Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Anyone know anything about the new Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives .

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Aren't they the all plastic ones :eek:


No electrolysis :D

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Yes made like a Glock gun. and yes NO electrolysis at all. They are only offered on volvo small blocks now.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Polymer composite? huh. Interesting.

Are they cheaper?

I run SBCs, and if I have to do drives before I sell this boat.... I'm seriously thinking about the "normal" Volvos (SX?)

They'll fit the transom assy of my OMCs. And they shift so smooth it's strange. Being around alphas for a long time.... I didn't know what smooth shifting was. And they "go both ways" as far as rotation goes.

It will be interesting to follow for the next few years and see how they hold up. Obviously NOT high HP applications.... but hey...
Not everybody is running HO.

If you have any links, pics or anything it would be interesting to see em. Maybe I'll google later.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

They Come In Duo Prop Setup Only. They Are Only Used In V-6 & Small Block Applications Up To 320 Propshaft Hp. I Wouldn't Use It On A High Performance Boat But On A Cruiser It Is Very Efficient & Will Increase Performance Considerably Over A Single Prop System. I Have Installed & Run Them, They Are Nice. However You Won't See Me Putting One In My Fountain.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

I know you were asking about the Ocean series but I saw you said something about the SX drive too. I did a bit of research on the Ocean series wheh they came out (they were actually featured in a engineering trade publication I receive)...and since I am techno nerd. I really liked what I saw. Like everyone said they are not meant for super HP applications but the composite (thermoplastic and aluminum )construction is quite nice. I am mechanical engineer by profession and that type of construction is gaining alot of popularity and has many benefits for this type of application. Weight and corrosion being the biggest. With that being said I would do some hard core web research before I spend the dollars just for your own piece of mind. My current boat uses the VP SX drive and I am super happy with it. I use it hard for cruising with the wife and wakeboarding with buddies (approx 300 hrs/year) and it has held up great. From a power transmission engineering prospective it is just far better than the Alpha 1 stuff I owned previously. Volvo is sorta pain in arse to get parts for as compared to Mercury and they try to sell you the end item rather than the piece parts sometimes and that hurts your feelings but I like the products so far very much. My 2 cents.
Mike

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Hey Jim....

Do they use the same transom assy as an OMC like the other Volvo drives?
My boat is actually a cruiser shaped like a performance boat. :D (It's even a Chris Craft) I have 18 year old OMCs hanging back there. I have twin 260 SBCs with no intention of doing anything that will ever give me more than 260 at the propshaft.

I have less than 20k in my boat. But it's heavy and a wave crusher. I don't do poker runs, but it's nice to be able to take the lake erie chop, and still have a 40-45 mph cruise. I know that I'm not going to convert to alphas, because of the whole transom assy issue, but Volvos were an option if I keep the boat. I was looking at about 3 grand a piece new for Volvo SX drives after my Cobra trade in. So I was looking at about 7k with the drives and the trim kits. (A Volvo dealer said that he would give me 2k trade for each "good" Cobra drive)

Would I even be in the ballpark with the new drives? Or are they more than the "regular" (I think SX?) Volvos?

Here's the resin bucket in question.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Hey Mike... Thanks.... we were typing at the same time.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

ttt....

looking for JIMG

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

has it been a week already? :D

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

sorry it took so long I haven't checked the thread. The cutout in the transom is the basically the same as any merc or omc cobra. The transom assy itself is comosite also and made specifically for the ocean series drive. On the chris craft I believe that boat would probably do well with a single prop drive. the Volvo SX drive would be the drive of choice for this application. The transom assy would stay the same with the addition of a different bell housing for the drive to bolt to. New shift cable from helm all the way to the drive (one piece). You also would have to install an engine mounted sea water pump as the pump would not be in the drive anymore. overall not too difficult a task, it is a little time consuming. The drives are about 4K each less trade in value plus about another 1k for the upfit parts.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Hi Jim,

Thanks for getting back on the thread. You have confirmed everything that an outdrive expert near me in Port Clinton has told me about the SX drives and my boat. My understanding is that the OMC cutout is different enough from the alpha cutout to warrant NOT switching to mercs.
Are you the same guy? You have the same first name...
BIG outdrive people.... maybe it's you.

A friend has a 74 donzi with twin sbcs and the old 270 volvo drives, and I know his setup, so I know what you mean about the sea water pumps.

Even his old 270 drives shift so smoothly that you have to give it a little throttle to even know you went in gear. Hardly a click.

Plus, the SX drives would be rotation direction switchable, so I could play with counter rotation.

Sounds like Ocean series no. SX series yes.

Thanks again for your input.

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

The sx drive is going to shift the about the same as any volvo, or bravo as they are all cone clutch shifting outdrives. Maybe I wasn't clear on the cutout. OMC cobra, merc alpha, bravo, Volvo SX & DP all use the same cutout. I use the same cutting jig for all. The only difference is some (and this is not brand specific) use two more studs in the top. You can use the merc or volvo jig to drill these if needed. The reasons for going to the SX over the merc isn't the cutout. You can use your old transom assy & engine without removing to do the swap. Much less labor & prts cost to install, & volvo traditionally has lower maintenance costs. Hope this helps. JIM

Re: Volvo Penta Ocean Series Drives
 

Jim,

I had no idea that the cutout was the same.
Had some good, some bad info.

Thanks again.