Years ago i sold a 20 foot boat with a 454 hopped up with an old #1 drive before the alpha drive.
I told the buyer the motor was too much for the drive and we proped for over rpms to take the load
off the gears and told him not to hit from the hole, but just race from running planeing speed. The drive is still alive. The worst time for a unit is when the boat is nose up, comming up and the prop cannot turn but the torque goes to full. Baby it and it will last.

So as long as I go easy off the hole shot (which I do) It can last a while then? Speed wise is there any op speed gain from a bravo?

With the same engine in front, its my take that an Alpha takes less Hp to turn and is also more hydrodynamic through the water. All else being equal the Alpha my be faster.

You will not gain any speed,at this point unless you are going to put more hp in the motor you will be fine. Take it easy out of the hole and use your trim tabs if you have them when you have more people aboard.

Not real sure of that.
When a boat reaches it's point of maximum possible speed for it's engine the load on the prop has become so great that the engine can no longer accelerate and is then at it's peak torque.
Coming out of the hole the prop and engine are both accelerating up till they reach their point of maximum load limited by the peak engine torque.
IMO max load on the drive would be at peak engine torque or WOT.

Thanks a lot guys I guess I'll just stay with the alpha pamper it till it breaks

Avoid catching any air, if you do you unload the drive and when she renter's there is hell to pay....4500 lb boat 400lbs of touqre 4800 rpm amd instant full loading...

I am running two alpha drives behind some built 355's making 420hp and almost 400trq, my boat is almost 5800 lbs and I beat on it a lot, seems as long as you back out of the sticks when you go flying they seem to last. Well that's my take on it for the past two summers!