I am preparing to paint my outdrive and am tired of the white mineral deposits that accumulate on the upper drive. I think this may be because of heat. I am considering a drive shower. Do you have one ? Like it ?
Outdrive shower..do you have one ?
- Thread starter Quint4
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Sorrento 25
New Member
I have a Just Wicked Marine drive shower keeping my Alpha alive. Never had an issue with it. It does require drilling two holes in the cav plate though.
I have showers in my head and on the transom. Does that count?
But seriously now.... Yes, the white deposits are due to heat build up in the OD areas that are out of the water and thus are not cooled by the water. Normally this should not be an issue, but is with larger cruisers (i.e. my boat, and yours). I do not have them yet, but am going to install a few showers on my B2's so that it never gets that bad.
But seriously now.... Yes, the white deposits are due to heat build up in the OD areas that are out of the water and thus are not cooled by the water. Normally this should not be an issue, but is with larger cruisers (i.e. my boat, and yours). I do not have them yet, but am going to install a few showers on my B2's so that it never gets that bad.
jitts3
Well-Known Member
Whats the purpose of this. To eliminate the spots of a mechanical praticality to keep the drive cool?
Reason I ask. I'm gonna be running the antique OMC stringer. I read on here that they are prone to have trouble due to heat. Would this help any?
Reason I ask. I'm gonna be running the antique OMC stringer. I read on here that they are prone to have trouble due to heat. Would this help any?
Pretty much, yep. Kinda like adding an additional transmission cooler to your heavy towing rig. Cheap insurance for hard driving outdrives. (say that 5 times fast!)
jitts3
Well-Known Member
Anybody have a link to one. I just searched West Marine and Wholesale for Outdrive shower. Came up nothing.
It it a universal fit of drive specific.
It it a universal fit of drive specific.
Sorrento 25
New Member
Tail Chaser 661
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- Jan 23, 2009
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- Furuno Navnet radar/chartplotter, fish finder, bait tank, 85 Gal main fuel tank, 75gal aux tank.
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- Merc 8.1 Mag 375 HP / Bravo III,4 blade prop. 28mph at 3200rpm.
jitts3
Well-Known Member
Now that's interesting. They don't make one for my settup but I bet I can eather fab mounts for it or make my own. Never knew such a think existed. COOL.
Thanks
Thanks
Tail Chaser 661
Member
- Jan 23, 2009
- 742
- Boat Info
- Furuno Navnet radar/chartplotter, fish finder, bait tank, 85 Gal main fuel tank, 75gal aux tank.
- Engines
- Merc 8.1 Mag 375 HP / Bravo III,4 blade prop. 28mph at 3200rpm.
Im toying with running my bait tank discharge hose on my drive.
When i'm making some two hr channel crossings to the islands. Not much to think about except how hot my drive may be getting.
I usually stop a few mins to let it sit and cool in the ocean water. Not much fun when your boat is already to slow.
I will install a drive shower if I repower with a Merc duoprop
I'm thinking I may go with the Volvo 8.1 with a Duoprop.
Seems its the Merc Bravo's that get really hot.
I had read a test somewhere showing how hot some drives get before adding a drive shower.
280 degrees comes to mind.
When i'm making some two hr channel crossings to the islands. Not much to think about except how hot my drive may be getting.
I usually stop a few mins to let it sit and cool in the ocean water. Not much fun when your boat is already to slow.
I will install a drive shower if I repower with a Merc duoprop
I'm thinking I may go with the Volvo 8.1 with a Duoprop.
Seems its the Merc Bravo's that get really hot.
I had read a test somewhere showing how hot some drives get before adding a drive shower.
280 degrees comes to mind.
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I had the Simrek drive shower on my 240SD. http://www.driveshowers.com/
We have had a number of discussions on the drive shower in the past but the fact of the matter is your drive will run cooler and you will eliminate the white crusty buildup as well. Do you need one? Not necessarily. Does it hurt anything? No. Does your outdrive run cooler? Yes. Does it help extend the life of your outdrive? Maybe.
In the end it's a personal choice. If I didn't already have corrosion issues with my outdrive on my current 260DA which is wet slipped, I would have one on the 260DA also. But hanging a bunch more stainless on the drive will probably make it corrode even more and that's the only reason I don't have one now.
Dave
We have had a number of discussions on the drive shower in the past but the fact of the matter is your drive will run cooler and you will eliminate the white crusty buildup as well. Do you need one? Not necessarily. Does it hurt anything? No. Does your outdrive run cooler? Yes. Does it help extend the life of your outdrive? Maybe.
In the end it's a personal choice. If I didn't already have corrosion issues with my outdrive on my current 260DA which is wet slipped, I would have one on the 260DA also. But hanging a bunch more stainless on the drive will probably make it corrode even more and that's the only reason I don't have one now.
Dave
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tdappleman
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- Dec 17, 2007
- 1,608
- Boat Info
- 1996 270 Sundancer
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- New twin 4.3's - 235hp each with Alpha 1 Gen 2 Drives
So these showers look very simple - is it the prop(s) pushing water into the tube which then flows up to the drain tubes? Or forward momentum? I've never put my hand on my Alphas after a long run to see how they are but I don't seem to lose oil or have any buildup on top either. Maybe it matters that I trailer vs. keep in water?
Tail Chaser 661
Member
- Jan 23, 2009
- 742
- Boat Info
- Furuno Navnet radar/chartplotter, fish finder, bait tank, 85 Gal main fuel tank, 75gal aux tank.
- Engines
- Merc 8.1 Mag 375 HP / Bravo III,4 blade prop. 28mph at 3200rpm.
Its the big blocks, With big power that get the Merc Drives really hot.
The water is picked up thru the tubes as the boat moves forward.
They claim that the white mineral deposits are from the water actually boiling off the upper gearcase :wow:
Then when you come off plane. The hot drive gets submerged back into cold water.
A rapid cool down. Not good again.
The water is picked up thru the tubes as the boat moves forward.
They claim that the white mineral deposits are from the water actually boiling off the upper gearcase :wow:
Then when you come off plane. The hot drive gets submerged back into cold water.
A rapid cool down. Not good again.
tdappleman
Active Member
- Dec 17, 2007
- 1,608
- Boat Info
- 1996 270 Sundancer
- Engines
- New twin 4.3's - 235hp each with Alpha 1 Gen 2 Drives
I'm safe then - I doubt my little V6's place enough stress on the drives to worry about it...:grin:
Henry Boyd
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- ‘09 Sabre 38 Hardtop Express “Serenity”
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- Volvo D6 w/IPS450 Pods
In principle, adding any SS to the vicinity of the BIII is not a step in the right direction. That being said I'm not sure if there is any real damage to be caused.
I think that the real test of whether a drive shower would be necessary would be the condition of your drive oil. If when it is changed it is black and burnt, then you probably are a candidate for some form of drive cooling. However, I'm not sure that a drive shower can provide enough heat transfer to actually do any good.
Henry
I think that the real test of whether a drive shower would be necessary would be the condition of your drive oil. If when it is changed it is black and burnt, then you probably are a candidate for some form of drive cooling. However, I'm not sure that a drive shower can provide enough heat transfer to actually do any good.
Henry
Henry Boyd
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- Apr 24, 2007
- 6,014
- Boat Info
- ‘09 Sabre 38 Hardtop Express “Serenity”
- Engines
- Volvo D6 w/IPS450 Pods
Quint,
Sorry, got caught up in the BIII 'too much submerged SS thing'. As I recall you should have an alu prop. If that is the case the addition of a small amount of SS tubing would not be a corrosion issue. But either way it gets back to if a drive shower actually does provide sufficient cooling to make a difference.
As an engineer I'm not convinced that for other than extreme circumstances these things do any good. As an example, during my mid-life crisis period I had a red Porsche with a wing on the engine lid about the size of our 280's dinette table. Do wings on the back end of fast cars work? Well yes, but only if they are going really, really fast.
Like I said before what does the drive oil look like. If it looks normal you don't need any additional cooling.
Henry
Sorry, got caught up in the BIII 'too much submerged SS thing'. As I recall you should have an alu prop. If that is the case the addition of a small amount of SS tubing would not be a corrosion issue. But either way it gets back to if a drive shower actually does provide sufficient cooling to make a difference.
As an engineer I'm not convinced that for other than extreme circumstances these things do any good. As an example, during my mid-life crisis period I had a red Porsche with a wing on the engine lid about the size of our 280's dinette table. Do wings on the back end of fast cars work? Well yes, but only if they are going really, really fast.
Like I said before what does the drive oil look like. If it looks normal you don't need any additional cooling.
Henry
Iv'e got a big ( 18 3/4" ) stainless prop. My outdrive has white, hardened, deposits on the top. I hate the look of it. I figured maybe keeping it cooler would eliminate this and hopefully have the added benefit of extending the life of my 17 yr old drive....thanks for your responses....I'm still thinking on it.
Sorrento 25
New Member
Definitely do it. It will eliminate the deposits. I think I remember reading the B2 ran the hottest of the Merc drives with the B3 in 2nd and the Alpha and B1 the coolest. Yours is pushing a lot of boat too.
