What is the difference between an inboard motor and an outboard motor? Do inboard motors move up and down?

Question

Why are outboards popular on fishing boats (bass boats) and inboards preferred on ski boats?

Answer 1

The difference is this....outboards the entire engine/lower unit are combined into one unit. For which is mounted on the rear of a boat. Inboard, or inboard-outboard, the engine is mounted on the inside of the boat where the outdrive is mounted on the outside, being two seperate units This is whats called a inboard/outboard. Now in the case of a inboard as in your competition ski boats the engine is mounted on the inside where the prop is underneath the boat. Outboards are more popular in fishing boats for several reasons. One being there lighter, producing less weight. They allow the boat to have more room on the inside seeing that there mounted on the back of the boat. They allow the prop to sit higher in the water to allow the boat to go into much shallower waters, and NO inboards are NOT faster than outboards. Of course this depends on the size of the boat and HP. On inboards the motors are fixed in place. Regardless if its a inboard or a inboard/outboard. On inboard boats the props are fixed. On inboard/outboards the lower unit does have the ability to move. Thats what is called tilt/trim. The operator can change the angle of the drive unit by the push of a button. Inboards, inboard/outboards are preferred on ski boats because of there ability to produce more torque over there outboard counterpart. The extra torque is needed to be able to pull up skiers, wakeboarders, etc....  Hope this helps

Answer 2

An inboard motor does not move, its propeller is under the boat. An outboard motor is mounted on the stern of the boat. The stern is the back of the boat. The motor can tilt up and down. Another type of inboard motor is called a stern drive or an I.O. That motor is inside the boat located in the stern. The drive part of that motor is located outside of the stern. It does move up and down.Bass boats use outboards so that you can fish all around the boat without getting tangled up with the drive unit that you would have with an I.O. Inboards are generally much faster, so they are used on ski boats. Hope I have helped you.

Answer 3

These are great answers and i would like to add that performance wise you get your moneys worth with and outboard it gives more power than the same size inboard or I/O.

Answer 4

inboard is just that it's inside the boat.  on ski boats the motor won't be in the way.

Answer 5

On an true INBOARD the motor is inside the boat , sometimes near the center (front & back) of the boat sometimes more toward the stern  with just a drive shaft  coming out the bottom with prop in front of your rudder. Inboards are traditionally a  smoother flatter ride and carry more power. In other words the Bow does not raise way up in the air upon acceleration. On small inboard boats there is a small house built over the motor, on large boats they will be below the deck.  An OUTBOARD is just that, the entire motor is mounted on the transom. With an outboard the weight is all on the transom (the stern edge of the boat) and for that reason you need to trim way down on power ups so the bow does not stand straight up and flood the stern. YES IT CAN STAND UP ON ITS STERN, If too over powered, It can to this on Acceleration and Deceleration with some low free board boats. For this reason most high powered outboards will have power trim which changes the angle of thrust from the prop by changing the angle of the entire motor with a hydraulic unit on the transom. They are considered the faster of the three types. Then there is the INBOARD OUTBOARD This type of power unit has the actual engine inside the boat like an inboard, the engine will be right up against the stern and usually have a housing built over it again like the smaller Inboard boats. The difference in an Inboard and an Inboard outboard is the prop unit (what would be the lower unit on an outboard) is mounted to the motor through the transom so you only see the lower unit (The Outdrive) with the prop sticking out of the stern of the boat. This outdrive has trim control like an outboard. Most inboard outboards have a high free board like the inboards good in sloppy water. Hope this answers your question. Outboards are lighter & faster, Inboards Stronger and more stable hence a flatter ride good for skiers.

Answer 6

well inboards are in the boat....and outboards are mounted outside the boat...

Answer 7

Shallow running and less wait for bass boats

inboard wake is two big for water ski but for wake boading or any other sport it cool