Boat Engine Question?

Question

Are the Volvo Penta Inboard/Outboard engines reliable?

Looking at a 2004 boat with a 3.0L 135hp Volvo Penta I/O.

Does anyone have experience with Volvo I/O's or Sterndrives?

Answer 1

Volvo pentas are extremely reliable and operate very smoothly.  Do not listen to that guy Computer.  This is the second time today I have had to correct him for someone.  It is not a V4, it is an inline 4.  There is no such thing as V4 sterndrive engine.  The only V4 engines are older OMC Johnsons and Evinrudes and the new Evinrude E-tec.

Sorry about that rant but someone who knows so little about boat motors should not answer these questions.

The INLINE 4 cylinder is a strong running motor and will do a great job.

Answer 2

Volvo-Penta is a very good lower unit, but it will dig in deeper in shallow water. Make sure to drain the water out of the motor for winter. It's very common to find a boat with a cracked block. I/O sterndrive normally has 5 pit c***s to remove to properly drain motor for winter, to keep from freezing the block. The new Glastron V6 sterndrive will plan in 3-5 seconds. One thing I would strongly suggest go with a V-6, the V-4's have a very low resell & will not perform very good. A V-6 I/O sterndrive Glastron will run 55+.

Answer 3

The 3.0L 135 HP 4 cylinder engine has been a proven marine engine for many years. It's not only economical (for a marine engine, anyway), but for a 4 cylinder, it has plenty of kick to pull a skier or push 5 people around all day. Manufacturers such as MerCruiser, Volvo and OMC have been using the engine for many years and it is quite reliable yet easy to diagnose and fix if there are any problems. It is, by the way, a GM engine.

Volvo Penta outdrives (these days) are quite reliable and easy to maintain just like any other boat engine. Just remember that regular maintainence is cheap insurance for a good running, reliable boat. Change your engine oil every 75 hours, change your drive oil every 100 hours and you should be good to go. Just make sure to find a reputable, knowledgable marina to take care of it for you, and if you want to learn how to do things yourself, I'm sure they'd be glad to help you out. I've been in the marine business for years, I've seen it all, but a customer that wants to learn the ropes and see what's going on behind them, that's a cool thing. Have fun!