bravo 1 making noise, will i damage by running
 

Just got out on a weekend vacation and my starboard drive is making some noise. Thought I heard/felt something last time out, def. Something there now. I want to run this weekend, since we are here already, will I cause more damage or can I get by? Help

I think you already know the answer to this question. The real question is do you want to buy a new housing or just rebuild the inners? When it goes, which it will, unless it fixes itself, it could take the housing with it. Especaly if it's only a B1 and not an XR. Everyone running B1's should carry a spare with them at all times. Maybe you could idle around and it might survive the weekend but where's the fun? Sorry, I feel your pain, just trashed one of my Imco's last week.

B1's are a plenty! My rule of thumb... if I break one I'll just buy one or a pair from classifieds and be back on the water in a few days! If it's a lower it won't eat the upper but if it's an upper it will eat the lower! That said... go have fun! My buddy has a rack of B1's if ya need anything...

I agree with the first part. A lot of times it is less expensive to just buy a complete low hour used Bravo 1 drive than to fix a broken one.

I have completely disitegrated an upper and the lower was perfectly fine.

Thanks, starting to think its been going on for a while, will take it easy and check it out this week.

Best thing would be to check the magnets for metal flakes or chunks. If any, then it is on a self destruct path.
Depending on power, a properly setup B1 can live, driven with respect. Sometimes longer than an XR. Net forged gears wear out.. The machined helical gears will last as much as 600-900hrs if they are not over powered.

Dick

Could it just be a ujoint or similar, some noise seems to be between engine and drive, and I'm getting some vibration

Could be u-joint or gimbal bearing

Might just need a shot of grease

Ran most of the day, doesn't seem to be getting worse, disappears somtimes, but I can only hear it when idling with silent choice on so hard to tell. May sound stupid but where do you grease bravo1's? I know I didn't do it since I got the boat this winter, didn't know about it.

There should be a zert to grease the gimbal bearing,(on back of transome should be on right side) zerts on engine coupler(those are a pain to get to but must be done) and then on u-joints but you have to pull drive to do that. Even if it doesnt cure the noise still needs to be done for routine mantainence

What does it sound like.
If it is a rattle at the rear of the motor it could be the metal flappers in the Y pipe going down the back of the motor.
If it is a U joint or gimbal bearing it will get worse when the drive is turned hard in either direction.

Ya. I only said that cause from my experience if the upper goes the fragments usually end up in the lower. Change the fluid and see how much metal comes out. align the drive and grease all fittings.... Have fun! Make your way down here before winter...

Where are the zerts on the coupler located? I've got 496hos with X's. I usually had someone do the service, but this year I did it myself.

Zerk fittings are on the hub on the back of the coupler, where the input shaft goes into the coupler. They should be 90* fittings, two of them, 180* apart. You may have to roll the motor a bit to see them and get to them.. A couple of shots of Spline Grease goes there.
The gimbal bearing gets grease, not sure what is spec'd out. And the Ujoints use Ujoint grease. But any good quality grease is better than no grease.. :)

Dick

Well, took the boat to the local marina today, gimble bearing was almost gone, one u-joint was bad, the other one borderline. I would have liked to do it myself but time and my non-experience in outdrives says otherwise if I want to boat the remainder of the season. I will probably do the other one myself over the winter if I can find someone to help that has done it before, since if one was bad, I figure the other (same hours) probably isnt far behind. Good thing I took it in because they said the gimble bearing was close to coming apart and causing major damage. BTW anyone know offhand how much parts are, just wondering how much I would have saved by doing it myself.

U probably would have saved alot of money but like you said season would have been over. In MI season cant be that long before it starts getting cold

Definately, could be nice till October or could be done in a couple weeks, thats MI for ya.

I was thinking it would be a universal bearing. When they go, you can feel the floor vibration at part throttle and it makes you think something is really wrong. Other vibration stuff I dealt with was clutch shuttling since the shifter was out of adjustment, that mistake costed me a drive...can you say friction welding the clutch pack?!!!!

A good invoice should have the parts listed by part # and priced out. Chances are they are charging full merc retail on parts. You could maybe save 10% on the parts at www.mercruiserparts.com

He'll be paying double to pay for marina taxes. Ask if the invoice comes with petroleom jelly...grab them ankles.

I just did a gimbal in a B1 and it was around $80ish from Marinepartsexpress.com only took about 20 min once you get the drive off.