Bravo compatibility question.
 

Hey i got a quick Bravo compatibility question. I have a 99 Donzi 38 ZX with stock 525sc's in it and i need to pull one of the drives to get some work done on it. It has whatever Bravo that came with that package, its not an xr or zr but i think i have heard it called an HP. Anyway i have a pair of very low hour Bravos that came off my 89 34 ScarabIII sitting on the shelf collecting dust and was wondering if i can run one of them on the Donzi for a few weeks while the work is being done. I have a run out to the Erie islands Labor day that i dont want to mis.

what are the differances in these two drives? i have low water pick up lowers on the Donzi (not dual) and just the side pickups on the Scarab drives. X dim on the Donzi seems low enough to handle it but it is still a step hull.

Any input on this would be great, thanks all.

HP is the gimbal not the Bravo.
So if its not an X-XZ-XR or Z then its a stock BRAVO I and yes your old ones will work but because they are old take it easy.:party-smiley-004:

cool, thanks. Yes i am gonna take it very easy they only have about 225 hrs on them behind stock 365 Mags and have had good service intervals. i would like to sell these older Bravos this winter. So they mated a stock Bravo to the 525's back than? They have actually been fine since new but i need to get some work done to one of them and also run some new cables.

Dave.
The HP drive was introduced just before the XR drive came out. It had shot peened gears and was suppose to be an improvment, but not much of one. Just an advertizing thing as far as drive strenght goes.
The 89's may or may not have the fitting for the reservoir, best check that.. the 88's I dont think had it, might have been on the 89's.
The lower unit may be a shorter bullet, so handling may be affected, but not that you cant drive it.. So check the reservoir fitting on the drive and you should be good to go!

Hope this helps.
Dick

Thanks Mr.G thats good info. I probably wont have it on for more than one or two weekends. The first run is really just a quick hop to Kellys Island from Marblehead (4 or 5 miles) and i probably will just stay on the island for the long weekend and after that i hope to have the original drive back on before my boat clubs fall color cruise (great run to wrap up the season). :cool:


My Scarab does not have drive reservoirs on them but it does have a tube coming from that area like on the Donzi but it has a plug in it and it appears to have been there from the factory. My Scarab is a very original boat and there is no sign anything was ever mounted there either. Just the tube with the plug in it.

Check the drive to see that the plastice fitting protruding from the bellhousing on the transom will not be crushed where it should plug into the drive. There is the check valve, ball and spring on the newer drives. If it is there, you can mount the drive and it will work fine..

Damn, i learn every day. Thanks Mr G.

Ok guys . . . heres what i found. My spare drive does not have the hole for the oil tube but it does have a relief in the casting between the two studs that would allow the plastic thing on the gimble to just remain undisturbed, extended and closed. Would it still be ok to use the older style drive, in my thoughts it would function as it did on the Scarab without the res bottle and the oil system would remain closed. Thanks again all

Glassdave,
your are correct.. should work fine.. Go Boating! :) :)

Thanks G :cool: I was hoping it would be ok it really only will be on the boat for maybe a week or two and its a very short run from the mainland to the islands.