Fresh Water Runabouts

Hydrant · 08-18-2011, 07:55 PM

Check around for the Penta stuff. They have become much more common in the past years, but not nearly as common as the Mercruiser. Typically, all your after is outdrive components. The motors are still all Chevy based. It's just who did the work to turn them to marine motors and the outdrives. But even at that, for what you would be doing you shouldn't have problems with either. Usually the only thing that goes wrong is your water pump impeller that sucks the lake water through the outdrive and circulates it though the motor for cooling. Other than that it's just 3 shafts and some gear sets. The impeller's dry rot after a few years, or if you suck some sand up there you can pit them pretty badly. I would not let the Penta thing scare you too much, because any good marina will most likely have parts. It is the times when you have a week long lake trip planned and something happens, but see above.

Also, what are you planning on doing with the boat? Just curious as to the 4.3? Skiing, tubing, wakeboarding??

Here is my big ass slalom skiing behind mine.

08-18-2011, 07:55 PM	#10
Hydrant WERA Yellow Plate Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Moto: 2003 Suzuki TL1000R, 2002 Honda CBR 600 F4i Posts: 660	Check around for the Penta stuff. They have become much more common in the past years, but not nearly as common as the Mercruiser. Typically, all your after is outdrive components. The motors are still all Chevy based. It's just who did the work to turn them to marine motors and the outdrives. But even at that, for what you would be doing you shouldn't have problems with either. Usually the only thing that goes wrong is your water pump impeller that sucks the lake water through the outdrive and circulates it though the motor for cooling. Other than that it's just 3 shafts and some gear sets. The impeller's dry rot after a few years, or if you suck some sand up there you can pit them pretty badly. I would not let the Penta thing scare you too much, because any good marina will most likely have parts. It is the times when you have a week long lake trip planned and something happens, but see above. Also, what are you planning on doing with the boat? Just curious as to the 4.3? Skiing, tubing, wakeboarding?? Here is my big ass slalom skiing behind mine. __________________