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Mercruiser trs: Big trouble?

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pietro

Contributing Member
Hi all, I have just brought home a 1988 Tullio Abbate Offshore 36 with 2x7.4 Merc and TRS sterndrives. Now I must decide what to do with this boat and mercury people here in Italy tell me to give it away because of the trs, just because of the missing and obsolete spare parts: is it really so? Is it worth to begin an overhauling on the engines and drives if there is the possibility to fail in getting parts?
 
First thing is to make up a list of what is missing / needs to be replaced.------Start looking for spares in various places.-------You likely won't get overnight results but with patience and a small budget this project is not impossible.
 
pietro said:
Hi all, I have just brought home a 1988 Tullio Abbate Offshore 36 with 2x7.4 Merc and TRS sterndrives. Now I must decide what to do with this boat and mercury people here in Italy tell me to give it away because of the trs, just because of the missing and obsolete spare parts: is it really so? Is it worth to begin an overhauling on the engines and drives if there is the possibility to fail in getting parts?
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... It is so,... NO new parts available, at All...

Yer only option would be to pull the TRSs, 'n refit it with Bravo drives, 'n transom assemblies...
 
bondo said:
Ayuh,.... It is so,... NO new parts available, at All...

Yer only option would be to pull the TRSs, 'n refit it with Bravo drives, 'n transom assemblies...
Click to expand...

man, you kill me, this boat is not worth more then 20.000 $ when refitted and running, what if I pull out trs, move back the 7.4 and put 2 Bravo on: should be at least a 15k $ job
 
Ayuh,... There'll be some adaptin' to the motor to run with a Bravo, I'm Sure,...
Atleast the flywheel cover, maybe more...

Mercruiser sells a bolt in adapter plate to mount a Bravo, to a TRS transom cut-out...
It's a nice aluminum castin', that makes the swap abit easier,...
Cuts out the glass work normally needed...

If ya Love the hull, it might be worth it,...
To resell it, it'll be a money loser, unless ya got a boneyard to pick parts from...
 
bondo said:
1... Ayuh,... There'll be some adaptin' to the motor to run with a Bravo, I'm Sure,...
Atleast the flywheel cover, maybe more...

2... If ya Love the hull, it might be worth it,... To resell it, it'll be a money loser, unless ya got a boneyard to pick parts from...
Click to expand...

1... The TRS offers no internal gear selection, as does the A or B drive. IOW, no dog clutch/no cone clutch.
It requires a transmission that sits at the location of an otherwise conventional "flywheel cover" and "drive coupler"....... So yes...... all of that would need to be changed out for a B drive installation.
From what I hear, a good TRS drive is pretty much bullet proof.

2... Lesson # 367 (it's 367 on the list because of how long it takes some of us to figure this out!) :D
Never, I mean Never enter into a boat restoration project with the intent or expectation that this will be an "Investment" in terms of a financial gain.
Boats are always expenses!

The only exception to this may be if you have parts availability beyond normal, dang near free labor, were to purchase the boat for next to nothing, and if there is a demand for this particluar boat in the used market.
Otherwise, do this for your own enjoyment. :D

**********************

There is a man up in the Seattle Washington area who specializes in the TRS drives. He Buys/Repairs/Sells them.
My friend Brad (Fairview Marine, Troutdale Oregon) sells used TRS drives and parts to him.
Brad would know how to contact him.


.
 
RicardoMarine said:
1... The TRS offers no internal gear selection, as does the A or B drive. IOW, no dog clutch/no cone clutch.
It requires a transmission that sits at the location of an otherwise conventional "flywheel cover" and "drive coupler"....... So yes...... all of that would need to be changed out for a B drive installation.
From what I hear, a good TRS drive is pretty much bullet proof.

2... Lesson # 367 (it's 367 on the list because of how long it takes some of us to figure this out!) :D
Never, I mean Never enter into a boat restoration project with the intent or expectation that this will be an "Investment" in terms of a financial gain.
Boats are always expenses!

The only exception to this may be if you have parts availability beyond normal, dang near free labor, were to purchase the boat for next to nothing, and if there is a demand for this particluar boat in the used market.
Otherwise, do this for your own enjoyment. :D

**********************

There is a man up in the Seattle Washington area who specializes in the TRS drives. He Buys/Repairs/Sells them.
My friend Brad (Fairview Marine, Troutdale Oregon) sells used TRS drives and parts to him.
Brad would know how to contact him.


.
Click to expand...

I always have had your words carved in the stone, I have been playing with boat since '80s and thrown away so much money, but had a great time. What more concern me with this boat is start a restoration and been stopped by a missing part. Could you tell me how to get through Brad?
 
Brad at Fairview Marine...... 503-492-4608 or Boatparts (at) gmail (dot) com .

Try to send him photos and serial numbers if you can.

.
 
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