ThisIsLivin

If I start a Go Fund Me page will you guys chip for an SEI drive behind my 700hp? I'll let you know how long it lasts, promise.

boatnt

iTrader: (1)

probably as long as a Merc Bravo?

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Your partially correct,, there's LOTS of people who have used the Chinese SEI ALPHA drives on their low power 4 cylinder. 6 cylinder runabouts with some success, theres virtually NO ONE running this complete Bravo drive yet as it just recently came out. The Chinese Alpha drive hasnt faired so well behind any V-8 SBC application either thats making any kind of power much past 250 hp. I was rebuilding a pair of 3.0 liter 2 stroke outboards lowers and called SEI as some parts were interchangeable with their 2stroke offerings and guys was real honest and straight forward, He said these are for LOW POWER, LOW PERFORMANCE applications and recommended AGAINST me using their 2 stroke lower gears or shafts in the lowers I was rebuilding, Smitty

ThisIsLivin

I'm going on season 4 with an AADS upgraded Bravo.

boatnt

iTrader: (1)

well I'm not affiliated nor am I a spokesman for SEI drives, I'm just probably the first one to buy a complete bravo drive which I have not used yet . Do I know how it's going to perform ?absolutely not all I'm saying is there's plenty of guys that used the lower bravos that SEI produces on performance boats and they've had pretty good success with them, has anybody used a complete bravo ? No because they just started making them but it is what it is. I'm going to bolt them on if they perform well,good! if not I'll take them off and put something else on,

my question to you is you keep saying CHINESE in your remarks over and over , I don't know where the parts are made for SEI as their website states from all over the world and they are assembled in Florida , but you're probably right they probably are made in China, but where are the Mercruiser's/bravo parts made?in the good old USA? So if they're not made in the good old USA what makes them any better? And you certainly can't tell me that the mercury bravos are trouble free regardless of what horsepower you put in front of them

again, I could care less about SEI, or Mercruiser , I may be the guy that starts a thread next summer and says what a piece of crap a SEI bravo is, but let's at least give it a chance

TomZ

iTrader: (2)

I used their Alpha replacement behind two 385s and a hot rodded 350 Vortec without any issues outside of my own carelessness - I blew up one with a heavy boat and a heavy hand out of the hole. A Merc Alpha would have grenaded itself behind a 383 for that kind of behavior, too. SEI replaced it, no questions asked. The replacement ran on the heavy boat and then was moved over to my Stinger that ran right under 80 MPH. I changed the oil every season using Quicksilver High Perf gear lube. Last I saw the boat a few years ago it was still together (couple different engines broke but the drive was still fine).

Just sharing my experience with SEI.

j272

Besides installing at least a dozen over the years for customers, I had one on my own boat(sold).
It was a 22 f3ls 22' formula with a 260 hp mercruiser. The original alpha drive broke a tooth in the upper and I put on an SEI. ran real hard, full throttle starts, catching air, hit some logs... for about 4 years, never an issue.

SB

iTrader: (1)

Yup, i have handful sei alfafa’s :wink behind stock to modified sbc’s. All fine here.
knock on wood.

boatnt

iTrader: (1)

Well, I thought I would give an update to the thread, as I previously mentioned I bought two complete SEI bravos and installed them on the 31 sonic with 496HOs. yesterday was the first time I took the boat out, was out for an hour. I got to be honest so far I'm happy with them they shift real smooth they're quiet so far so good we'll see how they last.

Wildman_grafix

Whooo Hoooo it's on the water! Keep us updated, bring it down and we will go out and play in the Atlantic, see how those do.