 PM
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   1978 23' Superfish/Potter Bracket 250HP -------- as "Americans" you have the right to ...... "LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of a Classic SeaCraft" -capt_chuck
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#4
11-23-2011, 12:27 PM
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Great info.
I also have a stern drive on my Tsunami,and also on my last boat.The whole sterndrive bashing is kind of like the bashing Bayliner took.Most of it is done by people who never owned either a stern drive,or a Bayliner. No doubt that in salt water stern drives require more maintenance,and proper care needs to be given to the drive.Because of the salt corrosion problems parts may need to be replaced more often,and you can't tilt the drive completely out of the water like an outboard. I'm ten years into pretty hard use with sterndrives,and can count on one hand,any problems that required any serious work. Like anything else you have to maintain them,bellows need to be inspected and changed periodically,gimball bearings need to be greased properly,as well as the u-joints.Exhaust manifolds need to be changed occassionally,especially in salt water.In fresh water they last for years and years. I know that most of the members on this site are salt water boaters,but on the great lakes where guys like me and Floorboy fish,I/O's(and inboards) are much more common.I like the big high transom when we're fishing in snotty stuff and the waves are rolling up the rear.I also like the open transom for netting fish(we only troll),nothing in the way. I also like the fact that I can do almost all the work myself,as it's a simple 350 GM engine.I don't have to worry about a computer or printed circuit crapping out and not being able to fix it myself. Even the drive doesn't require a rocket scientist to work on it,and even if it blows up,companies like SEI make great good quality after market drives for cheap money. I guess if I was fishing the salt,and I had to decide on a power package,I'd go with outboard power.But,I wouldn't be scared off from going with a fresh water cooled I/O. I can't even begin to imagine what it costs to fix a modern four stroke outboard,never mind trying to fix it myself.I shiver just looking at it when the cover is off.They are a marvel of engineering and nice,but way beyond my skills. Both have their pros and cons. 
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All this,just for a boat ride Last edited by bigeasy1; 11-23-2011 at 12:40 PM.
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#5
11-13-2011, 05:31 PM
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center consoles - seacraft center consoles - they've got a flush fwd deck - this is where you battle a big fish from - the engine box isn't a factor - you fight the fish from the bow - fish "pulls" the boat,plus,whoever's on the helm,you can see what's going on,to follow the fish - the boat handles a little easier from the "pointy" end... this is how it's done...
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do not let common sense get in your way
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#6
11-13-2011, 05:54 PM
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stern drives - gas engines:
the smartest move you can make,is to pull the plugs and perform a compression test,anually.i normally do this at time of winterization. run the engine,to normal operating temp,and pull the plugs - take a long look at the plugs - you're looking for either "rust stains",or a plug that's "snow white" - this is an indication,that cylinder's burning water - this shows up,way before any water is noted in the oil.mositure rises to the highest point - get in the habit of looking at the "breather hoses",from the valve covers - look for steam - this is another indication,the engine's burning water.a rusted,salt covered interior of the distributor is another - again,all due to moisture rising... perform a compression test - what you're looking for is "uniformity",each cylinder should be within 10% of each other... now,if you're compression is low,on a cylinder - odds are,it's caused by,that cylinder ingesting sea water,via the exhaust valve - end result a runsted valve,that has lost it's concentricity - it's not seating properly - this can be verified by a "leak down" test,with compressed air... get in the habit of doing this,like i stated,anually exhaust systems are the weak link... take a look at these pictures - this is a 5.7 merc engine,it suffered an early death,due to it's exhaust system - normally,these engines,when they hydro lock - the small high torque starter,it will break the block - right where it mounts - this one,it didn't,it bent 2 rods - engine was replaced with a new 5.7 mpi merc magnum...at my shop - we do not use "remans",long blocks,short blocks,or offer rebuilds of gas engine,like these - it's repalced with new,complete,drop in engines,or the job's not done... as you can see in the pictures,some one,used a silicone sealer on the riser gaskets - bad move - very bad...
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do not let common sense get in your way
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#7
11-13-2011, 05:06 PM
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I never really understood sterndrive hate, alot of it seems unwarranted. As with most things, preventative maintenance is key. Some people want closed transoms and running gear you can trim. I prefer being in a small boat you can simply press a button for a few seconds and change your draft. Although my buddy has 22' F.L. Tripp, if it hits bottom around here you just throttle up and push right through on the keel, unless of course it keeps getting shallower, lol.
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Thank goodness that in the scheme of things you are broke, powerlesss and inconsequential, because with the shortsighted alternatives and idealogy you have you'd be much worse than those you complain about.
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#8
11-23-2011, 12:41 PM
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"It's a simple 350 GM engine"
My primary reason for preferring an I/O. If a problem develops, that old style car engine will warn you well before it quits, almost every time. The rest of the time, a good set of spares and some repair knowledge can get you home from way way out in the boonies. Last edited by cdavisdb; 11-23-2011 at 12:44 PM. Reason: clarity
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#9
11-26-2011, 06:02 PM
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THX ! Some great advice.
I have a 1975 23' with a 2003, 350 300HP MAG MPI - freshwater cooled manifolds and dry joint risers - with a Bravo 3. Awesome set up. Incredible power. Great response. Fair on fuel consumption. Saltwater run and in water for 7 months. There is more maintenance on the drive than any other outboard I've owned. That's if you like things to be 'right' which I do. During each boating season, while in the water, I must do a barnacle scrape from all the exposed metal parts and a few of the drive areas. This is done 2-3 times a season. The transom mount, the gimbal and the drive need to be sanded pretty well each season to remove the loose antifouling paint and random barnacles, then I will prime any exposed metal areas with primolux and then trilux ( not the spray - I brush it on from the can - a flux brush gets in to the crevices in the mount ). This has enabled me to keep my drive, gimbal and mount - MINT! each season. It's a decent amount of work but I feel worth it. Probably 6-8 hours a season As for corrosion, I epoxy/barrier coated my SS trim tabs and anti foul them - this helped to reduce the amount of NOBLE metal in the water a lot. I keep the mercathode in as best shape as I can, it's tough to clean the element without damaging it. I do all my own maintenance and the one jobI want to tackle is the bellows. Never did this project before - I do hear it is difficult at best - a real 'hand-bleeder'. In a perfect world, I'd have a 4 stroke Yamaha outboard. IMHO - it can't be beat. No metal exposed to the saltwater for 7 months...
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#10
11-26-2011, 06:12 PM
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pressure washing,usually takes off any loose antifouling paint... if your power set up is "fair" on fuel consumption - i suggest you take a look at the prop on the boat - make sure that engine is just about "bumping" the rev limiter,with the boat loaded,in the way it's normally ran,and full throttle - if the engine's running overloaded - not reaching it's reccomended rpm,it's gonna consume way more fuel than it needs to... trilux is the best product - it's formulated for use on aluminum
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do not let common sense get in your way
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