Fenderjack

iTrader: (2)

Does this number verify anything, is this a real alpha SS drive?? A pic of the number, the length of the shaft.. The drive has a nose cone, looks diff then if it would have been added/ molded aftermarket, as it isn't a sharp cone, but def is one.. The shaft also looks shorter then a reg alpha.. Let me know guys, if you have any info. I have looked for this number, but seems it has been on more then one drive in particular..

Thanks John Jr

Fenderjack

iTrader: (2)

Top it off for the night crew

John Jr

wtfo

Sorry if I misunderstood your email earlier... I can't post pictures on here, if you want me to email you a pic or two of the one that's on my boat, I'd be happy to if it helps. If I remember correctly, they weren't marked with a special serial number and were only made for three years, some in 1.32:1 and some in 1.50:1 gear ratios.

The alpha ss lower looks like a 2 hole CLE outboard lower and has two low water pickup holes right above the point on the nose. There are no water pickups in the sides. I don't have the cases split and can't give you the measurements on the shaft, nor do I have a good idea what you've got pictures of, but it's something else... the skeg is also way too small...

is it perhaps a modified outboard case? I don't recognize it off the top and would have th think about it some.

Not sure what else you're looking for... Hope this is helpful.

Cheers! Tim

ps. I'd be happy to post pics or even take a couple more that are clearer and send them to you if it helps...

PAST DUE

looks like a Bravo 1 with a nose cone to me.

RHM253

It's a 1988 Bravo I imo.

Tinkerer

What makes an Alpha SS shorter is the upper case NOT the lower case like a short shaft Bravo.
The lower case is the same length as a standard Alpha. It just has a shorter input shaft and shift shaft. Many years ago I took my stock alpha added the shorter shafts, installed a low water pick up nose cone and then bought the SS upper case and had my Alpha parts installed from the old standard drive.
2 1/2 inches shorter.

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

This is a true ss lower,,it takes a shorter upper housing so you cant just bolt it to a standard gen 1 alpha upper unless you replace the upper shaft on the lower from a standard lower unit..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...59865908412690

wtfo

I'm tempted... I've been running in the river a lot (where the water is a bit skinny and it's not unheard of for someone to lose a gearcase to a log just below the surface.). I've been thinking about putting a regular drive back on the boat just in case... can replace a standard alpha for relatively easy money and have a couple spares anyhow, the ss would take time to find parts for let alone a whole drive.

both upper and lower are different... and parts like shafts are scarce as can be...

Fenderjack

iTrader: (2)

If you remove how much would you want for it.I want one bad but hate to put a ton of money out.Because I could change over to a bravo,for about 2500.00(used drive 1500.00.and transom plates about 1250.00 used and I already have a bravo)but just want a alpha ss for some reason. Thanks JOHN

wtfo

it all depends on what your goals are...

I have the alpha ss on a 17 1/2 foot boat with a 450+ hp 383 in it. it makes sense in that aplication for a number of reasons - it's faster than it would be with a bravo, lighter by a little bit (an even bigger issue if I but the L&S sternjack on), probably handles a good bit better than with a standard bravo (huge difference in high speed stability over standard alpha and got me through blowout as approaching 80 mph), shallower in the water, and can easily be swapped back to a regular alpha drive if I want to do something different. Finally, if I went with a standard bravo drive, i would potentially still be dealing with the gearcase blowout as I pushed it faster....

You'll have to weight what factors are important to you in making choices. How much power are you pushing now? how heavy is the boat? how much more are you going to try to get out of it in the future? is it going to be better off with a shallower drive? if you're going to want to step up in power to make it much faster, how much is it going to take and will an alpha be sufficient to handle it, etc, etc, etc...

I may be overly simplistic or uninformed in the way I'm looking at this, but that's my two cents..