Rinker with the Volvo Penta 8.1 engines with Dual Prop drives

tricountytrail

Wondering want everyone's opinions are with these engines and drives and if anyone has any running data on the package in a Rinker 360?

aero3113

Just make sure they’re not the composite drives, I know they had issues. I can’t comment on the engines, I have no experience with them but I would think 8.1’s would be nice.

Aqua_Aura

Engine and drives are great and better than merc in my opinion, obviously not the Volvo composite drives. We had one in our 280 and I find them easier to work on and less prone to Mercury problems like steering pin and easy to replace impeller as well since it uses a standard johnson pump on the harmonic balancer. I originally wanted Mercury thinking parts are easier and cheaper to source but I had no issues with Volvo. 

PickleRick

With 8.1s. You'll get to know your local gas station attendant very well.  

Unless you do absolutely all you own repair work, I'd make sure there's a Volvo Penta dealer close.  If you shake a tree hard enough a mercruiser dealer might fall out of it. 

And as others said,  avoid if the composite drive unless you're getting a steal of a deal.  

tricountytrail

Thanks everyone for their comments. I had the Rinker Fiesta be 360 with the 8.1 mercruiser. Bravo 3s. It got destroyed by a tree. Just purchasing the same boat with the Volvo Penta 8
2 set up. They are not the composite drives. There's an Anode on the top of the transportation plate and there is no oil reservoir and they are heat exchangers with antifreeze which is a bonus. I'm used to the fuel on the mercruisers cruised at .7 mi per gallon at 30 mph 3800 rpm top speed about 39 mph

tricountytrail

I do all repairs and figure out 95% of the stuff myself. Just have to add the Volvo Penta to my expertise I guess. 

Aqua_Aura

One expensive volvoism was my fuel pump. I never had an issue but changed it anyway. 

I ended up changing out my fuel pump with a much less expensive option as my 8.1 was one of the few where the pump assembly was about $1400. I found a guy that puts them together and he also removes the paint that the factory puts inside of the fuel assembly which will eventually come off and clog things. 

I posted this before somewhere on here 

https://mancavemechanic.com/

YYZRC

Volvo fuel pump is expensive but so is a cool fuel module. Raw water pump impeller is way easier to swap out in a Volvo. 

I also used man cave mechanic with great results. 

In my opinion the only thing better about the Merc is the VesselView. But given the choice, I would choose Volvo over Merc. 

Aqua_Aura

You can set up "vessel view" with the merc on a Garmin chartplotter. I had it on mine using a yacht devices adapter into the nmea network. Very easy to do just plug and play. 

YYZRC

I had the yacht devices adapter as well. It was ok. 

tricountytrail

I had the full setup twin engines with the 

Mercury Boat Can-P Gateway Module 8M0165589 | NMEA 2000 Converter 

on my twin 496s j boxs and all cables 
I want the same thing for my volvos if that is a option but I need another gateway and probably a totally different setup to bring it into the nmea network

Aqua_Aura

If I remember correctly you need the gateway ydeg-04 and also the adapter. This plugs directly into the engine and also the nmea network. I used Garmin when I did it and it was very simple. The best part I liked using was the fuel burn so I could make sure I was cruising at my best mpg and not burying the boat. I liked to make sure I was just above planing rpm. 



https://yachtdevicesus.com/collections/engine-gateways

rasbury

Didn't take long to find a boat- is a link where it was on line?