Junk XR gears.
04-08-2009 | 07:37 PM
#12
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 4,213
Likes: 0
From: Chicago il
Whatever they make the gears out of now compared to 4 yrs ago is a different formula. The newer gears just break teeth off with no warning. About all you can do is cryo-treat them which helps, but eventually they will fail.
Somebody needs to start making them out of better material.
I would, but then I would have to sell my boat to have the money to do R&D. Vicious circle isn't it
Somebody needs to start making them out of better material.
I would, but then I would have to sell my boat to have the money to do R&D. Vicious circle isn't it
__________________
Want your ECU tuned right?? Call Mark at Precision www.pmefi.com
Want your ECU tuned right?? Call Mark at Precision www.pmefi.com
04-09-2009 | 12:07 AM
#14
Registered
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
From: Lake George NY
rhinoLX
They are not "junk", 650HP is too much for that gearset always has been. They are not rated for that much power. I always thought 500HP would have been a good place to stop frankly. Sure, John Q Public says "I,ve been running 800HP for years on the same set with no trouble blah,blah. I've seen PLENTY of them break at that level. They were not designed for that abuse. You can "make them last" but you'd be better off upgrading them if you don't want to have to baby them. Would you complain if your one ton truck broke with two tons in it? Sure you could get away with it for a while but, come on be fair. I wouldn't blame it on the boat owner either, the gears just weren't designed for that. Not looking to start a fire but this an old tired subject.
I see you are from Lake George,NY Clustergear, say hello to Nicki Cutro for me.
I see you are from Lake George,NY Clustergear, say hello to Nicki Cutro for me.
04-09-2009 | 06:52 AM
#16
Registered
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
From: Lake George NY
Don't mean to hijack tread
OK just spoke to Nicky, he said to say and hopes all is well. I hope all is well too haven't seen you in years. Now that you PM me and I know who the real rhionLX is. Any posts from rhionLX about Merc drives and lower units should be taken very seriously, you are not going to find a better source of information.
04-09-2009 | 07:07 AM
#17
Registered
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 406
Likes: 1
From: Memphis Tn
Are the gears made in china like everything else. Teeth breaking off the steel is to brittle or heat treat is off. Im in the job shop machine shop buss.. Ive made some small gears for high speed heavy duty gear boxes from S7 tool steel. Very tough high wear tool steel hard to chiip or break. Im thinking about giving it a try for XRs on my Black Thunder. Bussniess is slow not much going here.
Bob
Bob
04-09-2009 | 09:37 AM
#18
Registered
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,867
Likes: 3
From: Waterford,MI
BDARCHER, I'm in the die business at GM. We use S7 as our material for trim dies. You are right it is a very tough steel, it's sometimes called chisel steel. Many times, I've thought that S7 would make a good steel for Bravo gears. We heat treat it as an air hardening steel in oven and flame hardening to about 62R. That's probably too much for gears, make them too brittle. Getting the heat treat correct would probably make or break the gears and require some experimentation, $$$.
04-09-2009 | 02:42 PM
#19
Registered
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
I hope I'm not floating in the river this summer remembering this thread and thnking they told me so.!!
I'm a little pissed that Merc. does not admit to quality problems like this.
04-09-2009 | 03:32 PM
#20
Registered
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,283
Likes: 1
From: EASTON MA.
I'm one of those guys ran a stock b1 89 from 90 to 05, skip a year or too and had 420 hp from 03 to 05 then 580hp to 600 until 02 then had 30hours of 650hp. thats stock and its fine. I bought a bravo x drive but never put it on the boat its for sale in the box, I JUST BOUGHT A ACE DRIVE WITH SHORTIE that will handle my new 700 or 1050hp fun motor. I know guys in my area swear by max machine worx running 850hp on a 5500lb single boat and its been fine but he has built a 1100 to 1200hp motor for this summer we will see.
