mercruiser 888 vs volvo 280?

[camchannell]

I have a 1973 Marlin with a mercruiser 888 outdriveand a 5.0 302 v-8. I'm looking at buying another marlin, a 1977 with a 351 v-8 and a volvo 280 outdrive. I've never owned a boat with a volvo outdrive. I'm very firmiliar with mercruisers and have rebuilt a few myself. Can anyone share some info on the pros and cons of the vp280 vs mc888?

[Beech2000]

Volvo Pros:
Strong, Great design (cone clutch)

Volvo Cons:
Cost, Lack of OEM support, Fewer local parts suppliers and neighborhood help.

Mercruiser: Pros (Pre-Bravo)
Low cost, no shortage of local parts and support. High production numbers with lots of used spares.

Mercruiser: Cons (Pre-Bravo)
Weak, bad design (dog clutch)

I don't have experience specifically with the 888 but have done a couple of TR units. Helped a friend change out lower drive shaft and bearings on older Volvo 250. They are great units and seem stronger than smaller mercs by design.

[camchannell]

Thanks for the info.

[switlikbob]

I have a volvo 280 that has been a nightmare to work on...you need special tools to do a lot of things correctly, and they seem to leak a lot!

[camchannell]

Thanks for the info. Its much appreciated.