You should talk to Bill Schumaker. He's an IMCO dealer and has put some huge power in Fountains behind IMCO drives. He'll know exactly what you can expect from those drives performance-wise and if it's the best for your application.

http://www.eliminatorofindy.com/default.asp

Thanks...Ill give him a shout.

The faster a Bravo spins and the more slip your prop has the better.
Maybe not for gas mileage but drive life.
IMCO makes very good vertical shafts, better than the Mercury ones. I've seen the difference side by side, broken and new.
Keeping it cool and using a GL-5 lube could add life.
Granted 800HP is alot to ask out of a Bravo but some live longer than others.

Agreed, but.....More slip = less speed = :(. Boat has drive showers and we are using high quality oil already. I think we are gonna go ahead and pull trigger on the SCX's. I have done lots of research over the last 24hrs and feel that this will be the best all around drive for our application.

I talked to Bill for quite a while....very nice guy!! Thank you for the lead. I may have him do some work for me. Has he done anything for you or do you know anyone who has used him? Would like a little feedback if possible.

They look like a great candidate for the Bravo replacement...I have my eye on those also.
Good luck and let us know how they work out.

I will and thank you....keep your fingers crossed for me!!

I live in Indy and Bill owns the Eliminator dealership here. He's given me a lot setup advice on my boat and had made the current set of props I have on my boat. I know he does a lot of work on Fountains. I keep my boat on Lake Cumberland and know a guy down there that Bill does all the work on and has set up his 38 Fountain which is running 1000+ hp thru Imco's (about 116 mph on a smaller stepped hull), and the guy's other boat, a triple 47 Fountain, that he's also running 1000+ hp power thru Imco's.

I wanted to have Bill rig the Ilmor's in my 38 Fountain but Ilmor wanted it sent to their guy. Other than minor rountine maintenence I have yet to need anything major done to my Fountain so I just take it to the local dealers down on Cumberland rather than drag it back to Indy. So other than getting my props thru him and his giving me advice he is yet to turn a wrench on my boat.

From the times I've spoken to him and from what other people have said, he seems to really know the Imco product and and how to make it reliable and fast on Fountains.

Also.....a 1.35 ratio - some pitch - 1 blade, + more water/stock X dim = less slip.

How did the boat hook up getting on plane.

I will be interested in your results. I just grenaded my first XR drive. Broke everything. I will replace the upper completely with a reman unit and all new bearings etc. in the lower. I am spinning 30 Labbed Maximus. Cruising at 60 mph when it went. I have been driving the boat fairly conservatively lately. I may go back to my 32 Bravo's and get them labbed. I don't know if the props caused this or bad gears. Several of the teeth were gone and it looks like one of the teeth may have been cracked for a while. It was not shiny like the rest of the broken parts. Good luck with your change.
I am interested in your problems with Whipple. Was it the blowers or the install. That was my winter project to install on my 525's. I have an excellent mechanic who has done several whipple installs on other engines, so I am not worried about the installation.