Mr Gadgets

Thank you Marc!! That was it, I remember now.. double shot peened gears. I knew it was a bandaid approach. Not sure if it helped with strength or not.
The new gears are so much better, it seems a mute point to remember the improvements they tried years ago.

Again, thanks Marc for the info!

Don, I believe they are referring to the PSI relief valve in the trim pump. It will release, if you hit something, but it will still do damage to your lower if you are going fast enough. I have never relied on that feature, but it has been in most setups since the early 60's.

Dick

thanks_don

Ok Thanks Mr. Gadgets

creeper

So, Mbam/Gadgets is the Bravo Performance drive a better drive than a standard Bravo? Is it indeed the begining X drive. And or was I miss informed by Merc. And why does my drive look diffrent.I am getting real confused........and you say it has old style vert shaft,but low water pickups and Merc told me that lower was a option,You are saying Hp drive is low water??? see what I am saying..or is it a morfadite drive...

Mbam

Marginally better if at all. Only you can tell for sure if your drive has the low water pickups or not, but I think it does.

creeper

Mbam, prev. I decribed my set up and yes it has low water.And are you saying I was miss informed from Merc???

Mr Gadgets

creeper,
Could they have meant that the HP was precurser to the X. I think at that point they relized there was a problem with the gears and with sufficient power the floor of the gear would break out. The double shot peening may have been a step they tried before they came out with the X style gears.
So in retrospect. The HP drive is not much of an improvment over a standard Bravo, compared to an X drive or the XR/XZ drives.
Now about your case looking different? I am not sure what you are referring to. Most of them look the same to me, maybe I am missing something. I have several upper cases lined up in my shop now.. Could you describe what you mean and maybe I can set an old case next to an new one and see what you are talking about.. Then we could go for pics.. that would help a great deal.

Dick

Revd Up

My 2005 Bravo 1 serial number starts with OW. Is this any better than the standard Bravo 1 ? I'm running 570 Hp approx 545 propshaft HP. Drained my outdrive lube today and it looked good . Still green. No shavings. Its a DWP and I run a shower. Am I going to need to upgrade my drive? Usually easy out of the hole, but occasional throttled air on Lake Michigan. Boat is a 2005 Velocity 260.

Mr Gadgets

Revd,
That drive has the good gears in it. I am not sure if it is the X or XZ drive, but it has the thick floored X gears in it. Unless you head towards a blower motor and 800hp + you should be ok.. I have a customer that can eat gears with 850hp in a 260 Velocity, so we upgraded him to XR gears and no problems since. I really think you will be ok!! My theory is to stay with the X style gears unless you have enough power to break the teeth off, then XR gears are a the next step.

Hope this helps.
Dick