Scott B

Merc makes an HD gear set for them. Comes as a kit with bearings, shims etc to retrofit them.. Doesnt make them suitable for 500 HP IMO, but it's an improvement over the stock gears..

ragtop409

Did they make left hand ALPHA's for the twin app's or did they just get 2 right's????



Rag's

dave911

counter-rotating available.

sonicator

had a boat with 350 mag and alpha no problem at all with the drive in 10 years of running it hard. Curently have a 502 mag with a bravo lasted one season and broke a gear.

jafo

My Formula was a handful at speed with the two RH drives after I did the upgrades to the engines- I always thought I would put a CR on it or upgrade to Bravos if I ever broke one, but the righties offered trouble-free service for the duration.
I'm not positive of this, but I think the CR drives have an HD gearset in them out of the box.
They may have their limits, but if you stay within them, their pretty darn good. I had Simrek drive showers, Merc drive reservoirs, and ran RedLine oil in them. Never missed a beat.

WHIPLASH

I've run a 400+hp small block on an alpha for years. I found the key is to have good drive shower on it and synthetic oil, as well as not pounding on it out of the hole and feathering the throttle properly when in the air. I use the Simrek drive shower and Amsoil marine gear oil and have the drive checked evry fall. It is 17 years old and all I've ever changed is the water pump or just the impeller. My mechanic says the gears and bearings are still like new!

hunster

Have them on my scarab. Had a fight with some rocks a couple years ago and the insurance co paid me for a lot of new parts. I was gonna re power the boat that winter and since I broke a gimball and the rest of the transom parts were old I looked into doing bravos. After all the rigging I'd have to do , like water pumps , couplers , yadda yadda and the added expense of 2 new transoms and drives over replacing the alphas and 1 transom, I figured if the origional ones lasted me 12 years with fluid and water pump changes I'd have to stick with them. The boat doesn't do that much over 60 that I'm worried abouot the speed recomendations of merc , and i paid like 6000 for 2 new drives , 1 counter , and 1 transom ( other was 1 yr old) . Also bought 2 new motors from merc and have all new running gear and couldn't be happier with the package.

ragtop409

Thanks Jafo my dad is looking at a few boats in the late 80's with twin SBC and it kinda threw me with 2 right prop's.


Rag's

masi242

I have had good luck also with my alpha hooked up to a bbc on my formula. Just take it easy out of the hole and you will be fine.

Iggy

My Formula F206 has an Alpha with a 350 MAG. I've had the boat for 7 years now with no trouble. I change the gear oil once a season. Knock on wood, there hasn't been any shavings on the lower drain plug or water in the oil. I don't know if the previous owner had the drive rebuilt during the time he had it. Run time on the clock is over 400 hours.
Other than oil changes I've replaced the water pump and lower shift cable assembly. Drive bellows is still original to when I bought it. I never store the boat with the drive up. I always lower it to keep water from collecting in the prop and to keep from stretching (stressing) the drive bellows.