Mercruiser I/O vs Volvo outdrive bellow replacement. Opinions please.

[HydroGeek]

I'm shopping for my first I/O. It will probably be a 19'(ish) with either a 4.3 or 5.0L, and due to budget issues will probably be late 90's to early 2000's. I want a fiberglass deck.

I'm amazed at how many boats I am looking at in the southwest / midwest which are now 12 to 17 years old, and nobody can tell me when the bellows and shift cables were last replaced, or what condition the gimbal is in. I have yet to talk to someone who says "Yup, I had the bellows swapped out 4 years ago". Or even "I pulled the drive to lube the Ujoint and bearing this winter and it looked great".

So I'm figuring on needing to do bellows and cables right off the bat, and I am curious as to which outdrive is easier to work on..... Mercruiser or Volvo? Sorry, I don't know specifics about drive models and am hoping that I've provided enough info to get a good opinion from you. Oddly, I don't see much by way of repair videos on youtube for Volvo.

I'm probably a little better than average for a home auto mechanic. Water pumps, timing belts, hydroboost, steering gearbox, brakes, basically things that bolt on I am ok with. I don't open transmissions nor pull axles on cars.

Again, because of tight finances, I'll need to be able to work on this thing myself.

So... given the typical 19'-ish boat market circa 2000, what's easier to wrench on? Volvo or Mercruiser?

Thanks!

 

[Boat Doctor1]

most boat owners -NEVER =EVER!! change the gimball, bellows or any water intake hoses, & even shift cables till theyre BAD!! Leaking. Believe me!! Lubeing the gimball & u joints should be done each year too! Gimballs (not all) are a sealed unit in most! also the splines on driveshaft also should be lubed each year!! U will likely notice that need when the drive on the flywheel fails & boat doesnt move !! Usually the case too!! Then it gets expensive!! In my years of marine repairs & shop ownership- i always asked each customer if they also wanted me to relube/ repack the wheel bearings?? All say -NO ill do it!! HaHa!! always had them stranded on a road with a lost wheel & ruined axle on a saturday afternoon too!! "Can u get it fixed today"?? Yes today in a week after i get a new axle for you!!

 

[proshadetree]

Trust me merc are way cheaper than volvo to fix. Check for a bellows kit for a alpha or a bravo you can find hundreds of them. Now look for one for a volvo. I think both drives have their good and bad sides. I just prefer what will not kill me to obtain parts for in the future. I also prefer automotive type engines, it was used in a car or truck. There is no diffrence in 5.0 marine or camaro/Silverado heads.

 

[bruceb58]

OEM bellows for a Volvo are less than $60. They are pretty easy to replace.

Mercruiser OEM bellows are around $10 less.

Just so you know, for the engines you are looking at, you need to compare a Volvo with a Merc Alpha. The Merc is going to have a dog clutch and the Volvo is going to have a cone clutch.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

OEM bellows for a Volvo are less than $60. They are pretty easy to replace.

Mercruiser OEM bellows are around $10 less.

Just so you know, for the engines you are looking at, you need to compare a Volvo with a Merc Alpha. The Merc is going to have a dog clutch and the Volvo is going to have a cone clutch.

Exactly i find it odd that people compare the merc alpha to the sx drive's...Why do they not compare it to the bravo...there virtually the same in dsign and capabilty...try hooking a alpha in back of 400hp 7.4

 

[bruceb58]

Exactly i find it odd that people compare the merc alpha to the sx drive's...Why do they not compare it to the bravo.

The OP is going to have to since he is looking at a 19' boat with a 4.3 or 5.0.

 

[achris]

....Again, because of tight finances, ....

If money is tight, don't buy a boat.... And I'm not trying to be funny or sarcastic...

Boats cost money to maintain, nothing you can do about that, and if you don't have the money to do it right, and when it NEEDS doing, it just adds to the cost of the eventual repair. When something goes wrong on a boat engine, you need to be able to fix it immediately. If you don't (and I see this heap) and you let it sit, a $400 job 6 months later, is a $1500 job.... Example. Hole in the bellows. Get to it before it kills something else and it's a cheap(ish) fix. Let the water sit in there while you save money to pay for it and everything corrodes, suddenly you're up for the bellows, and uni joints, and a gimbal bearing, and a new yoke and resealing the drive-shaft housing, and you could even lose the gimbal housing....

Boats are getting cheaper, yes, but maintaining them is getting more expensive. It use to be that the annual maintenance cost of a boat was about 10% of the initial purchase price... Now it's closer to 20%, and if you buy a 'cheap' boat as the owner is desperate to sell, that doesn't reduce the maintenance costs... It will probably mean they'll be higher because he's neglected it...

If you don't have 'spare' cash (after the initial purchase), seriously reconsider buying a boat!

Chris.......