Bravo's take about 30hp and maybe 40hp for an XR.

What the main difference is the XZ and XR Drives? I assume the XR will handle more HP than an XZ, which will take more than a Bravo? What's the rating on the XZ Drives.

An XZ is just a regular X drive ( helical cut upper gears)
upper, mated to an XR lower ( big propshaft)

It's power rating would be about the same as an X
drive.

so let me get this straight.... On the merc site it states the X drive is standard on all DIESEL performance boats???? Can you use an x drive on a gas one also? It seems stronger than a standard B1 correct?

I heard that some race teams used the XZ instead of the XR because they took up less power and they were going to rebuild it all the time anyway. Don't know if it's true but......

Lapseofreason 600 hp would probably be enough but I ask these questions because when comparing boats no two are identical, so its hard to compare apples to apples.
Also would you say that the drives are the weakest link?

600 hp is going to be very much the limit on B1 or an XR, if you are trying to have trouble free boating. Teague and Imco make parts and whole drives to make them stronger. If you are boating on a lake or small river where the water is flat and the boat is not in an out of the water the drives are going to live longer but if your boating in big water with 600hp and XR drives sooner more than later your going to have a problem, you are going to need to be real good on the sticks.

Jassman here has built a few boats in the past and his last he went with the 700sci with the NXT trans but the #6 drive that was pretty much a bullet proff setup. At the time of that build there was some problems with the NXT drive popping up here and there thats why I think he went with the #6.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcuda499

so let me get this straight.... On the merc site it states the X drive is standard on all DIESEL performance boats???? Can you use an x drive on a gas one also? It seems stronger than a standard B1 correct?

My boat had diesels and still has the B1X drives [ 1.65 ratio] since 2003 .
Got the sbc 6.2L [ 320 HP at the prop ] now with additional 200hrs on them running B1 26P tuned props at 5100 rpm .

My friend has Bravo 1X with 1.5 ratio behind the ZZ572 620HP
model in a 34' boat with approx 2oohrs also. He's gentle on the sticks

These are B1X diesel drives on my boat

What boats are you looking at? Also where on LI are you? We boat in the sound and are always on the east end.