Stern Drive vs Outboards

[darrend65]

We are looking at a boat with a 2002 Mercruiser 4.3 and Alpha 1 leg. Can someone advise if there are any advantages/disadvantages with a stern drive compared to an outboard?

Better/worse economy?
Easier maintenance?
Better ride for the boat?
Life of the engine?

We've always had outboards, so would be interested in others opinions.

Darren

[krazyfisher]

good luck getting straight answers on this but....

better economy than a 2stroke maybe not as good as a 4/s depending on injection.

Maintenance is easier on an outboard as it is outside the boat. but inboards are not that hard

better ride due to weight down low and further forward

life more than a two stroke dont know vs a 4/s

if it is freshwater cooled than it has some more advantages

[PinHead]

costly maintenance on the sterndrive at around the 500 hours mark..change heat exchanger and risers.

I had a boat with 2 sterndrives in it..could not imagine having outboards on it..each one has their pluses and minueses..horses for courses.

[Jabiru658]

My mate has a Bayliner with a 135hp sterndrive that replaced an outboard equipped boat, I've driven it and it goes well but it's definitely not as quiet as the modern 4 stroke outboards of similar horse power I've had experience with.

That's probably related to the fact that the motor is inside the hull rather than outside and away from it and there's only an unlined box covering it.

It certainly runs well though and hasn't given him any trouble in the couple of hundred hours he's done (not that 200 hours is much I know).

[cormorant]

Weight down low good

Loss of space in boat - bad

Not having to fish over outboard - good

Hole in back of boat with only a piece of rubber preventing flooding - yep I've had one nearly sink at anchor - bugger.

Petrol fumes inside boat - explosion - bad

Cost of all the extra parts in legs - bad

Replacement crate motors from USA cheap - good - lots of cheap stuff in US for them - Just have to order it on the slow boat before it breaks.

Need some specialist toosd to get some parts of legs apart - need some with some brands of outboards.

Inboard allows proper deck wash pump and aircon off drive belts

Stupid cast risers etc - cheap crap - budget stainless custom at first change.

Any water ingress drowns motors.

Inboards are done as they are cheap to do in a factory just wish they would use slightly better materials and systems to make em last longer . Can get lots of HP out of them with upgraded stuff at a price.

So much electronics and pollution control stuff - beyond a joke just like outboards.

Engine life is about what revs and maintainance you do. Run a 4 stroke outboard at high revs all the time they die - same with inboards. Run em in cruise range and they will last if maintained.

[tigermullet]

I've never owned one. After several outings with a mate I wake up each morning thanking heaven that I never have or will.

What a pig of a boat (well known brand) coupled with the most dreadful drive system ever encountered.

Unlike true love the problems really do last forever.;)

[The-easyrider]

I went from a di2stroke to a 4.3L MPI V6 mercruiser, was a bit apprehensive at first and did some research and now I,ve got I love it good fuel economy, quite I insulated the engine box, Hot shower on board Mrs loves that. Will need to fit new risers in a year or two but will go stainless and then wont need to do that again. Servicing costs compairable to late model 4st , havn't lost any space in boat compaired to same boat in outboard version. The fuel vapour problems of old with carburetted engines are no more with injected motors.

[PADDLES]

i too have an MPI 4.3 mercruiser with an alpha leg in our whittley and agree with all points mentioned here.

they are a little noisier than a 4s outboard because they are inside the hull.

fuel economy is comparable to a 4s outboard.

components/parts are relatively cheap compared to a 4s outboard, with the exception of risers and manifolds. that being said the risers and manifolds on the modern mercruisers are a lot better than they used to be.

the weight distribution is better than an outboard as it sits further forward and lower in the hull.

they take up room inside the boat but this then gives you a nice free area at the back for a marlin board or swim platform. an outboard gives you an obstacle to fish over/around and also climb around/over to get in/out the boat.

motor servicing has to be done inside the boat which is a little more hassle if the engine bay is tight, but leg servicing is no different to an outboard.

the only real thing i don't like about a stern drive is the fact that the stinking hot thing that could cause a fire is now inside the boat instead of hanging off the back of it. sure, the MPI (not just EFI!) system gets rid of a carby or a throttle body with fuel in it which eliminates the fuel vapour issues, but there is still a pressurised fuel system inside the boat. obviously a diesel sterndrive is the ultimate if you can afford it.

to be honest, i wouldn't let the motor type (sterndrive or outboard) sway you on a choice of boat if it is to be kept out of the water on a trailer. they both do the job well. if the boat is to be kept in the water however, then try to avoid sterndrives if you can and go for outboards that can be tilted up out the water on smaller boats or shaft drives for bigger stuff. the reality is though, that most mid size cruiser style boats are not trailable and only have stern drives as a power option (with the exception of seaquest) and so you pretty much get locked in.

[Noelm]

you still have to fish around the leg of an inboard, just not the powerhead, the leg is still there though, with the added obstacle of the motor at the transom, I guess in a sort of way it comes down to size, outboards for everything up to (say) 8 metres, then a combo of outboards and stern drives, then bigger again, shaft drive for everything, I know you can get small boats with a stern drive, but that is about as bad as you could possibly get (I reckon) motor in the boat, leg outside the boat, the disadvantages of both worlds! I guess car engines should be cheaper to fix, with parts readily available and more people may know about them, as mentioned it is a never ending debate, 4 stroke 2 stroke, Ford Holden, glass ally, stern drive outboard! your money, your choice.