Thoughts on Mercruiser Alpha 1 or IO in general

Hello all-I Am looking at a 19

Hello all-I Am looking at a 1987 Dixie with a 165 HP 1987 alpha one.

I am unfamiliar with I/O's; I own a smaller rig with a 40 horse evinrude outboard.

My family has always owned outboards.

What are the benefits/risks of an I/O setup vs. the outboard?

Thanks

"Just my opinion, but there is

"Just my opinion, but there is no comparison.The I/O may cost more to purchase, but after that it is all pluses:
-all the convenience of an outboard in shallow water
-no mixing oil with gas
-longer engine life
-less pollution
-arguably more reliable
-better torque for water ski starts, hp for hp
-no engine to climb over or around when boarding the boat from the stearn
-swim deck on many boats for ease of water entry
-and best of all; no ear piercing 2 cycle whine in your ear all the time.
Before I/O's I had a couple of outboards, I would never go back.
Rod"

"Although Rod is correct when

"Although Rod is correct when comparing with the older technology, todays 4 stroke outboards are much closer to I/O's

no oil to mix with gas
very quiet
longer engine life
less pollution
very reliable
lots of torque for water sports
doesn't take up much needed room in the cockpit area

of course I'm referencing the 16 to 19 range, once you go over 20 ft then things like cockpit space may not be an issue."

I love I/O's but the 165 y

I love I/O's but the 165 your looking at is not mercruisers best effort. They have charging system problems that are very expensive to fix. the manifolds leak into the motor. If you know the person you are buying it from and they are very careful about maintenance you may be ok. If there is no history on it then I would look elsewhere.

"Outboard vs Sterndrive.

Ev

"Outboard vs Sterndrive.

Everyone has to have their own preferences, but here are a couple reasons you won't find a sterndrive on my boat......

Sterndrives weigh 500-800 lbs more for same horsepower. Makes boat stern heavy and increases overall draft

I am a waterskiier. My Evinrude 90hp will pull me out faster than a friends 190hp IO on a similar size boat.

You can't run a sterndrive at high tilt positions for long periods of time without trashing the U-Joint. (Restricted to deeper water)

if the bellows break, the boat can sink

if a cooling system hose blows off or bursts, it fills the boat with water.

I HATE GM engines

If you have a fuel leak, it collects in the bilge waiting to BLOW YOU UP. with an outboard, it runs out in the lake.

steering linkage and bearings underwater.

You have to stand on your head to work on engine

Most sterndrive boats I've been in are louder than my outboard.

I realize that sterndrives have their advantages too, and many people like them enough to prefer them in their boat. That said, the main reason they are so popular is that they are inexpensive. Merc or Volvo buys the engine from Chevrolemon, bolts on a few marinized parts, and puts a drive behind it. They don't have to do any powerhead engineering or emissions certification because they are buying the engines, not building them."

"DC- The tank is usually larg

"DC- The tank is usually larger and forward of the motor on a sterndrive, which usually cancels the extra weight at the stern. Yes, a sterndrive is heavier.

Your 90HP OB is on a smaller boat, of course it will be easier to get you out of the hole. Also, with the driving force changing directions twice, there is more loss than an outboard, which only changed direction once. Try skiing behind a tournament ski boat.

You may hate GM motors but since no other car maker marinizes motors, that's all we get. If you like Chrysler, Ford or some other car, that's OK.

"steering linkage and bearings underwater. " Huh? No, the steering linkage is in the boat, the pivots are outside, usually just above the waterline. An OB has them only slightly higher, completely exposed.

"You have to stand on your head to work on engine"

Actually, you have to crawl on your belly, like a reptile. I used to work on boats for a living. The larger belly scales really come in handy.

Maybe louder but 2 stroke OBs are more annoying. Also, the smoke is really nasty. Torquey, though.

"They don't have to do any powerhead engineering or emissions certification because they are buying the engines, not building them."

This where you're definitely wrong. The EPA and C.A.R.B. (California Air Research Board) mandate emissions stats that the boat makers have to meet. This means that the companies that set up the motors need to do a whole lot of R&D to get them to comply. Why do you think carbs are all but dead on new boats, certainly in CA? GM could care less what Mercruuiser, Volvo-Penta and Indmar do to the motors, as long as GM never sees them again for warranty claims. I'll bet you didn't know that Mastercraft boats with Indmar motors have O2 sensors and catalytic convertors on the '07 models, did you? They use the 5.7L for some models but the rest are all Gen IV motors, just like the new cars and trucks (5.3L, 6.0L, 8.4L) and some have coil-near-plug ignition, just like the cars and trucks. They do tons of development on these motors, both for increasing reliability and to meet emission specs. They also update the ECM programs regularly and it's very easy for the tech to do it. They need internet access, a computer, the right software, the right cable and the training. That's it- it takes about 5 minutes after the program is in the computer.

The other stuff is based on your opinion, which is absolutely fine but the last part is fact. Go to www.indmar.com for more info, if you want."

"Jim, you are absolutely right

"Jim, you are absolutely right that it is my opinion. I believe I stated that in the original post.

However, someone I know who works for "brand M" says that the powerhead engineering on a sterndrive is pretty minimal compared to an outboard. Many years ago, the marine engine mfg's tore down the brand new engines to put better parts in them. But nowadays, the engine block is identical to the engine in you're gm car except for the freeze plugs. They may use some of their own EFI technology and such, but they stay close enough to the GM calibration of the engine to sneak in under thier emission certification. Certifying an engine with the EPA can cost upward of $5 million. This is a cost the boat motor manufacturers can't afford to bear because the number of engines they sell is quite small compared to the automobile world.

I'm not trying to start a war here. Everyone has an opinion. I prefer Outboards, others may prefer Inboards. The original poster asked for a comparison, I stated my opinion.

best regards
DC"