Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

[danrs]

I'm running out the door to go look at a Seaswirl with the volvo penta SX outdrive. Is this a good outdirve in a 96 year boat? I seem to recall there was an outdrive to stay away from because parts are hard to find, but I didn't think it was the volvo. Trying to search, but I'm out of time.

I'm 45 minutes out from the boat, and have forum access via blackberry in the car, so if someone can toss me an answer before then, that'd be great!

It's on a 96 seaswirl with the 3.0L

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

OMC's are the ones to stay away from.

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

What size seaswirl?

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

IMHO Volvo makes a great outdrive. Have never heard anything negitve about the durability. Some of the old ones didn't have trim, but that didn't make them a bad outdrive. I'm sure the SX has trim as all the newer models do. I purchased an old 77 model 280. All I have done to it is change the universals (not sure if it needed it, I did it anyway) bellows and the oil. No other problems except the lift motor, but that was due to rain water intrusion. To me the SX drive would be a plus factor. As for the Seaswirl, I have no clue on the quality. Good Luck BTW,,,,I once said I would only own mercruiser...Hmmmm....Things change ..............SS

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

Some people say Volvo is better than Mercruiser. I have never heard bad things about the Volvo SX..

 

[Don S]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

On a 3.0L, you can't get a better drive. Cone clutch, Volvo reliability, and no shift interrupt switchs and lower shift cables. Just smooth quiet shifts. Keep up with maintenance per the owners manuals and they should last a lifetime.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

Volvo perfected and I think they invented the sterndrive. Great stuff they only get better.
Jerry

 

[thebenzmane55]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

I Have two omc's which by the way volvo purchased omc, and an volvo sx drive is an omc. the one boat is a 23 barretta with a 350 5.7 omc cobra, and the other one is a four winns 238 vista with the 350 5.7gi volvo penta with the sx outdrive, both omcs, same parts and they are all available online and very easy to work on. people just play follow the leader they have no idea what they are talking about. i have never had any problems with my drives and or my motors and when i did, fuel pumps, shift cables etc..... i bought them online and had them within 3 days. buy a good manual and have a little street smarts and your on your way. dont listen to people bashing omcs they make a great drive. so whatever your looking at just make sure you have a sea trial!!

 

[Don S]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

I Have two omc's which by the way volvo purchased omc, and an volvo sx drive is an omc.

In other words, you don't have a clue what a Volvo SX is. Because it looks like an OMC Cobra from the outside means nothing. The insides of the SX are all Volvo. No dog clutches, no shift interrupt switchs none of that crap.
Sure, they use the same kind of engines, bellows, and transom shield parts. But you really need to look inside the drive. Totally different.

 

[oops!]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

people just play follow the leader they have no idea what they are talking about.

sorry bud.....wrong thing to say about my friends...

ill try to be polite.

a lot of the guys on here, have years and years of experiance.....they are some of the top pros in the business......if they were closer to me id drag my boat across the border just to have there knowlage on my boat.....

they have saved me thousands...

im sure don-s has cleared up your "little misconception" about omc and volvo



to the origonal poster.......volvo is a fantastic drive.... i have a brand new bravo 3 on a pallett that wont see my boat cause im goin volvo

cheers
oops

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

Man this thread is REALLY drifting!


You can take Dons word for it.....Volvo Penta builds a great drive......


But the first Volvo Penta drive was basically designed by Charlie Strang (executive VP Charlie Strang of Kiekhaefer Mercury) The design was developed by Strang, Jim Wynne, and Charles Alexander (without Karl Kiekaefers knowledge initially).

Jim Wynne left Kiekaefer in 1958 and "designed" the first stern drive. (The Mercury AVC drive)

He later sold it after a fashion to VP and they called it the Aquamatic.

It's an interesting story. Read it here


The only Mercury that LOOKS like a Volvo! (or maybe the the first Volvo looked like a Mercury!)

Volvo perfected and I think they invented the sterndrive. Great stuff they only get better.
Jerry

 

[danrs]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

Thanks for the replies. I looked the boat over but didn't buy yet, as the battery was dead (he wasn't ready). But may be going back up Wednesday morning to look at it. I'm the first one in line if I want it.

My thread on the boat here.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=257247

Thanks a ton!

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

Hmm i have both, while that black tale sure look's cool. The volvo is far better thought out easier to service and way overbuilt for a little 3.0. It is on par with a Bravo drive.

Don has slapped down a few of my thread's...right wrong or indifferent..like it or not as the kids say today the guy gott's game...pay attention..

But he is a bit of a soup Nazi....

http://photobucket.com/video/soup nazi/Hypechic34/Seinfeld/Video/36ac136a.flv?o=1


Forgive me plz Don...

 

[oops!]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

good one ht32.......thanks for posting that...... a good read

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

3.0 with a volvo outdrive don't get no better than that and in a 17 footer perfect together.

 

[wkb2460]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

I had a 3.0 Mercrusier for six years, did all my own work.
I just purchased newer boat with the volvo SX drive.

I like the Volvo SX over the mercruiser Alpha 1. As someone stated above,
smoother shifts, no interrupt switch, easier to work on and
it seems to be better quality.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Quick help please! Volvo Penta SX Outdrive. Okay to buy?

I don't think benzmane would be having this problem if he had the Volvo.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1654630#post1654630