? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

[supercab78]

Are the 2000 volvo SX outdrives harder to work on than OMC stringer ( which I had for 20 years) and did the shafts in upper twice"rust", or Merc (3 years) replacd the shaft yoke in the upper? I ask this because I found a boat I like with the Volvo SX and I do all my own repairs and I'm wondering if they are harder to work on. Thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Volvo still exists, OMC went out of buisness over 10 years ago. The drives are much better than the stringers ever were, and you can get replacement parts from Volvo, plus there are techs to work on them.
Unfortunately, I have had to work on OMC stringer drives and they were the most gawd awful things I have ever had to work on.
I'm also a Volvo certified tech and have rebuilt many drives, using the proper special tools.

 

[supercab78]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Don S===do you think the SX is easier to work than a Mercruiser?

 

[Don S]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Kind of wierd question, but what do you mean by "Work on". Rebuilding the drive? Taking it off? Changing bellows? Changing gear lube? Changing impellers? (Volvos don't have impellers in the drive). What are you asking about?

 

[Bondo]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Don S===do you think the SX is easier to work than a Mercruiser?

Ayuh,... They're Vaguely different,...

Most standard service practices are the Same...
It's just they're peculiarities that are Different...

 

[rodbolt]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

my opinion is the SX is simple,more rugged and eaisier to deal with than the merc.
not that mercs are difficult but the simplistic design of the SX and the durability far surpass the merc.
the draw back can be parts cost.
I have commercial guys that can regularly get 5000 hours out of an SX.

 

[supercab78]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

I quess I asked the ? the wrong way. If I'm have the know how to replace gimbal bearings, U joints and bellows ( I know no bellows or joints on stringers ) in a OMC or Merc. Is a Volvo SX any harder to do this to. I have heard the some of the volvo's require engine removal to replace gimbal berings. Is that just Duo Props only? Again I'm thinking of buying a 2000 Volvo SX outdrive boat. Thanks

 

[rodbolt]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

on the SX you remove the drive to access the gimbal bearing just like a merc.
the bellows are easier to change than most the mercs.
the Ujoints I will defer to DonS as I am still a volvo tech working at a volvo dealership.
all I can tell you about the SX ujoint is the tech bulliten number.

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

I quess I asked the ? the wrong way. If I'm have the know how to replace gimbal bearings, U joints and bellows ( I know no bellows or joints on stringers ) in a OMC or Merc. Is a Volvo SX any harder to do this to. I have heard the some of the volvo's require engine removal to replace gimbal berings. Is that just Duo Props only? Again I'm thinking of buying a 2000 Volvo SX outdrive boat. Thanks

Just replaced the exhaust and u-joint bellows on my SX and they couldn't have been any easier. This is my first sterndrive and I bought it at the end of ski season last year. I wasn't really sure what I'd find when I pulled the drive, but everything looked really good and went back together smoothly.

 

[supercab78]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Thanks for the info, very helpful. After doing some searching at parts wed sites it look like the OMC cobra SX (1994-1998) use some simular parts in the upper and lower case as the Volvo SX. Are these later model OMC's better than the pre 1994 models?

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Thanks for the info, very helpful. After doing some searching at parts wed sites it look like the OMC cobra SX (1994-1998) use some simular parts in the upper and lower case as the Volvo SX. Are these later model OMC's better than the pre 1994 models?

Yeah, the parts are the same (so everyone keeps telling me.) Mine is actually a OMC Cobra SX (1995). My u-joint bellows was bought for the OMC drive from an OMC parts supplier and it came in a Volvo-Penta box.

They are supposed to be extremely tough and reliable with parts more readily available than the older OMC drives.

 

[Don S]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

After doing some searching at parts wed sites it look like the OMC cobra SX (1994-1998) use some simular parts in the upper and lower case as the Volvo SX.

They are not only similar, they are EXACTLY the same thing. The outside is OMC, the inside is Volvo. They were produced between 94 and 98 between Volvo and OMC as a joint venture. After that, Volvo bought out OMC and it was all Volvo, and OMC no longer existed.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

I did the bellows on an OMC SX yesterday...95 model.
The only thing OMC is the paint.
Bellows was really easy...A little dish soap to pull the drive bellow through the hole and no problem.
You will need a good set of snap ring pliers for the exhaust bellow.

Be sure you locate the clamps in the 1 oclock position.

 

[supercab78]

Re: ? for those who have worked on OMC,Merc,Volvo outdrives

Thanks again for the info. It was exactly what I needed to know. That one (boat) got away from me. Now that I know more about OMC/Volvo I won't drag my feet on the next one. The economy must be improving, people are buying used boats around here "southern Ohio" without doing sea trials on them.