Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

Then you are in agreement with Volvo, who designed it for cruisers. Not for high HP, high speed boats.

No probable about it. It has proven itself as a reasonable alternative to V-drives and rudders.

As far as choosing between having the entire boat sink, or the lower of the drive sink. I pick the drive. My buddy has a donzi with twin Volvo 270 drives. His Dad hit a log in the river on a dark night, hard. The drive absorbed the shock and separated. He marked the location of the mishap and he returned to the dock on the remaining drive.
Called the insurance company and they paid for a diver. Brought the drive up and it was inspected and re-installed on the boat. It is still on the boat to this day.
That was like 1987. Those are the smoothest shifting drives I have ever seen.

Can't hate Volvo. I would consider the SX drives on a "slow-fast."

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

Trailering could be interesting

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

don't they also make a fully composite drive?

the forward facing prop was not designed so much for the us market, but for overseas where there aren't so many "shallow" spots

the prop hits first in any collision, the skeg gives no protection.

Ernie

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

These new drives are suposed to be much easier to manover a crusier at the docks and around the marinas!

I spoke to one of the salesmen in Miami, and walked me through it.

The steering is electric powered. So if you have a power failure to both sides (one will still steer if one side fails) there is a manual over ride on the top of the unit to steer. But all one has to do is make sure both are pointed streight, and then just used the shifters.

Here are some pictures I took in Miami.

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

I also asked the salesman if Vovlo had plans to use this design in a stern drive high performance modle? He replied "No, the high performance market is far to small for Vovlo to get involved with"

I can only asume he doesn't have a clue about other Volvo products, dork.

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

Just take a bravo 3 lower and spin it around 180 degrees!

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

I think that most of it is composite. Especially the things that have contact with the water. Some internals are still conventional, I think. Could be wrong.

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

The IPS drive is bronze, and w-a-y strong. The new D6-350 deisels make a lot of torque. Primary applications are 40-foot express boats - the advangates don't really show up until 35-40 mph and up. Very much for the US market. And they've been impact tested. Severely. Let's just say that any impact that would tear the bottom unit off of the boat would punch the shafts, struts and rudders right through the bottom of a shaft-drive boat (and sink it).

Super - do you have any pictures/links to the ZF ring drive? Sounds neat.

The Volvo composite outdrive is called the "OX" series and is available with gas engines up to 502 cubic inches. Pretty much a conventional layout.

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

C spray, go to http://fbdesign.it/ringdrive.php

That will give you a bit more info.

BTW, what Ernie said. Where I boat, if IPS falls off, that's it. If you're more than a mile offshore, depth is already 500+

Re: New Drive from Volvo, has prop infront of drive
 

Ohh... where I boat it's like 3 feet deep.

When we have problems we get out and walk.