SEI Drives
 

Anyone ever used SEI drives. Looking at the full Alpha1 gen 2 they sell for like 1295.00.

Chris

I've been running one on my 18ft Powerplay for about half a decade now. It has performed flawlessly behind a stock 260/350, and I have not babied it. The only thing I can say I wished was better would be the paint quality- specifically its adhesion to the housings. Nick

We sell them for a cheap option on stock applications and have had zero problems. Their warranty can not be beat and they do stand behind them.

There is a little more to it than 1295 price tag. SEI impellers are weak, SEI currently states have improved the installed impellers but I would use a Seirra or the Merc impeller, also no bolt kit or anodes or vent & drain plugs are included with your SEI purchase.

Also the upper comes in one box and the lower comes in another box so possible payment for someone to put this together if you can not. If you are replacing your Alpha Gen II with the SEI Alpha Gen II, you can use your bolt kit, and anodes swapped over if they are good shape.

Here is the most important thing I can TELL ANYONE using these SEI's or buying any new outdrive. After you have the upper & lower put together properly, BEFORE you bolt it up to your transom assembly and before you put gear oil in it - you better pressure test these unit leaks. Believe it or not about 20 % of these SEI will not hold pressure - 15lbs for 20 mins.. I know, I am dealer for them also so posting my experience with them. A lot of marine shops and do it yourselfers forget the steps to always pressure test new outdrives beforehand. I guess it is forgotten because most people think new is new without problems. Totally untrue about anything made.

Thanks for the info bup. So ho how do you pressure test these? I would have the shop do it but just looking for a heads up. My problem started with a bent prop shaft and the bearings are bad in the lower. The cost to rebuild lower is about as much as replacing the lower with SEI. Drive is 14 yrs old so i thought I should just replace entire drive. My boat is heavy. Think it will hold up as well as rebuilding the stock drive? Shop says rebuild but they would make more on the labor that way than they would make on selling me a SEI drive.

Chris

There is gear case pressure checkers that a lot marine shops buy. I sell them to. We use Stevens and CDI brands plus sell both. I like the Stevens better. Also a very good tool to have for the do it yourselfers as many are currently.

Dealers really make PEANUTS selling these drives, its the labor charged plus the misc parts sold with it. ie; props & hardware, bolt kits, outdrive mounting gaskets, Anodes and gear oil is where the money the dealer is looking for when selling SEI. FYI

Next thing is I still have about 4 OEM Alpha gen II - brand new in the box that I can not sell because of SEI pricing is so cheap compared to Mercs pricing. Merc has dropped the pricing in the past 2 years because SEI has put a hurt on their Alpha drive sales.

Rolling torque is usually set a bit low also.
Ditto on the impellers, had one spin on the shaft; changed to Merc impeller, no slippage. (all on a friend's boat, third warranty on the SEI).

BUP, what do you got to have for one Alpha Gen II?

Put one on a 22' boat with a base 454 and have had no problem's for 2 yrs. Alway's easy on the launch and never go airborne. Run the chit out it though..cruise 45 with a full load of people as much as 15 miles one way several time a week in the summer months. Watch the breakin period and use synthetic...at this rate i could do 4 of those drive's and still be ahead of a bravo cost.

got a few friends with them one of which is pushing ZZ4 crate small blocks and scattered one, they replaced it without issue. heard nothing but good stuff and they stand behind them as far as warranty goes.

A no questions asked warranty at that....not many in this industry can/will do that plus less than 1/4 the price new for a lower.