I/O vs OB

HT32BSX115

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I don't think I could put an I/O on my little 10' Zodiac Zoom, so I am "stuck" with that outstanding little 9.8hp Tohatsu!

At the same time, I can easily pull the stock 454 out of my Mercruiser (300 prop hp) powered 21ft Four Winns and for a pretty reasonable amount of money, I can "rebuild" the engine by stroking/balancing/etc'ing it and up the HP to a point where the boat will scare me. (it already scares me sometimes!)

If I had a singe (300hp) outboard powered boat and I wanted to go to 500hp...... Not only would it NOT be possible, (well maybe it would with one of those big V-8 outboards) but if it was, it would cost as much as a small condo!

If had a boat with twin 150's (300hp total) and I wanted to go to twin 225/250/300's etc (500hp) or so, it would cost the same fortune!!

I don't think either platform is going away anytime soon!


Cheers,


Rick
 

dingbat

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If I had a singe (300hp) outboard powered boat and I wanted to go to 500hp...... Not only would it NOT be possible, (well maybe it would with one of those big V-8 outboards) but if it was, it would cost as much as a small condo!

If had a boat with twin 150's (300hp total) and I wanted to go to twin 225/250/300's etc (500hp) or so, it would cost the same fortune!!
Why would you put only 300 hp on a boat rated for 500hp?

Why would you put twin 225s on a boat rated for twin 150s?

btw: Seven's come in 557 and 627 hp versions
 

jbcurt00

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Why would you put only 300 hp on a boat rated for 500hp?

Why would you put twin 225s on a boat rated for twin 150s?

btw: Seven's come in 557 and 627 hp versions

Not relavent to this topic.
 

thumpar

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Why would you put only 300 hp on a boat rated for 500hp?

Why would you put twin 225s on a boat rated for twin 150s?

btw: Seven's come in 557 and 627 hp versions
I have never seen an I/O boat with a HP rating anyway. The Sevens are getting close to what an I/O since they use same engine that is in a ton of I/O's just in a package form.
 

Scott Danforth

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Yep... Heat exchanged cooled GM LSA motor, gear drive to ZF transmission with a proprietary lower unit wrapped in a cool looking cover with a fantastic work of art frame and really cool headers
 

HT32BSX115

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Yep... Heat exchanged cooled GM LSA motor, gear drive to ZF transmission with a proprietary lower unit wrapped in a cool looking cover with a fantastic work of art frame and really cool headers

When money and cost are no object, anything is possible......
 

Lou C

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No Title

Tony its something I have thought about often, because we boat in the same waters I think, I know you're in Long Island, I'm on a mooring up on the North Shore...
Here's what I think, it all depends on your boating environment. If you are in freshwater, or on a trailer or lift/dry stack kept, then you can have an I/O without it becoming a real headache. However, if you keep your boat on a salt water mooring, or in a salt water marina, it can be either OK, or a major pain. Because both marine fouling and stray currents if in a marina, can really wreak havoc with outdrives. For one thing the most effective anti fouling paints (tributyl tin) were out lawed years ago, yet the CG can still use it! What we have not is just not that effective in high fouling areas. This year I have not had that much fouling but in some years it was BAD. As in, you really needed to haul the boat mid season and clean off all the hard and soft growth and re-paint. Yes re-powering an I/O will always be cheaper. But in salt water, now you have to add, the outdrive service (gotta pull it every year) and replacing exhaust manifolds every 5-7 years. This does not have to be done on outboards (although yes you should remove the lower unit every 3 or so years because they can get corroded on). Another issue is that if you are looking at a newer inboard of any kind, it will have cat converter exhaust after a certain year. This will greatly add to the normal and expected exhaust replacement in salt water regions. I priced out a set for a VP engine just for the heck of it and it was VERY expensive. Same with Merc.

And no one has touched on the other inherent advantages of OBs...
safer---no risk of fumes in the bilge causing an explosion, no risk of a leak in a raw water cooling hose causing the boat to take on water, no bellows to leak water in the bilge. Much easier to winterize. The transom assembly on an I/O has many possible leak points. Some OB boats do have leak prone hatches in just the wrong spot that can let water in the bilge though and for sure I would never have a OB with a cut down transom.

I've been doing the I/O maintenance myself, close to 15 years here in the salt, and if I get a newer boat, I think its gonna have to be an OB. I love boating but can't really justify the built in headaches of I/Os on salt water....

First pic is what an outdrive looks like here after cleaning the worst of it off, the second one is what you have to do about every 3 seasons, split the drive to clean out the marine growth that is INSIDE the water intake area!
 

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JoLin

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First pic is what an outdrive looks like here after cleaning the worst of it off, the second one is what you have to do about every 3 seasons, split the drive to clean out the marine growth that is INSIDE the water intake area!

Not sure why your drive looks like that. I slip in salt 6 month a year and mine never look that bad. I use an anti-fouling paint that I brush on- no rattle cans. Been using Seahawk brand and it seems to work pretty well. I split the drive every other season to change the water pump. Of course, mine are Alphas so I need to do that. But they don't look like that on the inside, either.

My .02
 

FreeBeeTony

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JoLin, I think I have my boat around the corner from you in Lewis pond. My drive doesn't look that bad either........maybe it's the difference between the north and south shore!!
 

Lou C

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The fouling on the North Shore is worse from what I have heard. This is because there are no streams per se to feed any fresh water into where most of us keep our boats, except over at Brittania in Northport where the water is more brackish than salt. I have been brushing on 2 coats of Trilux every year, the only spray I use is for the inaccessible areas of the transom mount where you can't even get a brush in there. Its possible that the Sea Hawk paint may be better than the Trilux....
I don't know for sure but I think the formulation of the Trilux may have been improved because I have not seen any hard growth this year so far which I always had seen in past years. There used to be a publication called Powerboat Reports and they used to test anti fouling paints here in the north east but they are long gone. The last time they tested which was about 7-8 years ago, the anti fouling paints for aluminum were not too good....
 

JoLin

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JoLin, I think I have my boat around the corner from you in Lewis pond. My drive doesn't look that bad either........maybe it's the difference between the north and south shore!!

Yeah, the difference could be as simple as where we're docked on LI. I used t get more growth (but not as bad as Lou's) at Bergen Point than I do a couple miles east of there. So, do I know you? Yes, I'm slipped nearby on Lewis Circle. Are you a Captree PS member?
 

FreeBeeTony

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No, not a member of the PS but know a few guys down there.......Steve, Paul, Junior and a few others...
 

JoLin

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Okay, I don't know those people (at least not by name) but have probably run into them. 3 of my PS mates are slipped there. Charlie, George and Gene. It's a nice place to be because we're always there to help each other out and keep an eye on our boats. I guess you've seen my boat and put 2 and 2 together? 'Escapade' seems to be an unusual name. I haven't seen another.

(apologies to the other forum members for going off on a tangent)
 

KJM

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my brother asked me last sunday, if I was buying another boat would I get another I/o or go for an outboard. the answer is I really don't know! I love the sound of the I/o, the relative ease of working on it and the fact that many replacement parts can be auto parts and thus much cheaper. the downside is that around here nearly everyone has an outboard and thus repowering mine would be a major problem and probably expensive. however the main problem I can see is if its raw water cooled and left I the salt water then the motor and manifold is rusting constantly. also around here a lot of people go hunting sea ducks in the winter and for an I/o that's a bit of a problem when you have to drain the water from the engine after each use. the answer is i'd probably go I/o but definitely closed cooling from now on.
 

Procastinator

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Sep 21, 2016
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I have gotten my first I/O. I understand engines and can work on them easily. OB is another issue. Although I have rebuild evenrudes, chryslers, Merc and some very old ones at that, OB were for other types of boats that I have had in the past. I like the idea of the back platform across the whole transom. My Conquest has small back platform on side of OB. It's nice but after being in OB for extended canal trips in fresh water, the full transom platform was very nice. My SC Imperial is deeper and wider but I will be able to be in more shallow water than my smaller conquest. Although the 50 HP chrysler on it makes it fly andis more fuel efficient, I've already been intoxicated with my new project. Nice conversation.

Mike
 

theoldwizard1

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Personally, I am an outboard fan, especially <26-28'. The exception is a dedicated ski boat.

Modern outboards, even larger ones are

Lighter
As good or better fuel economy than an I/O
Do NOT take up interior space
Just as dependable as I/O
Less "drive line" parts

Biggest down side is purchase price.
 

jkust

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Around me it's all lakes. Lots of bowriders, pontoons and fishing boats. I'll ignore the wake boats for this. Bowriders are I/O's with very, very few outboards which are on old boats or very new boats.
Pontoons are outboards and so are the fishing boats. Every now and then I see a rogue ocean boat with an outboard. If you want a nice selection of used but newer bowriders, it is what it is. I would be an outboard person if I was in the salt.

My neighbor has the below boat which has twin I/O's and is cross between a pontoon and a cruiser and a bowrider.

 
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