Reply With QuoteGood drive if you're keeping it stock. I think they're supposed to be good for 500hp or so. Forget about future hop-ups however, they're not nearly as popular as Merc's.
What is the good and bad about these drives?
I posted this in the outdrive section, but it isnt as popular as here.
Good drive if you're keeping it stock. I think they're supposed to be good for 500hp or so. Forget about future hop-ups however, they're not nearly as popular as Merc's.
I think I heard that prop selection is a little restricted for the Volvo drives. Check the LVHB forum as there is a user on that board that runs this drive.
I had one on my last Commander. It was the 502 with the DPX drive. A couple nice thing, first it has built in full hydraulic to the helm and it looks clean. Also mine was a 24' boat it it planes like my 19' jet boat, it was amazing in that respect. They handle more than 500HP, Volvo had it behind the 600HP with I think a 1 year warranty. If you were running a deck boat that 600DPX would be sweet. The draw back is as twisted said, no aftermarket support.
Some say it will slow down the boat on the top speed, but I have never seen any study that shows that it has a major impact. I have seen test with the regular dual prop drive against the single merc and it was about 1 MPH difference.
Originally posted by Essex502
I think I heard that prop selection is a little restricted for the Volvo drives. Check the LVHB forum as there is a user on that board that runs this drive.
Bronson Hill does the props for those. They have a combionation of front and rear ranging ranging from E1 to E3 I think, but some have mixed them up for a total combo of 27 if my math is correct, but bronson hill can redo them to what ever is need when I talked to him. the real issue is the lake of aftermarket support.
R&R Propellor in Henderson Nv. works on them also, they did my friends (Also a Commander). I think he picked up a couple mph.
It really depends on the boat you plan to use it on. I know they work well on those damn SUB's (sport utility boats, ei. chapparel deck boats), but my buddies Commander 28 Cat w/HP500 keeps cracking the rear edge of the rear E3 prop. Commander had them worked over by Bronson to get closer to the speed they claimed (and still came up short, but that's another story). The first prop lasted about one season, after being fixed it lasted 3 trips, the last time it only lasted 1 trip. I'm not sure if it was a bad casting, but I've heard other stories about the same thing happening. It may not be the best setup for a cat? I think Commander is going to put a new prop on it, as hell as fix some other things. Should be done in about a month.......I'll let you know if the new prop makes it through the 1st trip.
Originally posted by h2oski2fast
It really depends on the boat you plan to use it on. I know they work well on those damn SUB's (sport utility boats, ei. chapparel deck boats), but my buddies Commander 28 Cat w/HP500 keeps cracking the rear edge of the rear E3 prop. Commander had them worked over by Bronson to get closer to the speed they claimed (and still came up short, but that's another story). The first prop lasted about one season, after being fixed it lasted 3 trips, the last time it only lasted 1 trip. I'm not sure if it was a bad casting, but I've heard other stories about the same thing happening. It may not be the best setup for a cat? I think Commander is going to put a new prop on it, as hell as fix some other things. Should be done in about a month.......I'll let you know if the new prop makes it through the 1st trip.
I remember you saying that a while ago, hopefully the new prop will do the trick. Sounds like it just gets weaker and weaker.
For some reason I think RD may have an opinion on this.....
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