Rick.. Our current boat is my 2nd I/O .. Prior to buying my 1st one ( Grumman 18' w/ 120hp Mercruiser) many moons ago, I recieved dire warnings from some folks about trouble with boot failure, blown drives, etc.. When I finally sold that boat, 16 years later, I had yet to have ANY issues with the outdrive. One of the things i liked about that boat, was the engine, being a basic carbed Chevy 4 cyl. was simple and easy to work on.. Even for a mechanical spaz such as myself. Granted, that boat was used 80% in fresh water. But my experience with that 1st I/O gave me enough confidence to go for the current I/O diesel rig. My biggest concern of course has been corrosion as this boat sits in salt all year.. But by being careful to keep a good coat of bottom paint on the drive, and religously replacing zincs ( I also added a large zinc slab to the transom) , we have had no issues so far. Also, while the engine is freshwater cooled, raw water is still often used for cooling the drive, so occassional flushing is still in order. As you are so mechanically inclined, I think you should be just fine.. Good luck amigo!
