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Changing out XDP Drive

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pbusanga

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Hi i have an XDP-B composite drive matched to a 5.0OSi-BF

i really am not happy with the XDP drive which drive would be the easiest to replace it with. Would the DPS or the new Ocean series X replace this drive.

I am looking for a direct replacement i want to avoid transom/stringer work if possible.

Thanks for any advice
 
I'd steer clear of the Ocean series also.... unfortunately!
I believe that you are committed to changing the transom shield in order to get away from this series drive. You'd have to speak with someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer this!

IMO..... and IMOO, one of the best, tried and proven Volvo Duo Prop drives is in the AQ series. For me, this would be the DP C drive.... or DP C1 or so.

I think that Volvo shot themselves in the foot when they discontinued the AQ series drives, and went with the SX and DP S in the early 90's.
They did this to capture a market and be more competitive with Mercruiser, who has been owned by the Brunswick Corp for years now.
The Bayliner market disappeared for Volvo anyway because of this.

So now their drive uses the same transom cut-out as does M/C, but this caused the system to go from a Main Suspension fork type geometry, to Gimbal system geometry! They both work, but the simplicity of the earlier system was excellent... and superior IMO!

No Gimbal type suspension system. No Gimbal ring. No Gimbal Bell. No Gimbal bearing. No rubber hub drive coupler. No annual engine coupler alignment. No thru prop exhaust just to name a few!

AQ offers; All steel drive coupler, PDS and bearing (no Gimbal bearing), NO annual engine/coupler alignment, Main Suspension fork geometry, easy transmission and bellows service, independent exhaust outlet, no shift cable bellows, and so on!

Now, some may think this is Old School thinking! Or a result of my older age! However, I'm not alone. I've spoken to many of my Volvo tech friends who feel the same way as I do!

If this were my boat, and if really considering a better system, I'd go for the AQ series, despite what some may say.
It would be out of congruency for the year model..... but anyone who knows the AQ series may find this a real plus! I sure would!:)

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hi Ricardo thanks for reply..are you hearing problems with the Ocean X drive, i thought was basically a DPS drive.

i assume there will have to be transom work to fit the AQ drive and which model would be best to match up to this engine (5.0 OSi V8)

i really am looking for the easiest swap out as i will have to do the work myself ..thanks
 
RicardoMarine said:
............... I believe that you are committed to changing the transom shield in order to get away from this series drive. You'd have to speak with someone more knowledgeable than myself to answer this! ...........................
Click to expand...
Maybe your local Volvo Penta dealer can answer this. Sorry !
 
If the new Volvo fits the Merc transom hole, I believe that at one time Volvo had a jig to recut/profile Merc transom cutouts to 200 series holes.

I agree with Rick... If I had a boat with the newer "improved" Volvo drives, I'd seriously consider changing over to a 280 or 290 drive, possibly a DuoProp. I've been running 200 series drives for a LONG time (1979 to current with a 9 year divorce induced hiatus in the middle) and a 100 series drive (1964 to 1980)... Total repairs on three 200 series drives... a hand full of drive boots, a jammed steering pivot bearing (on a used 280 drive I bought) and a shifter shaft seal. I've avoided the water neck failure mode by going thru transom which is not something I did because of any fault in the Volvo, but rather to avoid raw water pump failures from running into shifting sandbars here in Barnegat Bay.
 
Bob......., Yes, there was a company that produced an adapter to take the older AQ series transom size/shape to a Mercruiser size. This was prior to the Bravo, if memory serves me.
Not sure how well that idea went over, since going from Cone Clutch shifting to Dog Clutch shifting would have been a step backwards, IMO.
But some wanted the Hydraulics that Volvo had not yet worked out! (patent issues, I believe)
(of course there was the "T" and 280 "PT" drives.... but these were not in production for any length of time)

Just to be clear...... I don't want to totally knock the later Volvo Penta drives. They are good drives, although the composite and ocean series I believe have some issues to iron out.
What I have seen in the AQ series, are fewer paint and corrosion issues, very few drive coupler issues, much easier maintenance, etc. and I prefer the separate exhaust outlets!

What I will qualify here, is that my preference would NOT be a 280/290 vintage....... my preference is the better design that occurred by the "C" and later AQ series drives.
It can be difficult to tell the difference externally unless you are aware of them.
This would be the series immediately prior to the OMC take over and the Gimbal System SX and DP S drive production.
I guess you could say that these would be the last generation of the AQ series drives! In my book, the good stuff!

Now, where did pbusanga go? Did we run him off! Hope not! :(

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