2004 Lowe Sun Cruiser Trinidad 22ft with Mercruiser 3.0 alpha 1

[Hoppy269]

I'm looking at the above rig but I'm not familiar with inboard/outboard units. I have been around and owned outboards my boating life. The rig appears to be in excellent shape, marginally used. I have read the Mercruiser 3.0 has been basically th same design for the last 50 years. They sound reliable as long as you don't push them hard and do the regular maintenance. The pontoon will be in a slip sitting in the water during the summer months what concerns should I have with the outboard unit being in the water constantly?

 

[Lightwin 3]

The pontoon will be in a slip sitting in the water during the summer months what concerns should I have with the outboard unit being in the water constantly?

No issues as long as all the bellows (driveshaft, exhaust, shift) are in good shape. If they've never been changed, it's overdue.

 

[ahicks]

I/O 'toons have a reputation for being very difficult to work on/service. If seriously considering one, I would go through the motions to see if this is one of them. Satisfy yourself simple things like checking/changing the oil (can you get to the drain plug and oil filter?), changing spark plugs, winterizing, etc. can be done without disassembling half the rear of the boat.

I would want to test drive it as well. Some of them struggle with harmonics/resonance at various throttle positions, making finding a pleasant cruising speed more difficult than others.

Done right, they make great cruisers - though I would take a 4 stroke outboard over an I/O without further thought.

 

[Lightwin 3]

Done right, they make great cruisers - though I would take a 4 stroke outboard over an I/O without further thought.

Me too, especially a 3.0. They are NOT known for the smooth/quiet operation.