Like
Crusader and MerCruiser, Volvo Penta starts with a basic 8.1-liter V-8 from
GM. The 375-hp 8.1 Gi and 420-hp 8.1 GSi, which GM fortified with a higher
lift camshaft and forged-steel crankshaft to carry the added load, feature
Volvo Penta’s patented fuel-delivery system designed to keep them
running reliably under the most taxing conditions. The unit foils vapor
lock with an integrated module assembly combining high and low pressure
pumps, a vapor separator tank, and a water separator/fuel filter.
To combat corrosion,
Volvo Penta’s gasoline inboards are now fully coated using an electro-deposition
process. Since opposites attract, the result is a uniform coating even
in inaccessible areas. Trouble spots such as the exhaust manifolds are
treated inside and out, and the oil pans on these engines are now all-aluminum.
Volvo Penta’s
newly designed boat wiring system connection and electrical circuit protection
box should promise easier installation and decreased chance of electrical
malfunction. Regular maintenance is kept to a minimum thanks in part to
the continued use of long-life coolant and the durable, platinum-tipped
spark plugs introduced last year. And Volvo Penta has gone GM’s
all-in-one Serpentine Belt system one better by adding an automatic spring
tensioner.
Volvo Penta has also
come out with a new engine using GM’s 5.7 liter block. Apparently
the company has taken a cue from Silicon Valley, where packing ever more
power into smaller, more affordable machines is a way of life. The Swedes
are touting their new 5.7-liter GXi as an economical workhorse. Harnessed
to its DuoProp drive, it puts out 315 hp, making it comparable to last
year’s 7.4-liter Gi, but smaller, nearly 17 percent lighter, and
less expensive. The 5.7 GXi, like all of Volvo Penta’s gasoline
inboards, is covered by a two-year limited factory warranty.
Volvo Penta of the
Americas (757) 436-2800. Fax: (757) 436-5150. www.vpfluidthinking.com.
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