How many of you rebuilt your own bravo???
10-20-2002, 07:42 PM
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How many of you rebuilt your own bravo???
a tantrum and I are looking into buying the tools necessary to rebuild a bravo 1. He has blown the upper gears of his drive and mine needs to be rebuilt with some stronger parts. We both feel that this is not going to be the last drive we are going to blow so why not learn to re build them our self's.
From the looks of it in the manual it don't look that difficult. it seem more of having the right tools and patience to follow the directions more than anything. Or is it more difficult than it looks????
Any of you that have or do rebuild there own drive, How successful were you??? and would you trust your self to build a drive for a 600 Hp motor.
From the looks of it in the manual it don't look that difficult. it seem more of having the right tools and patience to follow the directions more than anything. Or is it more difficult than it looks????
Any of you that have or do rebuild there own drive, How successful were you??? and would you trust your self to build a drive for a 600 Hp motor.
10-21-2002, 08:11 AM
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I have done one so far, with the help of a friend that is a Merc. mechanic.
The hardest part is the bearings on the input shaft (upper) and the crush washer (lower). I don't think I could do one myself yet without a little help . I put this one behind my 675hp 540 and it made it the season.
I say buy the parts and go for it !
I also rebuilt my 540 for the first time , all myself,(still with a little supervision) and it's still running so far.
The hardest part is the bearings on the input shaft (upper) and the crush washer (lower). I don't think I could do one myself yet without a little help . I put this one behind my 675hp 540 and it made it the season.
I say buy the parts and go for it !
I also rebuilt my 540 for the first time , all myself,(still with a little supervision) and it's still running so far.
10-21-2002, 05:42 PM
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I was thinking but I did not trust myself...
-special tools +books + tapes.I made a list then I thougt if I make a mistake?!?
-mechanics do it everyday. I believe experience is the most important thing.
-I had an experience at the beginning .I bought ''how to hot rod bb-chevy book'' ,grinders etc....tried my best but ;at the end I gave up and took the engine to a mechanic.
my advice get the tools etc but do the first drive with an expert then try alone..
-special tools +books + tapes.I made a list then I thougt if I make a mistake?!?
-mechanics do it everyday. I believe experience is the most important thing.
-I had an experience at the beginning .I bought ''how to hot rod bb-chevy book'' ,grinders etc....tried my best but ;at the end I gave up and took the engine to a mechanic.
my advice get the tools etc but do the first drive with an expert then try alone..
10-21-2002, 08:04 PM
#4
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Drive Rebuild
I just did my Alpha for the first time, had to buy an OTC Slide hammer/puller kit, a bearing splitter, needed a two jaw wheel puller, and about $250 worth of merc. tools.. try www.mercstuff.com, and Ebasic power for parts.
Not that bad a job, but you definitely neeed a lot of confidence, patience, and genle moves, as the aluminum housings won't stand any abuse. Yo need good pullers, and the right tools, take your time, and it is a rewarding project.. make sure to pressure test your work before you run it.
My Alph seems to be staying together.. I have acouple of hard hours on it since i got it back together.
Dave
Not that bad a job, but you definitely neeed a lot of confidence, patience, and genle moves, as the aluminum housings won't stand any abuse. Yo need good pullers, and the right tools, take your time, and it is a rewarding project.. make sure to pressure test your work before you run it.
My Alph seems to be staying together.. I have acouple of hard hours on it since i got it back together.
Dave
10-21-2002, 08:17 PM
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Drive Rebuild
I just did my Alpha for the first time, had to buy an OTC Slide hammer/puller kit, a bearing splitter, needed a two jaw wheel puller, and about $250 worth of merc. tools.. try www.mercstuff.com, and Ebasic power for parts.
Not that bad a job, but you definitely neeed a lot of confidence, patience, and genle moves, as the aluminum housings won't stand any abuse. Yo need good pullers, and the right tools, take your time, and it is a rewarding project.. make sure to pressure test your work before you run it.
My Alph seems to be staying together.. I have acouple of hard hours on it since i got it back together.
Dave
Not that bad a job, but you definitely neeed a lot of confidence, patience, and genle moves, as the aluminum housings won't stand any abuse. Yo need good pullers, and the right tools, take your time, and it is a rewarding project.. make sure to pressure test your work before you run it.
My Alph seems to be staying together.. I have acouple of hard hours on it since i got it back together.
Dave
10-21-2002, 09:09 PM
#6
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Tools are on order.. I will be doing my own. I am tired of the pro's messing it up. I just havent found anyone that seems to get it right.. So I will mess it up myself and not feel so bad about it..
Who knows.. I may end up better off..
Dick
Who knows.. I may end up better off..
Dick
10-21-2002, 10:08 PM
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Have no fear, Dick. It can't be that hard. You just need the special tools and the service manual. Still cheaper than the labor to have it done by someone else. If you are not sure about something you can always stop and ask somebody on OSO. 
Doug
Doug
10-22-2002, 03:55 PM
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Tool costs to totally rebuild my Alpha... I know its not a Bravo, but I don't think there are really any more tools..
$210 for a long slide hammer with 3 sets of jaws.you need to grind some of the jaws to fit some of the bearings.
$59 for a 1/2''-5" bearing splitter
$70 or so for a two-3 jaw wheel puller to yank on the bearing splitter.
lower unit needs a special wrench for the pinion carrier, one for the driveshaft retainer nut, one for the shift shaft seal, Upper unit needs a special wrench for the bearing retainer. Also two tools for setting the gear shimming. It was $250 for the lot.
If you want the shimming tools and preload fixture, it is about another $250, but the Seloc manual details an alternate procedure if you don't have the tools.
Bearings and seals and shaft weld repair on the seal surfaces, and a couple of speedy sleeves were another $500.
I did make a lower ds roller bearing installation puller with 1/2' threaded rod for $5.00 with nuts and washers, you need a bunch of hardwood blocks and a deadblow hammer and a torque wrench and a workbench with a vise, and a few other tools.. an impact wrench is nice for retainer nuts.
All told I had $1000 in the job, with all new bearings and seals, mostly from E-basic power..aftermarket stuff.. Factory is a lot more.
It seems like it was $500 for what I actually needed to buy(had a wheel puller), and $500 for parts..about what the marina would have charged just for a reseal and replacement of the stripped driveshaft. It took a while to get all the parts and tools in house at the same time, but labor was about 10 hrs total.
Go for it.. its ONLY a machine..how hard can it be?
Dave
$210 for a long slide hammer with 3 sets of jaws.you need to grind some of the jaws to fit some of the bearings.
$59 for a 1/2''-5" bearing splitter
$70 or so for a two-3 jaw wheel puller to yank on the bearing splitter.
lower unit needs a special wrench for the pinion carrier, one for the driveshaft retainer nut, one for the shift shaft seal, Upper unit needs a special wrench for the bearing retainer. Also two tools for setting the gear shimming. It was $250 for the lot.
If you want the shimming tools and preload fixture, it is about another $250, but the Seloc manual details an alternate procedure if you don't have the tools.
Bearings and seals and shaft weld repair on the seal surfaces, and a couple of speedy sleeves were another $500.
I did make a lower ds roller bearing installation puller with 1/2' threaded rod for $5.00 with nuts and washers, you need a bunch of hardwood blocks and a deadblow hammer and a torque wrench and a workbench with a vise, and a few other tools.. an impact wrench is nice for retainer nuts.
All told I had $1000 in the job, with all new bearings and seals, mostly from E-basic power..aftermarket stuff.. Factory is a lot more.
It seems like it was $500 for what I actually needed to buy(had a wheel puller), and $500 for parts..about what the marina would have charged just for a reseal and replacement of the stripped driveshaft. It took a while to get all the parts and tools in house at the same time, but labor was about 10 hrs total.
Go for it.. its ONLY a machine..how hard can it be?
Dave
10-22-2002, 07:16 PM
#10
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Well I am going to give it a try. My drive has been modified with a SS tower and XR gears, so setup isnt stock. But I will find the info I need to get it done.
I bought tools from Sterndrivespec. He gave me the best prices, and the tools I ordered will be here Friday. Thanks Chris..!! I dont have all the tools, but I will collect them as I need them and learn. I did pull my upper apart this summer to replace bearings and I put it back together. It did make it thru the summer, but the original setup was wrong and ruined the upper pinion gear. So I will figure that one out and reassemble. the lower is almost locked up. Not sure why, but I will by this weekend when I get it apart.
I was wondering why my top end speed was less than expected.. I am hoping this will make a big difference. I need another 17mph out of it in order to run with the BIG DOGS!!
I will keep you guys posted as I learn and progress.. Thanks for the encouragement !!
Dick
I bought tools from Sterndrivespec. He gave me the best prices, and the tools I ordered will be here Friday. Thanks Chris..!! I dont have all the tools, but I will collect them as I need them and learn. I did pull my upper apart this summer to replace bearings and I put it back together. It did make it thru the summer, but the original setup was wrong and ruined the upper pinion gear. So I will figure that one out and reassemble. the lower is almost locked up. Not sure why, but I will by this weekend when I get it apart.
I was wondering why my top end speed was less than expected.. I am hoping this will make a big difference. I need another 17mph out of it in order to run with the BIG DOGS!!
I will keep you guys posted as I learn and progress.. Thanks for the encouragement !!
Dick
