Bravo Drive Rotation
 

I thought that I knew the answer to this but I keep hearing different stories. So whats the truth? Are Bravo drives set up from the factory to spin a specific direction? If so is one any stronger than the other. Also if so, and your current boat is set to run RH, how difficult is it to set your boat/drive to run a LH drive RH?:angry-smiley-038:

Bravos can run either way. Doesn't matter. Simply a matter of switching props and shift linkage. Infact if you switched props, and put your boat in reverse, it would go forward.


Darrell.

Well what if my current boat is set up to run a RH rotation and I put a LH rotation drive on, how difficult is it to get it to run RH without changing props?

On a bravo, you just switch how the shift linkage is connected. No such thing as a LH or RH bravo. There are like ...Bi or something.:D




Darrell.

How do you switch the shift linkage to adjust this? I understand how it hooks up but I don't see how to switch how it is connected?

You do it at the shifter mechanism at the helm.

The shift lever will have an attachment point
on the opposite side of the pivot point

you move the cable to the opposite side.

look at item # 1 in this picture.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...2%2F3+Lever%29

Awesome, thanks for all the knowledge.

Why are you trying to switch it? Are you trying to change from a RH prop to a LH prop? The above info is correct, just curious what your trying to do.

I have Bravo one LH rotation sheered teeth off upper gear set could this be due to LH rotation? I have heard LH puts more stress on gears?

LH rotation on a bravo, Loads the top gear and wants to shove it out the top cap. RH rotation puts the load on the "floor" of the drive so it will last longer.

Thats why this year I moved the starboard drive to Port side and the Port to Starboard side and swapped props back to try and evenly wear the gears top and bottom. Thats correct on how to spin a bravo the other way. Both props spin in but I heard on deep V's without a step sometimes work better spinning out. So when I swapped drives I changed the cable mount points at the shifters before I swapped props back around. Lost a little top end so I changed it back to spinning in. It was easyer to dock though with them spinning out.

Very important
 

I leaned the hard way that if you put 500hp on a bravo 1, you need to use the lower gear going forward or else you’re gonna send the top gear out the top cap and damage everything in the upper including the housing where the lower bearing is.

in my opinion, where the engine max HP is near the the rated HP of the drive, it becomes more and more important

They break stuff when using the lower gears as forward too.

If it’s not the tower in the std bravo case, the’ll push the pinion gear/bearings out the front when the case snout breaks on an X case when a gear tooth breaks off and tries to make its way between the drive and driven gears.

Only relevant in single applications.
Due to counter rotation achieved in the upper of Bravo drives, a twin engine situation one drive will be lower, other side upper.