Leaving I/O in water all year round?

[MC3387]

I’m looking into getting a slip outside of Portland, OR, in the Willamette/Columbia river. It’s obviously fresh water, I hear the water never freezes nor has any ice.
I have heard that with inboard outboards (stern drive boats) it is not good to leave in the water year round because the drive/propeller is submerged in water the whole time and it can be bad. I see most everyone at the marina has outboard motors and most tilt them up out of the water for storage.
So I’m looking for other peoples opinions on this.
Can water work it’s way inside the drive and propeller? Can water leak through where my motor sticks through the transom?
Or if I just bottom coat once a year and treat the metal will I be good?

 

[JimS123]

Water leaks in thru seals and bellows. They need to be replaced periodically as preventative maintenance. They are expensive to maintain. The experts say replace every few years. If you miss a replacement and the leak happens the cost is even higher.

My trailer boat had the job done about every 15 years. Last time it cost $1900. It could have waited longer because there was no problem.

The other issue is galvanic corrosion. My trailer boat looked like new when I sold her. A few years of in-water storage and she would have looked like a grandma.

Boat hulls are another story. Without a barrier coat and bottom paint you run the risk of hull damage.

Its all a matter of cost, convenience and how much work you want to do. A docked boat has a life span of about 15 years. A garage kept and covered boat will last a lifetime.

 

[SDSeville]

Put new zincs, bellows, good drive paint and bottom paint before putting it in. We have a diver clean everything up once a month in the summer and every couple months in the winter and replace zincs as needed. I/Os are not the best for year round slips, but can work fine if you are careful. Also, watch and replace those exhaust manifolds and risers as needed.

 

[Chris1956]

I had an I/O in salt water for 9 months a year, for a decade. Normal saltwater preventative maintenance was all that was needed, plus repair of the items that broke or wore out. Fresh water will be a breeze compared to the salty stuff.

In freshwater, manifolds will last the life of the engine, and other steel parts will holdup very well. Keep the zincs clean and replace when 1/2 way used up. Keep the outdrive and boat painted with appropriate (and different) antifouling paint. Grease all zerks 1/year. Grease the steering rod in the bilge, 1/year. Change motor oil, filter and gear oil 1/year. Realistically you will want to pull the boat for a day or two each year to do the required maintenance.

As long as the river doesn't freeze, the motor/outdrive should be fine. Seals in the outdrive will not fail faster or slower by leaving it in the water.

 

[QBhoy]

Always a mixed bag of advice when it comes to your particular situation. All above are certainly relevant and important advice.
All I’d say is the following and hope it helps;

if you are leaving the boat in fresh water all year...you need to be sure of the condition of your bellows. If they are definitely good, excellent and we can move onto the next point.
Generally the outdrive will suffer less corrosion completely submerged, than it will half submerged (this can vary and subject to many things).
Winterising is a bit of a mixed bag, depending on what engine you have and specific conditions where the boat is. To briefly elaborate and example...here on Loch Lomond, if the boat is kept in the fairly slow moving main body of water and in a sheltered enough location, the chance of frost damage is fairly high on in winterised boats or even winterised boats that can’t rid them selves of water below the external water level. But if the boat is kept in the same water temps and air temps, but in one of the fast flowing rivers, the river flowing acts like a heat exchanger and usually doesn’t allow the lower points of the cooling system that often can’t be drained, to freeze. It’s risky though and not a given by any means.
But perhaps one of the most important points to also mention is not around that of the outdrive or engine. More the hull and the chance of osmosis. It’s a real possibility in fresh water in particular. If the boat isn’t lifted out to dry out for at least a few weeks or months each year...you run the risk of osmosis. If any future potential buyer happens to notice the signs of this...or your boat is of value enough to warrant a survey periodically or for the purpose of a sale...you run the risk of dropping the value of your boat to the sum of its parts. Frightening and a real serious possibility, if you’re not careful.

 

[Alumarine]

With proper maintenance you will be fine.
Will need a good quality automatic bilge pump.
I'd have 2 auto bilge pumps set for slightly different levels and 2 batteries on separate circuits.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

water never freezes in Portland or Seattle, until it does, 1996 it did 2008 it did probably four or five other Years that were not as spectacular as those but just some examples that being said there’s ways to deal with it if your around and can get to it to deal with freezing boat parts if it happens. Usually when you need to care for an unplanned frozen boat scenario your houses roof leaks cars broke and the roads are closed Which ones get addressed.

im out in the gorge boat with a few guys who keep inboards in the water year round they do heaters in the engine bay covered moorage is best you can cut down on wind chill Worry less about water intrusion and freezing but then you have to worry about two feet of heavy snow imploding your boat cover. We received two feet out here last two days.

boats should be hauled out twice a year for maintenance cleaning and inspections if that’s not on your I can do list one more thing to worry about. I would moor a boat year round in Portland though regardless of inboard or outboard but I am capable of dealing with the issues one faces think about the things a boat needs when moored long term make sure you have the ti s or money for it and then decide.

 

[tpenfield]

If you leave the outdrive in the water your-round, plan on a haul-out a couple times a year for new anodes and other maintenance.

Things get bad, when an owner neglects maintenance.

 

[John2012]

I’m looking into getting a slip outside of Portland, OR, in the Willamette/Columbia river. It’s obviously fresh water, I hear expresshr the water never freezes nor has any ice.
I have heard that with inboard outboards (stern drive boats) it is not good to leave in the water year round because the drive/propeller is submerged in water the whole time and it can be bad. I see most everyone at the marina has outboard motors and most tilt them up out of the water for storage.
So I’m looking for other peoples opinions on this.
Can water work it’s way inside the drive and propeller? Can water leak through where my motor sticks through the transom?
Or if I just bottom coat once a year and treat the metal will I be good?

Both with I/O's. Never had a problem. As long as you keep maintenance up and have a good coat of anti-fouling paint on your drives, your good to go. When it comes to April or so next year, haul it, pressure wash it, new zincs and repaint and your good for another year.

 

[Baylinercaptain90]

I replaced bellows last year 600 dollars ,but replace everything the cable and whatever bearings there is

 

[JimS123]

I replaced bellows last year 600 dollars ,but replace everything the cable and whatever bearings there is

Wow, you got the bargain of the year. Did you do it yourself with Chinese parts? The going rate at a reputable dealer that doesn't price gouge is about $1900. That includes ALL bellows and shift cable, impeller, sea trial, etc.

 

[Baylinercaptain90]

1900 dollars did you get yours done in the ghetto you got robbed! At my marina. Would you like the old parts for 900$?

 

[JimS123]

1900 dollars did you get yours done in the ghetto you got robbed! At my marina. Would you like the old parts for 900$?

A COMPLETE Mercruiser I/O R&R is about a 5 hour job. My local ghetto "mobile" mechanic may be cheaper, but my Master Certified Mercruiser mechanic (dealer been in bizness since 1965) charges about $120 / hour. If you use a calculator, that comes up to about $600 just for labor.

The Sea Trial is extra, which may add another hour or so. Naturally, the parts costs are higher than you can get on fleabay.

In the height of the season the wait to get the boat back is sometimes many weeks. I get mine back in 3 days. Its not nice to have to postpone a vacation because the boat isn't ready.

The main thing is that the work is not only done on time, but its right the first time and never needs to go back.

You can have it fast, or you can have it cheep, or you can have it good....you just can't have all three.

Just to clarify here, we are talking about bellows, shift cable, U-joint service, impeller, gimble , sea trial and 1 year warranty. Naturally, the oil change had to be done as well. In other words OD R&R.

Your picture only showed half of the parts. Are you sure he used glue? Better check - or don't keep the boat in the water over night.

 

[Baylinercaptain90]

Lol id be upset too paying 1900 dollars..120 dollars for a sea trail thats crazy. My boat sits in the water from may to October so they must of used glue! You cant have fast,cheap and good together so which one did you get? My marina i dont have to do anything leave the keys in the boat they take care of the rest.oil change doesn't need to be done because of bellows being installed ..how much did they charge you for oil change 500 dollars? Must be fresh oil right from the ground lol..what state do you live in they have such high prices?

 

[JimS123]

Lol id be upset too paying 1900 dollars..120 dollars for a sea trail thats crazy. My boat sits in the water from may to October so they must of used glue! You cant have fast,cheap and good together so which one did you get? My marina i dont have to do anything leave the keys in the boat they take care of the rest.oil change doesn't need to be done because of bellows being installed ..how much did they charge you for oil change 500 dollars? Must be fresh oil right from the ground lol..what state do you live in they have such high prices?

Looking at your box of junk parts its obvious we are talking apples and tomato cans here. As I previously said, "A complete OD service". Your job did not cover the entire spectrum, hence the difference in cost.

In any event, if you're happy, that's all that matters.

("must of" ?)

 

[Lou C]

I did both the bellows on my OMC Cobra (no need to do shift cable bellows, its inside the boat like a Volvo SX) and total parts cost was about $100 bucks with OEM parts. Took me about 3 hrs total. Glad I have an outdrive jack and the correct tools including an alignment tool.
If you store the boat with the drive down these bellows last about 10 years before you will notice small cracks which tells you its time to replace. On these OMCs the shift cable will also last a long time if the boat is stored with the drive down. I still have the same cable that was on it when I bought it, 19 years ago. Shifts with 2 finger pressure on the control. But the drive is pulled every season, the pocket where the shift cable bellcrank lives is cleaned out and greased, etc. Regular maintenance made it last this long.
As you can see in the pic, well used in salt water. Now 33 years old.

 

[Baylinercaptain90]

I did both the bellows on my OMC Cobra (no need to do shift cable bellows, its inside the boat like a Volvo SX) and total parts cost was about $100 bucks with OEM parts. Took me about 3 hrs total. Glad I have an outdrive jack and the correct tools including an alignment tool.
If you store the boat with the drive down these bellows last about 10 years before you will notice small cracks which tells you its time to replace. On these OMCs the shift cable will also last a long time if the boat is stored with the drive down. I still have the same cable that was on it when I bought it, 19 years ago. Shifts with 2 finger pressure on the control. But the drive is pulled every season, the pocket where the shift cable bellcrank lives is cleaned out and greased, etc. Regular maintenance made it last this long.
As you can see in the pic, well used in salt water. Now 33 years old.

Your the man it definitely beats paying 1900 dollars lol