6 Most Common Sterndrives, Including The 1 To Avoid! 

Thank you! 😀

I agree. I think Allphas are good because if one blows, you’re not out of pocket nearly as much as a Bravo!

Thank you!

Thanks Joe!

Good to hear Jonathan. Never heard of one of them over here but sounds great!

You run with a stainless steel prop or aluminum?

Good to hear you’ve enjoyed it and it’s been good!

I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost the password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me

@Brennan Kohen Instablaster :)

@Kelvin Ameer i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

Thank you!

Except for an xdp lol, still a ticking time bomb.

Yes, maintenance is key!

How about cobra omc? (4.3)

@@lenbrown9912 I have a 1987 OMC Cobra with a 4.3L myself! I purchased a boat in 1995 with cracked block! So I built a 4.3L to Marine Specs with a few performance upgrades as well as a Rochester Quadra jet! I also replaced my shift and throttle cables along with the lower shift cable, All cables were adjusted to the most recent specs! The boat ran perfect, But in the Spring of 2002 I noticed drive fluid slightly leaking from the prop shaft seals! So I disassembled the whole drive cleaned and inspected all parts before resealing the whole drive along with the updated clutch dog! I have never had any issues with my boat shifting after I installed and adjusted all of the cables in correctly in 1995, But after installing the updated clutch dog it is even easier! I am willing to bet that my boat shifts as good if not better than any new boat! OMC has had some issues in the beginning, But as long as it is set up and adjusted to all of the updated specs it will function better and last longer than any other comparable drive! The problems that occur with OMC Cobra’s are not due to the drives being crappy! The problems occur and drives fail when the cables and linkages are not adjusted correctly! Do not be afraid to purchase a boat just because it has an OMC stern drive! The only repair I have had to do to my drive in the last 34 years was replace the 2 prop seals and change the fluid and impeller every season, It was by choice that I resealed the whole unit! I live in New Jersey and my boat has been docked at a Marina in saltwater all Summer every Summer since I have owned it, And yes it gets hard use fishing offshore!

Thank you!

@@lenbrown9912 the 4.3 is nothing wrong at all. But omc is not a good idea. Main thing is they have been out of business for almost 30 years now.

Yep! Over in Aus a Bravo drive alone is around 11k, and an Alpha about half (without a prop). If you hit something it gets expensive!

So which bravo would you recommend for 20' to 23' boat ?

@@davidlarroc3900 Either a one or a three would be fine. I was told by a merc rep that if the boat is less than 5000lbs then you don't really notice the benefits of the three and not worth the extra money. Also depends on performance level of the boat. If the boat is a higher performance boat get a one if its more of a heavy cruising type boat get the 3

Hey Carl, IPS are fine if they are kept away from the bottom, and properly maintained. If it’s more than 10 years old expect a re-seal at some point. The earlier ones had some issues with sealing rings corroding. Get the updates seal rope cutters. Get an oil sample when purchasing to see if water content. Otherwise you will love them, more efficient, easier to dock etc.

Hey Nordmore! Yes, Yanmar would be my pick over the Cummins in this case. They're more popular, reliable an easier to get parts for. Just make sure you check out the exhaust elbow as they often corrode and fail. Bravo 1X is fine, it's got water pickups on the front and is the more "speedy" version of the Bravo 2. Provided its an X drive it should be suitable for diesel.

@@BoatBuy Thank you for a good answer. 🙂 They are going for "corona-prices" yet, but price level must come down when they now start to open up for traveling again.

Nothing like having a drive with a cobra decal on it lol. V8 kings where good.

Yes I have had a good experience with Bravp 2 as well.

Hard to say. I would have asked the mechanic when they had it apart if they had any insight. 200 hours seems low. There is also possibility of impact damage at some point? Was oil regularly changed?

@@BoatBuy We were having problems shifting into reverse the last few years that we actually got to use the boat. That's why we had the drives pulled. It was due for gear oil change and prop shaft lube, anyway. Then they found water in the other drive!! Once it was all apart, they wanted over $30K to put it back together! We found another shop that did the work about 1/3 of that. So, we might have gotten scammed. We've owned the boat since 2010 and never had any prop strikes that I know of. I personally changed the drive oil in 2016, but hadn't since because we hardly used it (Covid and low Lake Powell levels). I've learned my lesson on that! Do it every year! My conclusion is the dry climate and storage off the water (but indoors) may have dried all the seals. Is that possible?

Yeah. It's pretty normal for 10+ year old seals to dry out unfortunately... Yeah 30k is ridiculous, could buy two new legs for less...

My mother-in-law had a Wellcraft V20 with an OMC 165 back in the mid 1970’s. Had some really poor water intakes on the out drive. She also wouldn’t let me run it over 2000rpm’s! So it would overheat every time, die and leave us stranded. I knew she was wrong but there was no arguing.

I bought a boat last year (Grew 245) with an OMC 225 and OMC 800 sterndrive... not sure if she's got any life left in her. The trailer cost more than the boat but she seems solid...🤞

Hahaha

Great drive, turned like a dream. Stick a cotter pin in the shift convertor to remove shift cables-ahh the good old days.

Nobody can forget this piece of sh.. ... Small cable for shifting system like bicycle cable (not the same price ) lot of small shafts with small splines , double housing .you had to put oil on both (separate don't forget to put oil on the upper !!!) and the best of the best the coupling between the unit and the motor,and to complete the water pump service...poor O.M.C.

Thanks T!

Maybe you should brush up on some of your sterndrives! On alot of models the shift interrupter works for both, It decreases stress and clunking going into gear as well as making it easier to come out of gear! I guess you are not as knowledgeable as you thought!

@@NeverEnoughPyro40 wtf is your problem? Dude was asking a question. If you want to pick a fight, pick a fight with me!

To answer your question Ron, it’s only to ease the pressure on the shift dogs or cone clutch, momentarily making it easier to shift into the neutral position. If you have ever shifted into neutral with a malfunctioning switch, it takes considerable more lever pressure to return to neutral. It would then suddenly snap to neutral possibly overshooting it, inadvertently engaging into the opposite gear. The reason it isn’t needed or even wanted when going into gear is because the sudden load on an idling engine could cause the engine to stall. On non cone clutch stern drives and most outboards, shifting into forward or reverse gear is a bit of a misnomer. You are technically engaging forward and reverse gears, but it is done by a dog clutch attached to the prop shaft that has both forward and reverse gears rotating in opposite directions. When you shift, the clutch dog engages the cogs cut into the back of the forward or reverse gear. Hope this helps

First of all Erik he wasn’t asking a question he was trying to correct a statement that was made in the video but he was wrong, Questions usually end with a question mark! The reason why I get so defensive is because I have been a Mechanic for over 25 years and I hate when people put false information in the comment section! Why don’t you try reading his comment again and try using your brain this time and you will see that it is not a question, You’re reading comprehension is just as bad as his mechanical abilities! As a shop owner I can not even guess how many customers have brought their vehicles in for repair but ended up costing them more because they thought they could fix it themselves after watching RU-vid videos! The only person who is picking a fight is you, So now that is 2 times that you were wrong!

FYI, Maybe you should brush up on some of your sterndrives! On alot of models the shift interrupter works for both, It decreases stress and clunking going into gear as well as making it easier to come out of gear! I guess you are not as knowledgeable as you thought!

Correct, I picked up on that!

@@NeverEnoughPyro40 ok. Name them

Mine cut out shifting in and out. Just depends on the setup.

I should add mine was an 87 Mag 350 big block which for the first 2 years used the Alpha drive which quickly proved to be problematic and the Bravo 1 was developed for that engine package. Thats long gone now as in 2006 I repowered with a 496 Mag HO Bravo 1X package.

Thanks Don. Is the sterndrive antifouled? They have a serial number engraved on the port side. if you look at a brand new Alpha sterndrive, the serial is engraved just above the "Mercruiser" sticker on port side. If it's antifouled can be difficult to find, but you need to lightly sand that area and it will hopefully eventually show.

@@BoatBuy Thanks, found the s/n embossed underneath the decal on the starboard side of the outdrive. By the way, not sure what antifouled is??

@@donens9310 antifoul is what you paint on the bottom to stop barnacle growth.

Replace the fuel filters...especially the small white disc filter at the bottom of the fuel filter housing...that one is often overlooked and will cause a fuel flow issue resulting in loss of top end speed.

@@ericbryant796 thank you very much. I ordered a fuel filter but I think I dont have this type of filter that You speak of. I have a stainless steel inline filter with pressure fittings on both ends right before the fuel pump. Dont know if it was ever changed. It is a 2003 6.2 mercruiser. And my boat has a Coolfuel System after the pump and water separator. But I think that this version of cool fuel doesnt have another filter but I'm not 100% sure. Thanks again for your hints and greetings from the V8Lounge in germany. US Boats are the best :)

If you have the cool fuel module it will have a filter, there is 3-4 8mm bolts holding it in from memory. But sounds like a fuel issue.

@@V8Lounge The cool fuel system has 2 filters...the main metal cartridge and a small disc filter. That one is often overlooked even my Merc mechanics and parts dept. Sorry I don't have the P/N available but it sits below the main filter at the bottom of the housing. You'll need a needle nose plyers to remove it, its a white plastic disc with white (when new) filter media.

Should be able to get owners manual on Volvo website with serial number

We don't really see them very often in Australia!

Alpha 1 has a dog clutch so likely propellor or drive bush related.

As long as they’re all even it sounds normal. 95 seems low, but it could be the gauge. How many hours on the engine? Best to give it a test run if possible.

@@BoatBuy awesome mate thank you much appreciated! It's done 250hrs

Sounds good to me. As long as all cylinders are no more than 10% off from highest to lowest. A couple pointers: Make sure engine temp remains constant throughout the test. ie dont start with a warm engine then take a beer break between holes. make sure ALL the spark plugs are out. Throttle in the wide open position Battery fully charged(I put on a battery charger) Crank until the needle no longer moves, usually 5-10 seconds

Hey Edwin, Depends how many areas you break it down into. Generally there is sterndrive, transom assembly and engine, although you could say upper and lower, bellows, etc.

@@BoatBuy 👏Thanks for your reply, between engine and sterndrive got cover....so how to call this component?

How many Alphas did you go through in 25 years?

Don’t worry about the bellows if you rip the drive off it will hang on by them lol

Nice! How you finding it?

I have seen people do this before but you will need to check ratios! You can do this by counting the teeth inside the gearbox to figure it out. If you're not careful you could have a ratio not suitable for your boat. Personally I think Bravo 2 is a more reliable sterndrive than the Bravo 3 duo-propellor.

I've replaced the three with the one..owners didn't have the money to replace the bravo 3, bravo gear ratio is in the lower unit, alphas gear ratio is in the upper unit..mercruiser blows away volvo ', plus can't get parts for cobras..use aftermarket crap on cobra it has no durability at all..

@@bigjohn9536 interesting ,usually people are drawn to the bravo 3, not the bravo 1

Bravo 2 was good to around 55 mph. Bravo 3...65 mph range. So if your boat is not approaching 55 mph you will not gain anything moving to the 3 IMO. I assume you have a heavy cruiser type boat, which the Bravo 2 was designed for.

@@ericbryant796 yes, I have a Bayliner Ciera (flybridge) 2858 with 454 Merc large block. I thought I would stick with bravo II. It’s very strong according to my mechanic. I don’t need to get on plane fast and I don’t need to go pass 55 mph. Would be nice to backup better and have more control around the docks. I was thinking perhaps thrusters would be an alternative to control my bow better.

What RPM are you currently getting at full throttle? There is always a trade off depending on if you pitch up or down.

What boat do you have? I’ve got an unmodified 5.7 mpi in a Haines signature 610bt and pull 95kph with a 19P prop.

Gen1 or gen2

@@BoatBuy 5500rpm.

@@horsehead8306 Edson Challenger GT. Another guy told me as well that he gets 60mph with a 19p prop.

Nice!

What year model?

@@BoatBuy Hi thanks for replying, its a 2019 Cr2180 and there's OB version around the same money somewhere else Cairns i think.

@@mad-_-observer I would be happy with either because it's so new. Most engines/sterndrives will cause you trouble later down the track (10+ years) and will you still own it then? Volvo SX drive is a good proven setup - and I think on the Whittley boats having that extra swim platform is beneficial.

@@BoatBuy I agree, having that platform with a bbq and bait board is hard to go past. Thanks for the advice.

Not a bad option!

@@BoatBuy stern drives are the Devil lol, shafts all day

@@Deltarig Definitely wouldn't say no to a shaft drive!

Copy!

Yeah - thankfully we don't come across them often in Australia!

Yamaha sterndrives are made in Italy, by Selva Marine. They are good, but very rare.

@@valefur72 I have to disagree with you. We fish with sterndrives commercialy. I used volvo, and with the stainless clutch they are very good , Some guys have the Mercruser and they seem ok. But the guys who bought the Yamaha hydra drive cant keep them running long enough to earn a living.. Yamaha outboards , bullet proof ive had about 15 but their sterndrives no way.

@@Graham19951 for sure the most reliable and popular outdrive is the Bravo 2. Simple and thought, they may have some leaking issues, but they never let you down. Volvo and Mercruiser have the monopoly in this sector and it's very difficult to make something good as they do...

You mean a 460 cubic inch? Depends on the HP output, but the Volvo 280 is relatively old drive. You'd just need to figure out how much HP they can handle, the engine behind it won't really matter.

I'd say a Volvo DP - but if you did get a Bravo 3 go for the X-drive.

@@BoatBuy Bit late now, but I had volvo dp drives with volvo 41 s in my charter boat. I worked them harder than any leisure boater ever would. Was under powered so ran them flat out everywhere. Never put a spanner on them, oil and filters every hundred hours, Mobil one in the leg . Traded them in every three years. I would buy that set up again tomorrow.

@@Graham19951 Yes, surprisingly there is a few charter boats around with similar setup. The Volvo sterndrives I would say can be better behind a diesel in some cases (depending on the model!).

The TRS with the Borg-Warner transmission is rock solid. The Merc trans isn’t bad but it had a female jackshaft that was problematic. It’s been over a decade since I messed with one so do your research

As Capt Slew said - rock solid but dated. Bit before my time, but they were superseded by the Bravo drives...

@@BoatBuy Don't owners of boats designed for stern drives have both jet drive and outboard options? if they just don't like stern drives?

@@alan6832 Not always. In some models they do, but would be a different mould for an outboard powered boat as opposed to sterndrive.

@@BoatBuy I see boats converted pretty often with bolt on transoms to mount the outboards.

😂😂

OMC stringer isn’t real popular in Australia. Can’t really say!

@@BoatBuy Ah, that would explain it.

Usually wash it down with fresh water, dry it out and then spray some corrosion guard ASAP!

Absolutely agree.

Good engine good drive. The 4.3 is just a Chevy 350 small block with 2 cylinders chopped off. Very good engines, and Alphas are very good drives. Just be gentle on acceleration, don't go WOT suddenly and your Alpha will last longer than the boat.

@@PotatoeJoe69 awesome to hear. I live on the Great Lakes all fresh water

Yes the V6 and Alpha package is good.

Haha! Nothing about OMC in here 😅We’re in 2021

Nice, how you finding it?

Its a good outdrive

How many have you had to rebuild? ;-)

Don’t come across them over here!

It’s for disengagement of meshed gears (shifting out)

Yes, it’s for the dog clutch!

It's Volvo, of course it's bullet proof.

Yes, a good option!

Actually that statement is false, The only problem with the OMC Cobras were the owners! My OMC Cobra is 35 years old and except for changing the fluid, impeller and anodes I had absolutely zero issues, In 2004 I decided to do a full teardown inspect and reseal just for preventative maintenance due to its age! I live in New Jersey and my boat is docked in salt water from June through September and gets used every weekend, Some weekends I may just take some friends out crabbing or to the sandbar swimming but usually I am no less than 25 miles offshore! I guarantee if you drove my boat you would think that it was drive by wire! When the OMC Cobra first came out they did have a few issues just like all the other drives did, Shortly after owners were sent letters for them to bring their boats to a OMC Service center to have the updated parts installed into their drives! I am repairing Cobras today that still do not have those updated parts installed despite it being 30 years later! Oh and by the way my motor is a modified 4.3L pushing 276hp on a dyno spinning a SS Prop!Anyone who claims that the OMC cobras are junk are clearly suffering from a lack of mechanical knowledge!

@@NeverEnoughPyro40 It is not a false statement, your experiences just differ from most. What boat and what engine is in front of your drive also matter a great deal. I have seen plenty of well maintained Cobra drives that have had small as well as large issues, but the point here is actually not the issues themselves. The problem lies in the fact that IF you get your hands on a Cobra, especially one with a questionable past, you are in a bad spot if you need parts.Yes you can get impellers and anodes, but you are screwed if you need gears or shafts as those have not been in production for 20 years or so. Overall the avoidance has little to do with the actual durability of the drive but everything to do with a lack of spare parts. Your drive is 35 years old, and at some point you will need to look at new internals. When that time comes, you will have a very hard time sourcing what you need. The problem simply also is that while that drive might live with a small 200-250 hp engine, those mated to larger engines, especially on heavy boats, are on borrowed time. It's not just idiot owners not taking care of things, when you buy a boat with a drive that is 30+ years old, you WILL more than likely have to do some more in-depth maintenance at some point. That goes for Mercruiser, Volvo Penta and Cobra drives. I know how to treat a drive and I know how to rebuild them with proper mesh etc. I see people who kill Bravo drives with 430 hp while I can make them live with 650 hp. I'm not saying Cobras are just "junk", I'm saying they are old drives that can extremely expensive because there is no support, and because it was never a good drive for bigger power boats, and they were not good at handling towing duties behind the family runabout where you also find a lot of them.

We don’t really get them over in Australia!

Don’t see too many of them over here!

I've found the DPH to be one of the better options when it comes to sterndrives.

Not really correct. I ran a charter hardboat with a Volvo 260 drive. I hammered the crap out of it, but I changed the oils every 100 hours and used Mobil one in the leg. I did more each year than a sport boat would do in ten, and it was bullet proof. I will say I changed the engine and leg every three years, but it had a hard three years.

Not a fan eh? ;-)

Not a fan eh?

Sorry! I will practice my english for the next video!

I don’t agree. Mine is smooth as silk and well maintained.

My Volvo Aquamatic 270 Is still going well, powered by a high speed turbo charged diesel. I think forty year of use may say something about quality.

My DP is much smoother shifting and reliable than of any of the multiple Mercruisers I have owned over the years.

thats awesome me and my dad had nothing but nightmares on both our tern drives it was terrible breaking down on vacations

My dp 290 is smooth and reliable