Opinions on the Volvo 5.0L & 5.7L engines

[Peterman]

Ive been looking at new boats... Osprey's and Skagits etc...
Lots of them have either the 5 or 5.7L engines with dual props..
I've never owned an inboard and I tend to shy away from them.. Not sure why... I beleive the new inboards are far superior than the old ones..
Whats the consensus on these motors... Would you buy one?
The 5.7GXI looks good with 320hp and evc (electronic vessel control)
Pros and Cons?
Would you buy an inboard over an outboard?
Maintenance and fuel economy
Thanks..

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Inboard or outboard. People have been debating that for ever. There is no answer. THeres just as many pros and cons either way. If I had my choice, Id probably have a Yanmar diesel with a Bravo 2 or 3 drive. Instead I have Suzuki outboards, and theyre ok too, thirsty though and thats becoming the deciding factor.

I dont think you will go wrong though with the Volvo DP package. Just dont underpower it.

 

[Sushihunter]

I would agree with IFL - don't underpower the boat! Go with the 5.7 which should be a 350ci Chev motor - hard to beat. Stay away from anything with a Ford 302/351 motor if you can.

I've had both, and the Chev motor is the best choice. Easier to get parts and they are generally cheaper to buy.

I love the Volvo Duo-Prop. They perform well. Just takes a little getting used to when docking - they don't behave the same way a single prop leg does. I can't count the number of times I ended up in my slip only to find myself 3 feet from the dock.

Good luck with your future boat!

 

[Peterman]

Im also a firm believer in more power is better.... then you can run it easier and the engine isnt working as hard... I havent heard anything bad about these engines yet..

 

[wolf]

LOVE my boat with the dual prop and the inboard and a complete rebuilld was 5 times less than a new outboard. and anyone can work on a 350 chev darn simple .
checkmate

Wolf

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Nice lookin ride Chris. Are you gonna be frequenting the Nootka area this summer? Do you have an Icom radio with private channels?

 

[wolf]

WHO needs 300 hp go for a stroker at 425 hp!!!!! pushing my boat at close to 8000lbs cause im fat.... LOL LOL
i cruise at 3400 rpm going 27 mph wot is close to 40 mph and like CS says burn way lees fuel

 

[TenMile]

I have a Merc 5.7 (same block). As others have said, they are easy to work on, but the maintenance tends to be a little higher. Couple of things to consider when buying one:
- make sure that the engine area is large -- if the engine is accessed via a "doghouse" style enclosure make damn sure you can get in to do maintenance like change your starter and plugs. If you can't then you'll be removing your manifolds and risers or worse -- pulling the engine to do minor maintenance.
- make sure you get a Closed Cooling system aka Fresh Water Cooled. You do NOT want Raw Water Cooled, and if you can, avoid the Half systems.
- Volvo Penta tends to charge more for parts than Mercruiser -- items like Impellers, Alternators etc are premium priced compared to Merc unless you go after-market.
- get an engine survey -- compression test being the biggie -- if you can, get a VP mechanic to hook the engine up to the diagnostic computer and check for codes.

Enjoy your new boat.

As others have noted, there is no replacement for displacement!!!

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Good call on the compression test Tenmile. I just looked at a boat for a member of this forum. It ran great and looked really clean. When I checked the compression it had a really low cylinder. Turned out to be a burnt valve. Good thing he spent the money to get it checked. THe owner replaced the head and he bought the boat, now he has a really nice ride.