Outdrives

[RCULLEN]

HI IM BUYING A STEEL CRUISER WITH A 1980 MERCEDES 68 HP DIESEL ENGINE WITH AN OUTDRIVE
COULD ANYONE ADVISE ME AS TO THE RELIABILITY OF AN OUTDRIVE COMPARED TO A SHAFT DRIVE?

[Cheechako]

You mean like an underwater "saildrive" or conventional outdrive?

[RCULLEN]

EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE BUT I ASSUME IT MUST BE UNDERWATER AS IT SITS MAINLY UNDERWATER THE ONLY OTHER DESCRIPTION WOULD BE A Z DRIVE

[Cheechako]

Assuming it is a sailboat and not a catamaran, then I guess it would be a Saildrive or some derivitive. There are lots of them around, I'm sure someone who has one will chime in here, I have no experience, other than regular through-hull shaft drive is pretty trouble free. heres a link to a long discussion last year: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ems-14623.html

[Chief Engineer]

Not enough information.....what kind of outdrive is it...make of boat.....

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by RCULLEN

EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE BUT I ASSUME IT MUST BE UNDERWATER AS IT SITS MAINLY UNDERWATER THE ONLY OTHER DESCRIPTION WOULD BE A Z DRIVE

What sort of boat is this (motorboat or sail)

is it a shaft drive - shaft from back of gearbox goes directly aft through the hull underwater directly to the propellor

Some shaft drives come out the front of the engine/gearbox, through a device that connects to a shaft that goes under the engine back towards the stern, through the hull underwater and directly to the propellor (called a V drive)

is it an outdrive - drive goes out the transom above the water line, and a leg transfers the drive to underwater.

is it a saildrive - engine gearbox and leg are all one unit, with the leg going through the bottom of the hull and is an aluminium leg about 2 ft long - all underwater

Pictures would help

By the way - using capitals on the forum is the equivalent of shouting.

[RCULLEN]

hi thanks for reply
we have now found that it is an enfield outdrive
is this unusual on a steel hulled boat (dutch steel cruiser)
are there any known problems with this setup?