What's the scoop on this Bravo?
 

I picked up a Bravo One X Diesel 1.5:1 with serial number OL750***. What year is the drive and what is it's capability? :confused:

Thanks, Mike

Not sure about anything else, but my Bravo 1 from 1998 is serial number OL151***, so that might give you some idea of sequence.

-Andrew

It does have the low water pickup which is a nice feature.

Without looking inside, I am guessing. Seeing that it is OL serial number, it indicates the old style thin floored gears. The thick ones started with the OM drives.
I read an article once that mentioned the Diesel gears. They were nothing more than shot peened. But they were the B1 gears.
Not sure if they used a heavier vertical shaft in them or not.
I found the article and I can email it to you if you like. Big files so it would have to wait till I get to work on Tuesday??
Or pm me with your address I can send you a copy of article.. I found it in Family & Perfromance Magizine. Sept 2001.

Hope this will help.
D*ck

Thanks, I was hoping for a heavy duty version of the B1 with it being an X Drive and low water pickup, I am running 500 HP in a single 28.
Mike

Pics
 

I thought I would post some pics to help clarify what's on my Drive. It clearly says "X" and Diesel on the decal but it is a OL750 number with low water pickups on both undersides of the torpedo. Any info regarding the gearset capability would be great .... I guess I want to confirm this drive would have the "X" gears and not the standard style thin floored.

Thanks!

Mike,
The easy way to verify it is has X gears in it is to pull the top cap and measure the length of the tower race. That would be the bearing race that is pressed on the alumminum tower on the cap. If that race is 1" long, then you have the thin floored gears. If it is closer to 7/8" then it will be the thick floored gears.. That is the easy way to tell. Although I have seen a mix and match, that is very uncommon..

Hope this helps..
D*ck

can anyone tell me what drive this is? i know its a 1.5 gear but the sieral# is oc810389??? it has a xr cover on it,but who knows tripps

The only difference is, it has spiral gears instead of straight gears.

I hate to say this but it looks like a new decal on an older drive. X drive did not start until 0M serial number. See if this helps:

http://go-fast.com/mercruiser_bravo_sterndrives.htm

The 0C drive is a 1991 or so. Way before the XR was released.

I was able to find out it is a 2000 manufactured and 2001 sold Bravo Diesel X Drive. I pulled the top cap and it's the older model thin floored gears but is has hardened gears and a few other upgrades from the older drives. I think I will be OK with 500 HP, if not then I will have Mr. Gadget build it up with the new X set-up. The low water intake is a bonus regardless.

Thanks!

Don't take this wrong, but it's not an X. The X has a steel tower in the upper, thick floor gears & bigger input shaft. Actually with the LWP it is the drive previously sold as the Hi-perf version. If I remember correctly they had a double shot peened upper gear set which was also used on the older diesel version.

Mike, LWP is something you do not want unless you need it to solve a water pressure problem. Usually not required unless you have a very aggressive X dimension or a ventilated bottom boat. They have a tendency to act like a vacuum cleaner and suck up tons of sand.

Regardless Gadgets can set you up.

Mike,
I take it you got the article I sent you? It does talk about the shot peening of the gears in there. I have seen people put lots of power to the same type of drive and it make it live. But the key is to drive it with respect and it should hold up. If you want to upgrade it to the thick floored gears (X Gears as I call them) and install a steel tower in that case I would be happy to help you.

What Marc says is true. The LWP isnt the best choice unless you need to solve a problem.

Marc,
I couldnt remember if the "X" drive had the large input shaft. Thanks for the support!!

Interesting ..... I took recommendations from my local Mercruiser shop and thought I was going in the right direction. I'm not too worried about LWP sand issues running only in deep water in Lake Huron and I am running a strainer. If I start collecting lots of junk in the strainer I may have to take a look at the pickup. Any other issues with LWP other than picking up crud?

I can say for whatever reason Merc called this drive the X Diesel because I verified it on the Merc tech hotline, plus the OL750*** serial number is embossed right on the decal so it's original. They told me it was a 2000 manufactured, 2001 sold unit. Maybe Merc used the X designation for upgraded gear drives, and with the OM series went a number of steps further for the new style X. Mr Gadgets article from that 2000 era indicated the early X upgrades from the older original design Bravo 1's.

Here are a couple reasons for LWP on a Pantera !! LOL! :rolleyes:

Sounds like it is a late 90's bravo performance drive.....basically a B1 with hardened gears. Looks like they stuck a b1x diesel sticker on there in place of the bravo 1 performance sticker. If you havent broken it yet i wouldnt worry too much.

Now those are some cool pics!!