Does anyone still have an I/O?

[joekingcorvette]

There are a lot of I/O's out there that died from a frozen block. You need to properly service the engine every year or the water can freeze and ruin the engine. Most fishermen around here prefer outboard motors which are easy to service and work on. The pleasure boaters still have I/O's and love to use the "captains call" exhaust. You can re-power most outboard motors in a couple hours easily. There are usually only 4 main bolts holding the outboard to the transom. After that you have some steering and shifter cables to remove and the battery cables etc. Outboard are the best for fishing but inboards are better for pleasure boats. I have never owned an inboard and never will. I do really like my 2007 Lund Tyee fishing boat.

 

[Schmoe]

Most 18-20 foot boats around here have the bread and butter Mercruiser 3.0L or LX engine with the alpha drive. Easy to work on and gets some really good gas "mileage". Sure, you won't be king of the lake, but it will get the job done.

 

[tyman]

Most 18-20 foot boats around here have the bread and butter Mercruiser 3.0L or LX engine with the alpha drive. Easy to work on and gets some really good gas "mileage". Sure, you won't be king of the lake, but it will get the job done.

My biggest irritation right now is finding a sweet boat with a decent price and then finding out it has the 3.0l. Ugh.

 

[Schmoe]

My biggest irritation right now is finding a sweet boat with a decent price and then finding out it has the 3.0l. Ugh.

I guess all the years I had Mercruisers....to include the Ford 351, the 4.3l v6 and some others, that 3.0 has really impressed me. Easy to work on, parts galore and with the right prop pitch, can still get my 19 footer going around 40 mph, I have to say that is the best engine I've ever owned. Simplicity. The one thing I wish it had, fuel injection. Those carbs can be a PITA to get set right for idling and no wake zones. I've pulled tubes, ski's without any problems. 5 gallons of gas will last me about all day. Always laughed when those guys with the 454, Bravo drives fill their boats up and cuss the whole time,

 

[LouC]

Istill have the old dreaded omc cobra with a 5.7L 350 chevy. Nobody will touch it. There is nothing wrong with OMC cobra drives with exception they are obsolete. All the internet hype will make you beleive they are junk. Its all on maint!

OMC stringer drives.........yeah with the ball gears.....now those are pretty much #$%#$^%#$^%

I have one as well, a 4.3 V6-4bbl with the Cobra drive, very little issues with the drive or transom mount.

 

[Donald]

Has anyone needed to get into the guts of a new modern outboard? My guess is they are all packed together and difficult to service if it's not routine. My old Johnson 115 hp two cycle from decades ago was easy to work on once the cover was off.

An I/O seems easier as everything is exposed and it's out of the way under the cockpit floor.

Volvo Penta just came out with a I/O that is specially painted to resist salt water and has an aluminum engine. That I don't understand that since the I/O come standard with closed cooling so no salt water ever gets in the engine block.

Now a mechanic who works on outboards tells me they are very reliable and don't need service often. But flushing after every use is a good idea.

 

[PontiacHO]

I guess all the years I had Mercruisers....to include the Ford 351, the 4.3l v6 and some others, that 3.0 has really impressed me. Easy to work on, parts galore and with the right prop pitch, can still get my 19 footer going around 40 mph, I have to say that is the best engine I've ever owned. Simplicity. The one thing I wish it had, fuel injection. Those carbs can be a PITA to get set right for idling and no wake zones. I've pulled tubes, ski's without any problems. 5 gallons of gas will last me about all day. Always laughed when those guys with the 454, Bravo drives fill their boats up and cuss the whole time,

You are correct. My little SeaRay had the 3.0. Great fuel economy. My next boat (Four Winns) had the 351 EFI. Different story. My current boat has a Yamaha 200 outboard. Love it.