bravo or alpha
 

I recently bought a 23 velocity 454 coupled with a alpha one.I heard after" I dont want to keep this drive "so i'm looking to do the swap need advice and good deal??? :angry-smiley-038:

Run the Alpha until it breaks!

Seriously, though, it depends how you drive the boat. If you plan to run hard, strong hole shots, hot rod it around, the Alpha probably won't hold up.

There was a time in the 1980's that Mercruiser put this combination out, but only for a few years until they realized it wasn't the best setup.

You can use the boat as is, with smooth acceleration, not much wake jumping, and "reasonable" abuse. If you're pulling tubes, just don't hammer the throttle like a mad man.

I say run it until it gives you trouble.

Thanks! well if anyone hears of deals on a good bravo setup it would be a good winter project.Assuming the alpha holds up that long..also is there a coupler to fit bravo to alpha transom assy...or is that bs

You need to change the complete transom assembly if swap to a bravo. You also have to add a sea water pump to your engine.

If your Alpha grenades, I would just get an SEI alpha drive with a 3 year warranty.

there is a way to butcher an alpha gimball ring and install a bravo helmet in it. it weakens the already weak ring. a used bravo transom assy is too cheap now to go that route. that velocity is a light boat. alpha may hold up well. bravo set up adds weight to very rear of boat.

I have 2 bravo drives with complete transom assemblies, Halo MAX drive showers, steering and trim cylinders, 2 sets of props and tie bar that I just had taken off my boat. I am getting an Arneson Conversion and I have no use for the drives anymore. I know someone at the shop is interested in buying one of the drives, but they have not bought it yet. I would like to sell the whole package instead of one drive at a time. I am waiting to see if one of my drives get sold. If not, I am going to list the whole package for sale on OSO at a extremely cheap price to get rid of them. They take up too much space in my garage. Nothing is wrong with the drives. They are the bravos with the 1 inch prop shaft, which can be upgraded if you really wanted to do it.

I too am on the fence about going to a bravo... What all has to be swapped over? Is it pretty much from the flywheel back?

thats what it sounds like... hell of a job i guess

from transom out, plus adding engine driven raw water pump, plus changing lower shift set-up. inner transom shield i don't think you have to change, nor flywheel or coupler.

To do it right you replace the coupler and you have to use a Bravo Bell Housing to house the coupler due to it's increased size.

So basically you change everything from the flywheel back...plus add a sea water pump to pump water to the engine...Bravo's don't have a pump in the drive.

If you have big power and want to use it to it's full potential...go Bravo. If you KNOW that you're going to just pu$$y around with it you can get away with Alpha's...just keep looking over your shoulder.:evilb:

I sure wish I had hooked up with you 90 days ago...I have been collecting parts and pieces since the first of the year. Now I am adding the final pieces.

I figure I have spent about $5500 A~Z, including pumps and hardware, bell housings, couplers, steering ram, transom assemblies, trim pumps, rams, cables and hoses to convert Twin No. I Mercruisers to Twin Bravo I's ....DIY labor. My original estimate/goal was $6K so I feel like I shopped it well.

Has anyone seen a screaming deal on a whole brovo setup!!!! I called sei not the right gear ratio on those alphas ...help please

whadda you mean not right ratio? you have the most common 1.5. you don't want 1.36. the lower ratio loads the drive up worse. that velocity is a light boat. the Alpha is not as much risk as when pushing a 260 Baja Force, or a Sundancer. what are you running, 23 or 25 pitch prop?

23 pitch prop the sales dept at sei said that i need a 136 gear ratio...thats why i hopped on here to get some true anwers ...lol

Remember that the Alpha actually does have one advantage over the Bravo - it has a better hydrodynamic profile. Translation: less drag. So if you do a straight Apha to Bravo swap with all other things being equal, you'll go slower with the Bravo.

That said, the 1987 454 / Alpha combination is pretty much a hand grenade waiting for a place to go off. If you have a relatively light boat - which you do - the combination will actually last longer because of the lower stress. There's a guy just down the lake from me wth an original 1987 Sea Ray Pachanga 22 with that cobo and it's never been apart. Of course he drives it like a little old lady.

When I bought my Formula242 it had the alpha and still does ,I have put over 300hrs on it with know problems just dont rip it out of the hole on you will be fine. Or just spend the 4k plus to convert to a bravo.

Thanks guys i think ill run it till ...if it breaks then look to upgrade for next summer .

Intelligent and informed decision.

if you are planning on upgrading to bravo eventually, find 1 or 2 craigslist 2-300 buck used alphas or alpha lowers. at least one. seems stuff doesn't break when you already have a spare. of course, your drive will run for years now. and your buddy will blow his alpha up. and he'll beg you for your spare and you'll think "heck, it's just sitting there anyway!" then your drive will pop the next time out...

true thats murpheys law ...whoever that murhey is lol

Yeah...and Murphy was an optimist.

but don't spend SEI money until you are sure you are happy with the Alpha.