Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

Here's a generic example:
$18,333 (U.S.) with Yamaha 90 TLRD

Length 17' 1" (5.21 m)
Beam 88" (2.24 m)
Depth 43" (1.09 m)
Approx. Weight 1500 lbs. (680 kg.)
w/o engine
Cockpit Depth 28-1/2" (.72 m)
Transom Width 86" (2.18 m)
Transom Deadrise 21°
Draft (drive down) 28-1/2" (.72 m)
Fuel Capacity 23 gal (87 L)
Maximum Capacity 1150 lbs (522 kg)






Adjustable deluxe bucket seats
AM/FM/CD stereo
Bilge pump
Glove box
Integrated swim platform
Metallic exterior color
Passenger grab handles
Rear bench seating with concealed storage
Ski locker
Snap-in berber carpet
Stainless steel boarding ladder
Side panel storage w/cargo nets
Unitized fiberglass deck/floor
VEC® technology

$17,164 (U.S.) with 3.0 GL Volvo Penta (135 hp

Length 17' 1" (5.21 m)
Beam 88" (2.24 m)
Depth 44" (1.12 m)
Approx. Weight 2335 lbs. (1059 kg.)
w/3.0 GL Volvo Penta®
Cockpit Depth 28-1/2" (.72 m)
Transom Width 86" (2.18 m)
Transom Deadrise 21°
Draft (drive down) 31" (.79 m)
Fuel Capacity 23 gal (87 L)
Maximum Capacity 1150 lbs. (522 kg.)







Adjustable deluxe bucket seats
AM/FM/CD stereo
Bilge pump
Glove box
Integrated swim platform
Metallic exterior color
Padded sunlounge
Passenger grab handles
Rear bench seating w/concealed storage
Side panel storage w/cargo nets
Ski tow ring
Ski locker
Snap-in berber carpet
Stainless steel boarding ladder
Unitized fiberglass deck/floor
VEC® technology

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

just think of one thing......

how do you change the oil on a boat equiped with an i/o setup?

its a freeking car motor in a boat! it AINT meant to be there.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

:^ hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm do i detect a attiude here?.............. Well you just drain it or siphon it out and dispose of it in a responsible fashion.......8) i just have to go here........I find it far more intelligent than burning it up in the atmosphere..o

Now there is something to be said for v6 sitting horizontally in a motor well, the ideal of a engine sitting vertically you have to admit is a bit out there......:}

Just another view point, right wrong or indifferent it is amusing to read on a early saturday morning...o

 

[shawn7]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

Glad I came across this thread. I'm having the same delima. I will be in only salt water. Price is better for i/o, but have heard some horror stories of owners w/ i/o in salt water.

Who here has i/o in Salt Water? What are your opinions?


thanks,
Shawn

 

[tommays]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

you can find a horror story on everything ever made

In the real world if they get the correct service when its required and NOT after it will not work anymore they ALL do OK

I trailer boat in saltwater with I/O for 11 years and cant comlplain

Tommays

 

[dingbat]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

[quote ]Glad I came across this thread. I'm having the same delima. I will be in only salt water. Price is better for i/o, but have heard some horror stories of owners w/ i/o in salt water.

Who here has i/o in Salt Water? What are your opinions?
[/quote]

I ran an I/O in salt for 4 years and replaced the gimbal bearing twice, a set of risers, and had to keep anti-fouling on the drive unit which is a pain to maintain. I also fish quite a bit in the winter so draining the block after each use is an absolute pain in butt.

Got tied of all that and changed over to an outboard and never looked back. At this point the only other drive I would consider would be a good diesel Inboard setup.

 

[cgBosun3]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

Roger that, seahunter. My dad had a GW with an I/O and an Aquasport with an O/B. Kept both in slips in salt water. He did no maintenance to either...just put gas in them and if it started up, he went fishing. Anyway, after 3 years, the I/O needed manifolds, distributor, wires, bellows and leaked hyd fluid. After 10 years, the O/B needed an impeller, after another 5 yrs a rebuilt powerhead for $3k made it a nearly new boat again.

My experience, yours may differ.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

EDIT: misread a post.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

Shawn, I/Os are made mostly of cast iron and steel. Outboards are made mostly of aluminum. The I/O outdrive and the OB lower units are fairly close in materials and design. I/O motors are much more succeptable to corrosion, due to the ferrous metal content. OBs also run oil over most of their internal surfaces, as they operate. Therefore, I/Os will have maintenance issues and requirements that superceed what OBs need. I have had my I/O moored in salt water since '92. It has been a battle to keep the rust to a minimum. Fresh water washdown of the motor is a must. Repainting of the steel covers on the timing chain is a must. Watch the rust on the oil pan and oil filter. Both have sprung a leak for me. It is a mess. You will need to replace risers and manifolds. You may need to replace pullys, alternators and thermostat covers.

I still think that an I/O can be a good choice for the correct boat. Boats under 21 feet are likely powered best by an outboard. Mostly due to the weight and size of the I/O units. Also these boats tend to be trailored and beached more. Lighter weight is an advantage here also.

 

[Flukinicehole]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

I have an I/O and I`m salt water use only.You need to do basic maintenance on any engine.I like I/O`s and never had a problem with them.I dont know why they have such a bad rap but I think it`s because of poor maintenance.The only thing I suggest is get one with a closed cooling system then there is no salt water in the block.The manifolds will have to be changed every 4-5 years but thats it.I know most guys on here push O/B but I like I/O and like I said I have never had a problem.Good Luck with whichever you choose.

 

[crunch]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

IMHO, it's all about HP...

Around here we have serious commercial boaters with 600 HP jet drives to 1200 hp... these are people that live this river, and work it. And we have tourist with wannabe drives.

No braging rights here, the Rogue River is one of the roughest rivers in the world, and there isn't a guide on this river with an outboard.

 

[tommays]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

One of the big problems i see here is that older outboards like i use to own really did need very littel care compared to and I/O

The same can not be said for the currrent LARGE outboards they require a LOT of PM just like and I/O or they will die and early death

They need regular cooling and fuel system matiance the days of poping in a water pump every 5 years are long gone


Tommays

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

The main difference in my mind is cost of servicing an outdrive on an I/O. The outdrive is more complex, it has more seals to fail, and the prices to fix the additional components that fail due to those seal failures is dramatic. I suppose if a person is buying a brand new boat, with a warranty, and they have the proper servicing done, they probably will not have problems because nobody keeps anything longer than a few years anymore.

The person buying an older used boat with an I/O is the one that could be faced with problems. In the end, an outboard is superior because is is easier to repower, the drivetrain is less complicated (but the powerhead is more complicated), lighter, and outboards tend to last longer than I/O power given equal maintenance. I see a lot of outboards still on the water that are well over 30 years old, and I see a lot of I/O boats that are ten years old or less. I do not see a lot of old I/O boats except sitting in peoples driveway with the outdrive missing and the registration sticker 5 years old.

Given the current technology of efficient, quiet outboards, I can't imagine why someone would even want an I/O that even new is still barely 1990's technology. There isn't an I/O made that is as efficient as a DFI 2 stroke or as powerful when comparing them pound for pound or horsepower for horespower. Even a 4 stroke outboard beats an I/O in every way.

The only exception is the sexiness factor. An I/O boat is still sexier than an outboard boat, so if the chicks-dig-it factor is important, than I/O is the way to go. If long term reliability, cost of maintenance and efficiency are a factor, outboards are the way to go....

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Stern Drive vs. Outboard?

Custom, you probably don't see a lot of outboards with that type of boating because it isn't physically possible to use an outboard. Kinda hard to use an outboard in 8 inches of water or blasting upstream on a raging set of rapids that have boulders out the wazoo. For regular folk who do regular boating, outboards rock. What makes me laugh is the people on my lake with the $80,000 jetboats that belong on those brutal rivers in southern Idaho/Eastern Oregon. My lake is 1100 feet deep, why on earth do you need a boat like that here unless you just want to be able to say you have one. Cracks me up. I suppose they know they could use it on the Snake river if they wanted to and like having a more multi-use boat, I don't know....