Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

[pop pop]

I have a mercruiser 170 and have had a little trouble with overheating but that was due to neglect by the first owner. Is there anyone out there that likes these motors?

 

[Kainon]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I'd say there's many that love them, great torque and horsepower for the package, the 4bbl Version has 190hp. I've seen many have made the switch from the orginal altenator to a single wire kit.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Is there anyone out there that likes these motors?

Ayuh,... A few folks that own 'em say they like 'em,...
but many of those same folks also say they wouldn't buy another 1...

 

[pop pop]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Thanks for the reply. The jury is still out for me on this. I just bought this boat a couple of months ago then I started to research the motor[wrong order I know] I realy like the power it has but after reading all the posts I am getting scaredBecause I am relatively new to boating with not a lot of money.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Ayuh,... A few folks that own 'em say they like 'em,...
but many of those same folks also say they wouldn't buy another 1...

I do, I would, but I would not recommend one to someone else.

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I like 'em, good engine with what some would say odd (ok non-automotive) quirks, but hey, I have yet to meet an engine that doesn't break down! On average, no better or worse than anything else

 

[pop pop]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Isnt it amazing how you here about mor bad things than good Thanks again for the input

 

[superbenk]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I asked this same question a few days ago. The bottom line seems to be that when it works it's great, but when it fails it's a bear to deal with. Same goes for my 30 year old OMC 140 & 400 Stringer drive. Right now it works great (finally), but I'm constantly terrified that something big will break that will be extremely hard to fix. In other words, when you're dealing with obsolete equipment that (somewhat by nature) is prone to failure, you're playing with fire & you should prepare for an inevitable expensive fix somewhere down the line.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Isnt it amazing how you here about mor bad things than good Thanks again for the input

Well, not really... most people don't even visit repair "forums" until they have a problem.

The people that don't have problems don't come here they just go boating!!

So you really cannot use the number of people that complain. The real "deal" is the people (here) that do this stuff for a living.

They're really the source of the most accurate information.

They know when Merc originally introduced this engine and when they discontinued them. They also know why and what a pain it was (is) to work on them. This why they recommend NOT buying any used boat with this engine in it.

They know how much trouble they are for the average boat owner to maintain.

Same for any obsolete engine/drive (OMC, REALLY old Merc/Volvo, DANA, Scott Atwater, Lausen, etc)

.....


Regards,


Rick

 

[45Auto]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I'd love to own one at the right price. I wouldn't go out specifically looking for one, but I like them just as much as anything else. You just have to be aware of their problems and weaknesses.

If I was looking for a boat with a 4 cylinder and had a choice between two equal boats, one with a 170 and one with a typical motor (2.5L or 3.0L, iron block and heads), the one with the 170 would have to be substantially cheaper before I would seriously consider it over the boat with the typical engine, just because of the known weaknesses of the 170.

Same situation with Ford motors in boats, OMC outdrives, etc.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Well, not really... most people don't even visit repair "forums" until they have a problem.

The people that don't have problems don't come here they just go boating!!

LIAR! I'm here all the time It's great to read through the forums and just learn stuff. It's better to be informed before jumping in rather than coming here after the fact (learned that lesson the hard way too).

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

LIAR! I'm here all the time It's great to read through the forums and just learn stuff. It's better to be informed before jumping in rather than coming here after the fact (learned that lesson the hard way too).

Yeah.........I wasn't talking about YOU!!!


Most people that don't have boat problems don't even know this site exists as evidenced by the number of people who ask questions on their first post!!

 

[superbenk]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

Yeah.........I wasn't talking about YOU!!!


Most people that don't have boat problems don't even know this site exists as evidenced by the number of people who ask questions on their first post!!

Ya, I was just kidding. I totally agree with what you're saying & it's too bad. I did the same thing before buying my boat. Wish I had half the knowledge I have now before jumping down that rabbit hole.

That being said, a lot of the griping that gets done here about a specific model or another tends to have some level of validity as I've experienced. You really need to weed out the extremes & you're left with some very good advice somewhere in the middle. Note the problems people complain about the most with your given item & decide if you're ready to tackle those kinds of items should they happen to you.

Also, get a good feeling for what kind of parts market is available for your item & what kind of prices you'll be looking at. With my old Stringer, it's getting more and more difficult to find some of the more critical parts that could explode. I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that if something major goes down with the boat, I'm just going to dump it and move on. When you're dealing with obsolete stuff, it's hard to justify spending tons of time & money when you're just not dealing with very valuable items (to anyone but yourself).

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I did the same thing before buying my boat. Wish I had half the knowledge I have now before jumping down that rabbit hole.

I think that describes most of us!!

 

[mdlee]

Re: Does anybody like the Mercruiser 170 hp

I have a boat with 2 190's I like them.. but would rather have 4.3s.. I have also run big outboards for years,, and worked on charter boats with diesel inboards, I have seen all of the above brake down, and at the worst possible time. The only motor that never brakes down is a paddle. If you have a boat with a motor u will work on it.. I don't work on the 190's any more than I did any of the outboards..