Does drive have to be in forward before you pull it. If I do have to put it in forward would it make a difference if my props spin in? Thanks

DO NOT put a Bravo drive in gear without engine running and NO it needs to be in neutral when you pull the drive..

You can put em INTO gear without it running, you just need to have the input shaft spinning to take it OUT of gear.

You can also take em off and put em on in gear or out of gear. Not a big deal. In gear lets you put a wrench on the propnut and line up the splines into the motor coupler a little easier.

Speaking of Bravo XR stuff, I an trying to install my drive. I get it to about 1" to go and can't go any further. Sounds like U joints bottoming out. Suggestions?

Never heard of the U-joints bottoming out but I would look at the alignment if it wont go in all the way.

You can't always put them into gear when they are not running. It depends on the bump ring position and the space between them if it is closer to the top or bottom driven gear. FORCING them into gear can cause damage.
Yes it may go into gear without rotation, but only if the spacing is in the proper place for the gear you want to go into.
When the drive is installed, the linkage needs to be out of the front of the drive. That would be in reverse in RH prop situation. That allows you to put the shift cable ball into the linkage and as it slips on, it should go back into neutral, allowing you to turn over the motor.
I generally shift the drive manually and rotate the input shaft to help this happen.

If your drive only goes in an inch, then check alignment, as has been mentioned. One thing I found was when you do an engine alignment, after you have it where it needs to be, bump the motor over 180* and check it again. I once had a warped coupler and I chased if for a while before I figured it out. I borrowed another coupler, aligned the motor and then reinstalled the old coupler and ran it several years after that without problems.

Hope this helps.
Dick

I think my gimbal bearing and coupler are aligned. The tool slides in easily. But that axis is not be directly centered in the bellhousing. Hence the drive will slide on within an inch of mating with the bellhousing then wont go anymore. I think my engine needs to be reset on the mounts. Even though they are solid mounts, I need to check everything again. All I have is the tool. I have seen a plate that someone made that fits into the bellhousing. Do I need that too?

Thanks.

Mine did the same thing after having drive off for a repair. Pulled it back off put more grease on shaft and o rings turned drive shaft slightly and it went right in

Is the shaft entering the splines on the coupler? It could be as Firehawkcat says.. just need to align the splines.
You didnt change a coupler by chance? And go from a short hub to a long hub?
Is the 1" space the amount between the drive and the helmet? Or the shaft and the coupler?

Splines are aligned. Did change the coupler but used same type - long hub HP one that comes on XR.

1" space is the distance between drive and helmet mating surfaces. I am almost there...frustrating.