pros & cons

[Droptop]

Looking at a 2002 340 Sundancer with twin i/o drive to purchase, my Question is what are the pros & cons of I/o compared to v drive? I am new to a boat this size; my last boat was a 24 'sea ray open bow.

Thanks

 

[Golfman25]

Pretty simple. IOs have more maintenance and potential issues, especially if kept in salt water. V-drives take up a lot of space in then engine room, so getting around in a boat this size is a challenge.

 

[Brite Idea]

Not so simple. Salt water vs. fresh water? RWC vs. FWC? These are 20 year old boats so you need to include as many details as possible including hours and maintenance history. The I/O boat will be faster and enjoy better fuel economy but will need lots more maintenance and the V-drive boat will be slower and burn more fuel but more car like in maintenance. My guess is at 20 years old there's lots to tell us regarding condition. If you plan on lots of cruising and trips V-drive is a better choice but if it's a weekender with short trips to the local cove the I/O boat is fine. A 20 year old boat that's all original most likely is FWC and well maintained but 20 years is a long time in boat repair and maintenance history.

 

[mrsrobinson]

I'm going to go get a beer, some popcorn, and kick back in the recliner for a while and watch this one...

 

[keokie]

I assume you are keeping the boat in a slip? Fresh or salt?

In a nutshell, I would be hard-pressed to keep a twin Bravo boat in saltwater mostly due to corrosion issues. Freshwater is iffy for outdrives. If lift kept, or on a trailer, outdrives are great.

If you are keeping it in the water the V-drive will simply be significantly less maintenance.

Outdrives perform a lot better and use a lot less fuel, though. Outdrives give you more room in the bilge. Outdrives can back down to a beach with way less risk.

For me, my boat is garage kept on a trailer. I boat extensive at Powell where covering long distances and backing into a beach are very routine. Outdrives are way better for this than inboards of any type.

As a side note, it's pretty hard to push a 340 with small blocks, even the 6.2's.

 

[Fill Ess]

Wow -- have to admit I've never seen an I/0 340 from that era (and only 1 I/O 320)

This is what SR lists as available for the 2002 340

 

[Skybolt]

From a maintenance perspective the v-drives will be much better. I/O's will be quite trouble some at 20yrs old. V-drives will only need the oil changed if taken care of. The engines will be the same work either way.

Now there is a decision to be made when it comes to performance. The I/O's will be a much faster cruise and but worse performance is rougher water. The V-Drive ride will be a bit slower but a more stable ride and perform better in rough water.

If you want more room get a bigger boat. But if you want more reliable and stable ridding boat go with the v-drives. I have had and worked on both, JMO.

 

[Espos4]

If you go forward with this purchase, get a very thorough survey. 20 year old transom assemblies are very likely past their useful life and may need replacement now or the near future. That’s a $15-$20,000 job once you figure in all the other items that need addressing once the motors are out.

 

[keokie]

Yes, at 20 years old, question everything. But I know folks (including my dad) running 40ish year old drives with no problem. Just depends on how the boat was used and how it was cared for.

I've driven my same boat with V-drives in rough water and did not perceive any advantage to the the V-drive.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Switching over to Old Fashioneds now...

 

[Fill Ess]

One benefit to a 340 with Bravo IIIs is the amount of space and access to the engines

 

[Skybolt]

Yes, at 20 years old, question everything. But I know folks (including my dad) running 40ish year old drives with no problem. Just depends on how the boat was used and how it was cared for.

I've driven my same boat with V-drives in rough water and did not perceive any advantage to the the V-drive.

The seal life on outdrives are ~15-20 years, can't change that. The rubber dries out and the seal spring weakens. Then if not caught in time you get water intrusion and if that isn't caught in time you get new drives. I am sure your father had the seals replaced at some point and knows how to take care of things.

You would need to ride in the same sea conditions and in the same boat to "perceive" any difference. The v-drive boat will sit a bit lower in the water and have larger props which stabilizes the ride a bit more. Plus the weight is pushed further forward so the center of gravity is closer to the center of the boat, which lessens bounce. The outdrive boat will ride higher in the water and at a faster cruise with a lot less boat in the water with more weight pushed further back towards the transom away from center of gravity increasing the bounce.

 

[Stee6043]

One benefit to a 340 with Bravo IIIs is the amount of space and access to the engines

View attachment 137596

Good god...I'd have put a kids bunk down there with that kind of room!

Docking can be hard enough with decent sized boats with inboards. Why make it harder by pushing the pivot point behind the transom? Get yerself some V-drives. It's like the diesel vs gas argument, but for drive configurations: V-drives are what all the cool kids have, once you have them you'll spend a fair bit of time bashing on outdrives and all their shortcomings

 

[Droptop]

Thanks to all I will keep this info and these suggestions in mind

 

[sbw1]

The advice is spot on. Do not underestimate the transom issue. It is likely present and is an expensive hassle to deal with. After that is fixed you have ongoing painting, bellows, u joint, gimbal bearing, seals and impeller maintenance that others have mentioned. I never felt all that comfortable running I/Os in rough waters miles from shore. While generally reliable, here is a lot that can go wrong when you are transferring torque at right angles two times between the crankshaft and prop.

 

[Scotyp]

Great advice so far! I made the switch as you are doing two years ago. I had a SR bow rider 210 and now have a 2001 DA 340 with Bravo III. I keep the boat moored in fresh water and will be using it is salty Puget Sound about 2 weeks out of the year. It seems to have spent it's life this exact same way. The engines(FWC) and outdrives were in excellent condition and taken care of their whole lives according to the maintenance records.
The best advice I can give is get a good survey and sea trial to know exactly what you have! Along with fluid samples and lab report this is going to be invaluable!. I wouldn't have a problem buying the boat if it checks out! The V drive and Sterndrives are just on a different maintenance schedule. I'm sure there are plenty of both examples that were not attended to! That and I also would not moor my boat full time in salt water.
Also, look at it this way, they still made a lot of the newer model boats(still making) in this size with the stern drive.
I love the boat and I'm also enjoying the speed and fuel economy of the Bravos!

 

[scoflaw]

Never had a problem with Bravo's slipped for 6 months in salt. Mer cathode and Zinc's, pay attention to both.

 

[keokie]

The seal life on outdrives are ~15-20 years, can't change that. The rubber dries out and the seal spring weakens. Then if not caught in time you get water intrusion and if that isn't caught in time you get new drives. I am sure your father had the seals replaced at some point and knows how to take care of things.

You would need to ride in the same sea conditions and in the same boat to "perceive" any difference. The v-drive boat will sit a bit lower in the water and have larger props which stabilizes the ride a bit more. Plus the weight is pushed further forward so the center of gravity is closer to the center of the boat, which lessens bounce. The outdrive boat will ride higher in the water and at a faster cruise with a lot less boat in the water with more weight pushed further back towards the transom away from center of gravity increasing the bounce.

Those are good points. Yes, seals do have a life expectancy, but they are quite easy to change. Bellows are, too.

As I always say, always monitor your oil for water or metal, and never ignore any strange sounds or vibrations. If you do this, they can give you a re very long cost effective life.

Keeping them in the water all the time (very especially salt) complicates things a lot, and I wouldn't readily take on that level of commitment, but it certainly can be done successfully.

I have driven both my boat and a sister ship with small block V-drives. I have extensive time at the helm including in very sloppy conditions and around docks.

The V-drive boat (with 3 blades) pivots just in front of the windshield. Mine pivots just behind the helm seat, and it reacts incredibly quickly. the 4 propellors and big blocks seem to bite very well. And turning the wheel hard over and splitting the drives can walk the boat sideways with a bit of practice (heavier throttle on one motor depending which way you are trying to walk). It won't go but maybe 6 feet laterally before you start to pivot, but in certain conditions, it is a cool trick.

In heavy sea conditions, it is actually easier to keep the bow down on mine ( I have the celery sticks set for maximum negative trim, and it will stay on plane in the low teens, even when it is sloppy. The 23 degrees of dead rise rides very low and deep at those speeds. I was never able to bring the bow
down as effectively on the V-drive. It would hold plane at similar speeds, but was harder to see over the bow, and didn't cut through the waves quite as well. Still, a very competent and rewarding helming experience.

I liked the V-drive boat a lot. If I were slipped in saltwater, I'd have the V-drives in a minute. You could do a lift, and I would consider it. But they are expensive and require maintenance themselves.

I also drove an '05 340 with 8.1's and BIII's. It did not seem nearly as nimble as mine both around the dock and on plane. It did not react much to trimming the drives (other than blowing out the props with almost any positive trim. Still popped right up on plane and had an impressive top speed, reliably in the low to mid forties on GPS.