Sterndrive Myths: Busted!

A decade of engineering innovation by Volvo Penta focused on performance and durability has produced the new Coastal Series Corrosion Protection Package for both the Volvo Penta Aquamatic and Forward Drive systems paired with V6 and V8 gasoline engines in North America. With the Coastal Series features and advanced marine-engine technology, Volvo Penta debunks these five long-held sterndrive myths.

[chrisinsd]

As someone who has had both outboard and I/O, this is great! I am sick of the currently in vogue attack on sterndrives. Are they more expensive to maintain in the long run? Sure! Why would I sign up for that?

Well...maybe I get some benefits in exchange. Like better handling--the weight of the engine is where it is supposed to be--at a low center of gravity inside my boat, not hanging off the end killing my transom. And for my particular boat--better acceleration, higher top speed, and superior fuel economy than if I had gone with a similarly rated outboard on the same boat. Oh yeah....and I get a lot more use out my boat--like the entire rear end! On a bowrider, this is absolutely priceless. Most people complaining on youtube seem to have bought ancient used boats for $10K and are angry their 25 year old stern drive needs work.

Repairs and maintenance items specific to I/Os are not required constantly--only every 5-10 years....lets keep it in perspective. It is not like I/O boats are sinking all the time due to rotten bellows--this is not a real phenomenon--it's a silly scare tactic of outboard builders and fanboys.

Not to mention all the tech advances in the last 10 years that people with old sterndrives know nothing about...titanium coatings, built in corrosion dissipating electronics, built in salt away flush, closed loop cooling so only a heat exchanger/exhaust are exposed to salt (don't get that in an outboard--all salt water cooled--still need to flush). And no more winterizing with "easy drain." Modern stern drives are more durable than many outboards and, other than the bellows and a couple other things, have exactly the same sorts of maintenance requirements. If you leave your boat in the salt every day forever then expect more maintenance unless you have these newer models, but again--you get a lot of benefit for the effort.

And Sterndrives offer a platform for future hybrid electric engines in a way that outboards cannot. Every drive has pros and cons and sterndrives have gotten an exaggeratedly bad rap. Plenty of folks don't boat in salt at all, and others are happy to put up with some more maintenance to get corresponding benefits.

[MichaGero]

Complete rubbish. I’ve owned a couple of drives on a Prestige 350. Brand new. Problems, only problems. Overheating, busted raw water fittings on both drives, had to take it multiple times out of the water. Faulty tilt sensors, over priced spares, terrible servicing here in WA Australia. Constant anxiety if we were going to make the crossing to the islands on limp mode. Now back to shafts and Cummins for 7 years without a single issue. Stay away from sterns and Volvo at all cost.

[sethpotter]

In the entire video, no stern drives are shown, only the engine compartment. Rubbish.

[jenwright]

Boots, bellows, gimbal bearings, seals $$$$ alot more to fail with stearn drives, surface drives are the future!

[elitebuildingsolutionllc]

This guy's should start selling CD players or vhs players.