SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Thanks to everyones help in a previous thread and the assistance of a local repair shop, it has been determined that I need a new outdrive or a complete rebuild. The shop's quote is $1,400 which will include installing the outdrive on my boat (I removed the drive and took it to the dealer) as well as a 1 year warranty. What about a SEI unit? Cost is compairable. I asked the repair shop and his comment was "good luck getting those cheap Chineese units warrantied". Obviously he would prefer to do the work.

What do you think? What is my best option? Hopping to make a decision soon so I can get back on the water.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

The SEI units DO have a warranty, and they seem to have proven themselves as a viable alternative by many people. I'd get the new SEI drive as opposed to rebuilding an old one with no warranty other than the mechanics' word!

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Hi MesaJeeper....a quick search resulted in this info....do a couple more searches and Im sure you'll get your answer...personally ME...I would go with the NEW SEI unit.....to heck with some local shop selling ya a couple parts and mebbe they warranty something...I would trust SEI over some local yocal shops warranty ANYDAY

welcome to Iboats

ps a buddy of mine has a new SEI and it DOESNT come with the bolts to bolt em together (the upper and lower) and a plastic tube for the water intake) so make sure if you do order one from somewhere that you get those parts as well....oh annd dont forget to ADD THE OUTDRIVEs LUBE! be a bummer to toast a new drive!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCRUISER-OUTDRIVE-REPLACEMENT-BY-STERNDRIVE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ124102QQihZ014QQitemZ330210272503QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

THE BEST DEAL ANYWHERE ON A NEW AMERICAN BUILT REPLACEMENT OUTDRIVE

BUILT BY THE WORLDS LARGEST SUPPLIER OF AFTERMARKET STERNDRIVES

FULL 3 YEAR WARRANTY BY MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURES WARRANY CARD AND INFO INCLUDED

BUILT RIGHT HERE IN THE TAMPA AREA AND SHIPPED DIRECT TO YOU SO YOU ARE DEALING WITH A DIRECT SHIPPER THAT IS A POWER SELLER WITH 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS AND ONE OF THE BEST FEEDBACK RATINGS ON EBAY

ALL RATIO'S AVAILABLE 1.47,1.62,1.82 AND 1.94

THIS IS A GEN ONE REPLACEMENT

FOR GEN 2 ADD 200.00

FOR REVERSE ROTATION ADD 200.00

SHIPPED IN 2 BOX'S TO KEEP THE SHIPPING COST DOWN AND WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU ADD THE INSTALLATION KIT FOR PERFECT JOB. (also listed in our store.# 90-106-03K) COST 54.99

IF YOU NEED ANY HELP ON RATIO'S, STYLE [GEN 1 OR 2] REVERSE ROTATION, SHIPPING COST, ETC PLEASE EMAIL US AT: hotrodgers@tampabay.rr.com

OR CALL 813-882-3227 IF YOU NEED ANY HELP BEFORE ORDERING

WE SUGGEST YOU ALWAYS CALL 1ST WITH THE FOLLOWING INFO

BOAT MAKE ,MODEL AND LENGHT AND YEAR

GEAR RATIO IF KNOW

ENGINE SIZE AND HORSEPOWER

OTHER INFO MAY BE NEEDED

IMPORTANT!!! IF YOU DONT CALL WE CANT HELP

ABOUT STERNDRIVE ENGINERING

Sterndrive Engineering (SEI) is the largest supplier of aftermarket stern drives in the world. The company makes replacement sterndrives for MerCruiser's? Alpha One? and Gen II stern drives. Sterndrive Engineering's outdrives are not remanufactured, they are entirely new. The SEI stern drive is made of parts that are completely compatible and interchangeable with MerCruiser's? Alpha One? and Gen II stern drives. The stern drives are assembled at SEI's factory in Clearwater, Florida.

SEI's stern drives come standard with a three-year, fault-free warranty. This means that the unit is covered for any failure that requires the stern drive to be repaired or replaced. Run it without lubrication, crash into a stump, suck up some fishing line, it does not matter, the SEI stern drive is always covered. SEI believes this warranty is one of the best warranties ever offered for a stern drive. Peace of mind while on the water is important, and SEI goes the extra distance to make sure that our products perform.

SEI has done extensive testing on all of the parts of the stern drive including the gears, shafts, bearings, and other wear parts to confirm performance and durability. SEI operates one of the only research lakes in the world dedicated to the testing of marine propulsion systems. The research center has a 40-acre lake with a stationary dock that allows for around-the-clock endurance testing of parts, such as gears, shafts, and bearings.

Sterndrive Engineering has the best prices by far for a replacement stern drive compatible with MerCruiser's? Alpha One? and Gen II. Often the company is asked 'How do we do it?'. Sterndrive Engineering buys its parts directly from manufacturers and passes the savings on to the customer. The marine industry is notorious for multiple layers of distribution which adds cost to the end user. By avoiding the middleman, SEI is able to offer a quality stern drive at a fraction of the price offered by others.

IF YOU ARE LOCATED IN ONE OF THE ABOVE STATES THAT OFFER FREE SHIPPING, REQUEST AN INVOICE AND WE WILL REPLY WITH NO CHARGE ON SHIPPING

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Thanks guys for the quick replies. Does anyone have any experience actually having a SEI unit warrantied? Do you mail it back to Florida and wait for their analysis or do the have locally authorized shops that can diagnose and repair?

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

I just installed the SEI116 on my boat and am very happy with the decission to do so. When you order make sure you get the complete install kit as well. It is very easy to put together and install. I would be surprised if it took you more then 3 hours to install (4 if you're not experienced).

I've been on the fence myself about rebuilding or getting SEI. After doing extensive searches, here and elsewere, i'm convinced that SEI maked a good product. When it arrived its all very well made. Plus with a 3 year warranty, it was definatley worth it to me.

I've read about a few people having to send their units for service, but all were satisfied with the way SEI handled the warranty process. You have to send it it and they either repair it or send you a new one.

Its a new unit and if you follow installation and breakin instructions you shouldn't have a problem with it.

go for the SEI and enjoy the rest of the summer!

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

The really nice thing about SEI is their NO FAULT warranty. You forget to add lube.. no problem, they replace it.

You hit a submerged stump.. no problem, they replace it

You do anything at all to it and they will replace it, free of charge, minus the cost of shipping it back to them.

Greg Pickren is the owner and he also owns SBT which sells short block engines among other things for personal watercraft. I've personally purchased 2 engines from him over the years for jetskis and they've been just as good or better than the original, same no fault warranty.

And, the warranty is transferrable on their stuff.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Good drives for the money, if I can find any faults at all they are sometimes noisy, and they corrode faster than OEM in saltwater. That said, I have never had to warranty one!

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

That warranty is totally awesome - just had to say that.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Lets all think about this for a second

The company is going to just "give" you another
outdrive, no matter what happens to it.

Either these are the best made units in the world
Or they produced so cheaply that they can be given away

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

zbnutcase said:

Good drives for the money, if I can find any faults at all they are sometimes noisy, and they corrode faster than OEM in saltwater. That said, I have never had to warranty one!

Click to expand...

I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard that they quiet down after the break-in period.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

I have the SE106, and it is a little noisy (kinda moans) at rpm's less than 1000; and the paint job was pretty lame (flaked off). I'm on my 4th season, and other than that, so far, so good.
When I got it, they were only had 1 year warranties.
You really can't beat the price, for a brand new drive..........$1000 is like "chump change" for me, when it comes to boating...........

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Go to their website and read the warranty. That's what the coverage is.

I briefly glanced at it.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

haulnazz15 said:

The SEI units DO have a warranty, and they seem to have proven themselves as a viable alternative by many people. I'd get the new SEI drive as opposed to rebuilding an old one with no warranty other than the mechanics' word!

Click to expand...

people should read and comprehend the OP's post before responding. The OP stated that there was a 12 months warranty on the rebuilt unit.

Read and comprehend before shooting your mouth off

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

The shops quote sounds real reasonable and better than SEI. Stick with what you have.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

mariner1900 said:

people should read and comprehend the OP's post before responding. The OP stated that there was a 12 months warranty on the rebuilt unit.

Read and comprehend before shooting your mouth off

Click to expand...

I read that and I took it to imply that the shop was giving the warranty. So in effect its just that, his word.

Where is the shop going to be in 9 months? What are the terms of the warranty? What does it cover?

Anyone can claim/offer a warranty but whether or not it is a true warranty or a waste of time is the difference. I would trust a proven company that has staying power over a small shops word of mouth warranty any day

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

my place has been a merc dealer since the 60's. I rarely ever rebuild one anymore, replace just about everything with an SEI. Now even using their Evinrude lowers and never had an issue, even on the big HP bass guys swinging big stainless props. Love their trim cylinders for the price also. I had one issue on a 2 year old unit, when we winterized it there was some excess filings in the lube, no complaints by the customer at all. I called SEI they said send it back, they rebuilt it and sent it back at absolutely no cost and the customer was happy as can be. As far as the paint I have not seen an issue but we are fresh water. I have a customer who put 2 drives on his slickcraft probably 5 years ago and they still look and operate like brand new. As far as I know they are 100% made in florida also.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

cdiamond said:

Lets all think about this for a second

The company is going to just "give" you another
outdrive, no matter what happens to it.

Either these are the best made units in the world
Or they produced so cheaply that they can be given away

Click to expand...

Yah maybe, but there might be a third option in there.

I suppose my take is this...

SEI knows their market. Guys like us who have a burned up outdrive who would like to get their rig back on the water.

How do we get back on the water?

1. Buy a brand new Merc outdrive at a "I can't believe I paid that much", "I feel like I just got kicked in the gonads", price.

2. Have the Merc dealer rebuild (or buy a rebuilt) Merc outdrive that may, or may not, have a warranty (maybe a year if you get one) in the $1500 range. In some cases more. In some cases a lot more.

3. Buy a used Merc outdrive in the $500 to $1500 range certainly without a warranty and certainly a gamble.

4. Buy a brand spanking new SEI with a 3 year, anything goes, no questions asked, warranty in the $1200 range. And, I believe that they are built (for the most part) right here in the homeland.

One thing I do know is that there is no way they could get away with building cheap garbage. Why? Because there is little to nothing that slides by the veterans that hang around this place. If there were issues, we would know.

Best units in the world? Ahhh, I don't know about that. But what I do know is they sure put their money where their mouth is. I am not seeing that anywhere else.

I suppose it's all about earning business. Winning the sale you know. Earning the customers trust sort of thing. SEI knows these numbers I stated above. They also know that if they want to play ball with Merc they are going to have to play hard. I think they are playing a pretty good game.

Take away that beautiful warranty, or tack on a few hundred on to the price of their drives and I think they would business exponentially.

All pretty subjective guessing on my part i guess.

Sort of like power tools. I use Ridgid tools. All my tools are Ridgid. Why? Because they carry a lifetime warranty. Are they the best? Nope. Are they garbage? Nope. But they are the last power tools I'll buy. That is a ton of cash saved over the years. Same deal with Craftsman hand tools.

I don't own the best stuff but it sure is sweet to hand my drill over to the Home Depot to fix rather than buy a new one for $200. Or, hand the fella at Sears my busted up tape measure and he hands me a brand new one. They have earned my business.

At the moment I have a Merc Alpha I on the bench. I THINK it's in good shape and may need some routine maint sort of stuff done. I hope! If I can't get her up and running for a few hundred or less than SEI will certainly have my business. Why? Brand new, great quality drive, 3 year no fault warranty, for about the same (or less) than having one rebuilt that has little or no warranty.

Sorry for the long post, didn't mean for it to go on like that.

Cheers!

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

I ran into a guy today that just paid $1200 to have his Merc I/O rebuilt. He took it out today for the 1st time & it quit. The poor guy didn't know what the hell happened, "I was going along & all of a sudden it just wouldn't move, & I saw smoke & smelled burning rubber". I knew what was wrong, but didn't have the heart to tell the guy at first that his coupler was probably toast. When I finally broke the news to him, he turned white. The half-wit that did the work more than likely didn't do the alignment when he also replaced the gimbal bearing. I feel bad for the guy 'cuz I know the shop that did the work, & they are going to screw this guy just as sure as I'm sitting here. The moral? The warranty is only as good as the shop that writes it up. Do your homework.

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

Lets think a little more here

This is all about dollars and cents
What applies here is "You Get What You Pay For"

These Units are manufactured in the far east, then assembled here
( I love how they say Built in the U.S.)

Mercruiser is manufactured in the U.S.A.

If these S.E.I. units are of equal quality
to Mercruiser, then hell Mercruiser should
quit wasting so much money and put
S.E.I.'s on their rigs

Just think of what they would save on just warranty alone

The point here is:
Is S.E.I. an option-- Of course
But don't kid yourself

about the level of quality
you are buying

That's my point

Re: SEI vs. Mercruiser Alpha 1 rebuild

How long does Mercruiser warranty it's outdrives for? And is it a no fault warranty? And I think Merc parts are fully interchangeable with SEI's. Like someone said, if u have an older boat like I have, SEI is an attractive option for the cost alone & the warranty.