Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I know it is mostly how you work the sticks but to you guys out there with the newer TS Top Guns how have they been holding up!

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I have had 3 bravo drive topguns, two straight bottom 600hp, and a t/s 500efi, and haven't had one problem.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Thanks cigarette we were talking about it this weekend and I really have not heard anyone complaining about blowing them up too often! I would think with the newer boats being lighter,the TS running so level, and getting speed out of less HP that they would be lasting!

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Spinetickler has or had 575SCI with intercoolers in his '01 T/S Gun, and he had to keep spare drives with him!

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

LS
Do you know of others with similar problems?

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I had a 94 Top Gun with Hawk 550s for two years and never had a problem with a drive...it had the original bravo ones on it.....

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Just on the older ones (straight bottom). A LOT has to do with the way you run the boat. I would imagine if you are going over 700HP you are going to have drive problems. If you are looking for a T/S I would get a Bravo XR boat. If you are looking for a straight bottom I would look either TRS or SSM #3 because the Guns with bravo drives purpoise like crazy.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I believe superchargers with 5 + lbs of boost is what hurts them. Torque makes them I.E.D.'s

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I never had a problem with porpoiseing....????? That is the first I have heard of this...........

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

They do. You need monster tab. The rocker could have been taken out of yours which makes it a little better.

LS JR.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Actually you just need to pay attention to the drive settings. I can run the tabs level and the drives need to be adjusted depending on your speed. You can't just set them anywhere and have it run level. But it also doesn't porpoise all the time. I think people that state this don't take the time to learn how to run the boat.

I don't fully buy that they porpoise becasue the motors were moved back to eliminate the transmission. If this was the case you would only have to find the CG on a TRS boat and add some weight forward of the engines in a bravo boat to make it the same. Also you have 1500 lbs of fuel onboard when full and burning that off changed the CG a bunch.

My Pantera was almost exactly the same to drive and as the TG.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Just check the top caps for loosening on the port drive specially.

CF which of your blower engined Cigarette gave you this problem?

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

A friend of mine has a 1994 38 Top Gun, he added Holley 250 Powerchargers with 1050 Holley dominators, Gil Offshore exhaust and a roller cam designed to be used with a supercharged marine BBC. The engines ran great, but ate up the bravos.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

[QUOTE=Von Bongo]I don't fully buy that they porpoise becasue the motors were moved back to eliminate the transmission. If this was the case you would only have to find the CG on a TRS boat and add some weight forward of the engines in a bravo boat to make it the same.QUOTE]

But they didn't fill in the weight where they had the transmission. So the CG is not right. However, I'm not saying all bravo Top Guns purpoise but the majority do.

Also, I don't know if the older Top Guns did it (90-94). We test rode quite a few 96-99 Top Guns. That is where I get my info from.

LS JR.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I have had several late model Topguns and they porpoise and ride awful unless you tab them and tuck in the drives.In certain rare conditions,they rode excellent without tabs,and I do mean rare.Ask Philly and he will tell you there is no comparison to a T/S.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I have also heard about the porposing problem with the straight hull bravo boats!
I guess the general conscious is that a TS with XR drives will hold up pretty well with mild power 575-500s!

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I think that is a very fair statement

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

The only bravos I know blowing up on a regular basis are blower boats.Both Whipple and Prochargers are known to self -destruct drives.It is too much power and torque brought on too suddenly.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

in my T/S Cig, i run the IMCO Extreme Advantage SC drives matched to +700HP blower motors.. i've had absolutely no problems.

chad

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I had B & M 250 blowers on the Hawks putting out about 4 psi of boost....granted a pretty low output....but never had any problems and the engines were fairly high time......

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

from my exp. they only porp when the water is FLAT...which they werent designed for

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

That is a nice looking engine room Rich!
I forgot to mention the Merlin heads on my buddies boat, plus he is a little hard on the equiptment. Full throttle from the tip of Sandy Hook to the Barnegat Lighthouse in 3-4ft seas, something has got to give and it was the bravos. The Top Gun puts out a nice ride. How does the ride compare to the Gladiator?

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

This is my third season with our 2001 T/S Gun with 500 EFI's and XR's. I have broken one drive and it was probably due to the weakness of the stock top cap. Teague replace the drive and put Billet top caps on both and I have not had a problem since.

The funny thing was is when the drive let go the water was absolutely flat, which is rare for the Pacific Ocean in the afternoon. I was running along about 80 mph and it locked up. The top cap was mostly missing with just a few pieces being held on by the bolts.

Other than this one time the boat has never broken. Which is a first for all the boat I have owned. I batter knock on some wood. :D

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

San Diego, Top Gun, Pacific Ocean.....Some guy's got it all!

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I guess my question would be, if they rode so badly, why did you own more than one of them?

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Cuda,

When I bought my first Topgun,I had no idea nor did I care.All I cared about was the fact I was finally getting my Cigarette.My last Topgun was a half-cabin,vacuum-bagged boat that did 80 with 500efis and rode alot better,but still required tabs and tucking in the drives for a smooth ride.After riding in countless t/s Cigs,I decided it was time,and traded for a new Gladiator.I will tell you that it was still worth owning these boats.Did they require more talent to drive for a better ride?You bet,but on a limited budget,all I could afford at the time was a used Cigarette,and any Cigarette is a pleasure to own,operate and show.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

PM,

What year/power/drives (well ovb. bravo drives) was your first Top Gun?

LS JR.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

First was a 96 with 502efi and Bravos,second was a 98 500hp and bravos,third was 00 with 500efis and bravos.The 2000 definitely was the best of the bunch.The 96 was awful.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Can't say I have it bad here in SD. I traveled alot in the Military, and love the place even more now. If I ever move it will be farther West (Hawaii). :cool: :D

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

What was the top speed of the 96?

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

RE: Porp:
I've heard of the Kevlar cover girl cabins doing this, but not so much in a full cabin boat. For instance, the 97 "All keyed up" boat that Lipship had a while back. Phil said it needed the big tab in that the nose was always up. Which I believe is the reason the past owner sold it. He was accustomed to the ride of his previous full cabin TG.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

We sea trailed a 96, Kevlar, Covergirl, 600 Zuls, and it needed a lot of tab. I have been in a few 96-98, Full Cabin, 600-700 HP, Fiberglass, and they seem to ride nose heavy. In those years did Cigarette go from one extreme to the other?

LS JR.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

It appears........Thats a heavy bathroom.....

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Cuda,

The 96 did 63-65 ish.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

HavasuCig, where were you and SemperFi?

We ran down Thursday and returned to Newport Beach this morning.

San Diego has the best weather in the west.

Some pics

Leaving a Mission Bay lunch stop.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Getting ready for the run home this morning

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Looks like a great time.....I see ole Nort in the last pic there.......

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

I got 147 hours out of my XR's. They were starting to get difficult to shift, so I freshened them.

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

We were there on Saturday but the trip was cut short when Semper Fi blew up one of his engines in the Power Play. We ran down from Oceanside and ate lunch at the Bare Foot Bar then headed to San Diego Harbor and the motor went south inside the Harbor. He had to have his Girl Friend give him a ride back to his rig and then drive it down to the harbor to pull the boat out. The motor sounded like it dropped a valve or something.

The water outside the harbor on the way down was nice though. To bad we missed you guys. :(

Re: Bravos and new TS Top Guns
 

Sorry to hear about G's problems ... I hope it's not serious.

We didn't go to the Barefoot Saturday. I was in the bay cruising "Big Chubby" ... funny, I got a call at the hotel from the owner asking me to bring the Big Chubby over to Seaside Village to pick him and the group who went by taxi to tour the Midway. It was cool putting around until they finished their lunch.

The ride home Sunday was , ahhh-hmmm , kinda big .... everyone made it back safe and sound ... no breakdowns.

Question - What would a lunch run to Oceanside Harbor be like? Any docks to use for a couple of hours?

G