V Drive?

[nestegg]

What is a V drive? Are they godd or bad? Cost to repair if(when)something goes wrong? Thanks in advance, this is the greatest site known to man.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: V Drive?

Its called a V drive cause it looks like <, not V. It reverses the direction of the output of the engine so the engine sits backward and can sit further back in the boat.

 

[nestegg]

Re: V Drive?

Thanks,I understand what it is now, but is it any better or worse than a conventional outdrive set-up, or does it use an outdrive or is it a straight inboard

 

[denniz]

Re: V Drive?

stick with the outdrive most shops wont work on vdrives (actual transmission) cause we cant get parts thru merc. We have to send ours to Houston for repair.

 

[ODDD1]

Re: V Drive?

And the important problem with Vdrives....take a motor, small block chev for example,turn it backwards in the boat and then shove it against the transom...now most of the stuff that needs service is on the front[now back] of the engine,you know, belts, water pumps,thermostats,fuel pumps, etc, etc....and you have worse than normal access to it! on top of this, the stuffing box for the prop shaft is now UNDER the motor! a hellish combination, by any marine tech's knuckle skin...

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: V Drive?

I always wondered what sin we marine mechanics did to have the curse of the V drive bestowed upon us.