New i/o owner

halb35 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:14 pm

my first post, Just bought today 2002 210 Horizon 5.0 GL

Any advise for first time i/o owner from anyone, I have always been a ob user / owner.

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:12 pm

Congrats, and welcome to the forum. The H210 is a great choice. Enjoy the quite power and lack of smokey exhaust. ...and keep reading this forum for lots of maintenance tips.

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

You gonna miss your OB fast.. I am on my first IO as well and only one year in to owning it I already miss the $$ flying out of my wallet...
Just keep up on the maintenance, which seems to be endless compared to almost nothing on a OB....

ric · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:43 am

It must be a northern thing about the maintenance. I don't think I've spent more than $100 in repair in 4 years (not counting routine maintenance).

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

what do you consider routine maintenance on an IO? Only thing I ever did on my outboards was spark plugs and water pump impeller... I guess I say it is more expensive because manifold, risers, and bellows are considered "routine" maintenance which cost a great deal of $$. Especially around salt water. You lift the outboard out of the water when you dock the boat and walk away.
Don't get me wrong I like the IO in the fact that you don't have this giant motor in the way when swimming and you get a big swim platform but there is no comparison to routine maintenance. There are pluses and minuses on both sides....

"Life's short, boats are fun"

ric · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:44 am

Oil changes, water pump impeller, tune up. I'm a fresh water boater, so manifolds last until they have issues. My 2003 boat is still on the original with no exterior signs of rust and temps are perfect no hot spots with a IR gun.

Engine related repairs, not counting boat stuff.. but purely to I/O? The most I've ever done was replace a power steering pump that costs $35 at NAPA and a new belt. The key to I/O's being cheap is that it's a car engine. You're not locked down to buying parts at the boat dealer unless it's very specific to VP or MC. I think VP wanted $300 for that power steering pump. It's a standard GM part sold on millions of cars. They're smoking crack.

SeriousRob · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:09 am

I've had my boat 7 years now. Horizon 180 with volvo penta I/O and 5.0 liter carb engine. In that time I have replaced 2 alternators and a starter.
Routine maintenance every year is
fuel filter
engine oil and filter
outdrive oil
water pump impellor
drive bellows (which I am just now doing for the 1st time in 7 years)
My boat is only in salt water twice a year on daytrips and 1 month in fresh water. So not alot of wear and tear.

Don't sweat the maintenance. I don't know what is involved in outboards but an I/O is not overwhelming.
Rob

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:08 pm

A lot of it depends on how you use it. If you trailer in freshwater, there will be less issues and repairs. If you moor or slip it in salt water like I do, you will have to do more or you will pay for your lazyness.
Don't just depend on what people on the internet (some of whom do not know very much) say.
Depend on what the maker of the power package said in their maintenance manual. Its all in there. The problem is people like to look for shortcuts and then find bad advice on the 'net that makes them think its OK. Same thing with winterizing short cuts.
Get the manual and look at what it says. Most will say there are a list of things that are supposed to be done every year. And some more things than an outboard, but keep in mind an old school Chevy based engine in an I/O is far simpler and cheaper to repair/replace than the power head in a modern 4 stroke or DI 2 stroke outboard.
as in the following:
Change engine oil and filter
Change drive oil
Remove drive, check bellows for water, check gimble bearing for smooth operation, check ujoints for roughness/rust, check driveshaft splines/coupler splines for wear.
If grease-able, grease ujoints, gimble and grease the driveshaft splines.
Check engine alignment
Replace raw water impeller every other year.
Yearly tune up
Change fuel filter

Salt water use: remove risers every 3-5 years to check for clogging and corrosion, plan on changing manifolds/risers 5-7 years.

The outboard, does not need the drive service listed above except for the gear oil change and changing the impeller (Lower unit comes off for that). But if you never or seldom remove it they can get stuck on there good like and outdrive.

So yes the OB will need less work and this is amplified in salt water use. But the OB has other advantages, such as much easier winterizing, no worry about explosive fumes in the engine compartment, and the fact that a failed cooling hose will not fill the bilge with salt water faster than you can say Oh Sh!t. However they cost more for certain repairs. You have to choose what is most important to you.....

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

LouC wrote:

A lot of it depends on how you use it. If you trailer in freshwater, there will be less issues and repairs. If you moor or slip it in salt water like I do, you will have to do more or you will pay for your lazyness.
Don't just depend on what people on the internet (some of whom do not know very much) say.
Depend on what the maker of the power package said in their maintenance manual. Its all in there. The problem is people like to look for shortcuts and then find bad advice on the 'net that makes them think its OK. Same thing with winterizing short cuts.
Get the manual and look at what it says. Most will say there are a list of things that are supposed to be done every year. And some more things than an outboard, but keep in mind an old school Chevy based engine in an I/O is far simpler and cheaper to repair/replace than the power head in a modern 4 stroke or DI 2 stroke outboard.
as in the following:
Change engine oil and filter
Change drive oil
Remove drive, check bellows for water, check gimble bearing for smooth operation, check ujoints for roughness/rust, check driveshaft splines/coupler splines for wear.
If grease-able, grease ujoints, gimble and grease the driveshaft splines.
Check engine alignment
Replace raw water impeller every other year.
Yearly tune up
Change fuel filter

Salt water use: remove risers every 3-5 years to check for clogging and corrosion, plan on changing manifolds/risers 5-7 years.

The outboard, does not need the drive service listed above except for the gear oil change and changing the impeller (Lower unit comes off for that). But if you never or seldom remove it they can get stuck on there good like and outdrive.

So yes the OB will need less work and this is amplified in salt water use. But the OB has other advantages, such as much easier winterizing, no worry about explosive fumes in the engine compartment, and the fact that a failed cooling hose will not fill the bilge with salt water faster than you can say Oh Sh!t. However they cost more for certain repairs. You have to choose what is most important to you.....

Lou, I think you covered it perfectly.

halb35 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:10 pm

Wow Thanks everyone. I still have my 05 deck boat with a 115 on it. Taking family out on the 210H this weekend to decide which one to keep. We are mostly fresh water, salt once maybe twice a year.

Thanks again
:?:

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:33 am

halb35 wrote:

Wow Thanks everyone. I still have my 05 deck boat with a 115 on it. Taking family out on the 210H this weekend to decide which one to keep. We are mostly fresh water, salt once maybe twice a year.

Thanks again
:?:

I vote for the 210H

ric · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:45 am

H210's with their L seating are NIIIIIIIICE

The 5.0GL is a great engine, I have the Mercruiser equivalent in my vessel. If you want more power they're very easy to upgrade

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:07 pm

Love my 210 with 5.0 gxi!

halb35 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:00 pm

We are keeping the FW 210 h. Should I keep my aluminium EZ loader trailer instead of the FW trailer?

halb35 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:06 pm

Now I have a 05 Tahio 195 w/ a merc optimax 115 for sell. 250 hrs, I do a lot of floating.
12,700.00

www.iFourWinns.com

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