Heck - post some pictures of the boat! I'd love to see all of the details.

By the way - what is your friend doing with the old dash panel, Vacuflush system, etc?

I will try and get some pics soon and post them in a new thread.



C_SPRAY

I will find out about those parts and let you know

C Spray, That discussion about spinning a smaller prop faster as been in many past threads. I run 700HP/800TQ thru a hp bravo with no failures. I never spin over 5100rpm, use synthetic oil and drive shower and 1.36 gears and 28 or 30" max props. My boat weighs less than half of the Formula but it is a single. I would like to try a 1.25 gear and 24-26" prop. My '94 382 loaded and heavy with 502 mag efi and 5lbs boost ran 75-77. Non step and no dialing in. To break 100 in a new 382 is quite a feat.
Why doesn't Mercruiser just buy out THe Bravo Shop and the B-Max. If you can't beat them, buy them. Or check for patends and just build their own version of the b-max like they did with the shorter lower unit.
That guy is spending a lot of money and is nuts to not finish the job and sell the XR's and replace them with B-Maxes. Cost $12k and no tows. (maxes installed $24k - sell XR's $12k($6each)). Break down with your wife and friends in the middle of somewhere and watch tempers fly. Been there. done that, buy the maxes!

I agree Mercury should build a Drive well suited for the 700 to 800 hp range for the average consumer.


It was a non issue to continue using xr's on my buddys boat. After consulting with Bob Teague, he said the XR's would be more than capable of handling 800hp with his platinum upgrade. And I believe he backs that with a lifetime warranty on the drives.

The B-Max was not considered because the upgraded XR's were up to the task. And with any drive if you take care of it, it will take care of you. I have heard stories of Bravo One's pushing HP500efi's with a procharger and surviving long hours.

My old 1992 336 Formula has the original Bravo Ones on it and for the last 3 years has been running Teague 530hp motors and they are just fine

Cobra Marty - What I am talking about is to reduce the torque going INTO the drive, not just at the propshaft. No matter what gear/prop you run, the upper gearcase is still seeing crankshaft torque unless you overdrive it. A nice neat little unit, say 1:1.3 that would fit inside a bellhousing would be the cat's nuts. That would drop 650 ft-lb down to 500 - far more manageable.
I'm running Innovation/Volvo 600's with DPX's, and while the upper gearcase in that drive is a little better than a Bravo, it would never withstand the 720+ I would get with Whipples....

My hat's off to Teague for offering a lifetime warranty!!

Robert, hard to understand why a customer would buy a boat such as that, upgrade the motors with prochargers, props, etc and still say "I plan on baby'n it". We all know to well that the guy will put the HP to the test first chance he gets and as Troutly said, trash the drives.

I would certainly try and convice the guy to upgrade the drives so that no one will have hard feelings about what was done. Heck whats another few grand when he is dumping that much into it already. As "murphy" always says "it will fail at the most inconvenient time" probably right after he brags about it doing 93 and someone says "oh really take me for a ride"

Regarding Merc, ya I agree why in the world they don't come up with a pleasure version of the #6 that is bullet proof for more HP and dump the Bravo1 that way everyone would be forced into the HD drive. Corporate America I guess

Chances are growing that we mayupgrade the drives. As a consenses of opinion is everybody thinking B-Max rather than IMCO or Teague? Hey, I'm just a country boat dealer, not an engineer,but it still makes me mad that Merc has their head in the sand on these issues.The XR drive was supposed to solve everything but it's only a bandaid. Why do you suppose people pay a ridiculous price for a 575sci,to cruise around at 60 mph?No,they want to kick butt and expect the drives to hold up and they deserve to have them hold up,but they sometimes don't.Do you think any of Merc's bean counters are looking at warranty claims on failed drives?If they did they would see there is a problem.

Troutly,you are correct,they are XZ's. Maybe it's time to have him check out this thread.

Robert, that is great advice

What about the new Imco sc. Just wondering what Imco rates them for. If they can handle the power it would give you the option of changing drive heights for more speed.