Bravo drives
 

Hi first I would like to say hello I have been lurking around here
trying to gain some info before jumping in and buying a boat.
My question is can some one explain the differences in out drives
bravo 1, ( is there a 2 an 3) XR , #3 is there a #1,#2 ,#4 and the #6
also what is NXT . And if I left anything out please feel free to add it in.
I appreciate it in advance Thanks

Yes there is a B1 B3 B1xr NXT and #6 are whats out there now new. older drives are TRS #2 #3 #4 #5 with some A's and other numbers and letters in there And don't forget the Blackhawk and Alpha drives.

It would be better if you just told us what you wanted to do so we can all fight over whats better for you.:lolhit:

Turbo: A Bravo has an internal transmission, meaning the F-N-R is built into the drive. The Speedmaster 2,3,4,5,6 use an external transmission between the engine and the outdrive coupling. With the Bravo you can set the engine closer to the transom inside a boat. A Bravo XR is a stronger version of a Bravo 1.

The Bravo drive will not takes as much beating as an external transmission drive. When a 10,000 lb boat leaps free of the water its propellors start to spin faster and when they catch the water on re-entry the shock load is sometimes more than the Bravo can withstand. Result is broken drives. The Bravo also uses a cone clutch transmission (I trhink) and this is not as forgiving. Bravo 3's are dual prop drives (counter rotating) and they are used for pleasure craft mostly.

To confuse things, IMCO and others make their own version of a bravo XR drives.

The NXT is a smaller version of the Speedmaster #6. A # 6 will handle gobs of power, 1500 hp lets say. Most Bravo XR is a max of about 600 hp more or less. Some other members will chime in here.

Wannabe

What is the cost difference to purchase a Bravo 'xr' drive vs. a #6? I thought someone told me the 'xr' drive is less than 5K with the #6 running over 35k.

New XR's are about 9k. Regular Bravo 1's about 5k. SSM #6's are about 30k. These do not include the prices of the transom assembly.

Here is a link with everything you need to know
http://www.go-fast.com/mercury_mercr...ern_drives.htm

New XR's can be had for $6K...just gotta look around. #6? try five times that!

Wannabe thanks for your detailed explanation

It would be better if you just told us what you wanted to do so we can all fight over whats better for you.:lolhit:[/QUOTE]
Thanks I am thinking about a 38 ft boat , I will be boating in LI NY

Here is a link with everything you need to know
http://www.go-fast.com/mercury_mercr...ern_drives.htm
Thanks this helps a lot

Also What are and why use extension box's

Thanks I am thinking about a 38 ft boat , I will be boating in LI NY

Here is a link with everything you need to know
http://www.go-fast.com/mercury_mercr...ern_drives.htm
Thanks this helps a lot

Also What are and why use extension box's[/QUOTE]

What power are you looking at, are you going to want to bump up the power later or just leave it alone. A good set up for most any just weekend boat that your not trying to set speed records with is the Merc. 525 with the ITS XR drive sys. ITS is like having a ext. box and hyd. steering all in one. An ext box moves the drive back into cleaner water and you can get a Higher X dim. with them, that means the prop is higher witch lifts the boat out of the water more. Some boats it helps some not as much the builder would know the best. Most newer 38 foot boats will run in the 80's with twin 525's, great motors redo the heads at 250 hours then the whole thing at 500 or more if you dont beat on it. They will also run just fine on 87 oct. fuel. If your building a new boat look at the new stuff from Ilmore they are the V10 Viper motors, they have 3 motors from just over 500 hp to over 700 hp and just came out with their own drive and the whole deal is lighter than the Merc. stuff.

If you are just getting into Performance boating or this is your first big boat I would stay under 600hp per motor for more reasons than I could list then move up later. The same 38 foot boat with Merc. 1075's and #6's will cost 150k-200k more at first and be 7 times more in running cost.

Any opinions on the NXT drives?

Is there any info on the power loss of say
Bravo
NXT
No 6
Arnesons?

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:

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Originally Posted by tcuda499 (Post 2974292)

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?

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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
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/c...20interior%203
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/IMG_0924%20copy.jpg
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/IMG_0923%20copy.jpg
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/C...rine%20exhaust

These are B1X diesel drives on my boat

http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/E...ect%20complete

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

I have had a house on the water in Sag Harbor all my life. Owned a water ski boat a few jet skis ( back when they were Stand Ups) an some sail boats, but when I sold my boat I said the next boat I buy I am going Big. So I am thinking 35- 38 Cigarette but am open to suggestions. I want something that I can take off to Block Island or Montauk no problem.
I do take care of my equipment but I am very hard on it so that's why
I am asking a lot of questions about the drives and motors.

#6 nxt with 700 is a very good set up I have built a few boats with bravo set ups and have got some what satisfactory reliability, but you said you dont take care of your boats the 700 package with the upgraded #6 is hard to break and if anything is going wrong the gardian system shuts everything down before you break

Thats is exactly right. The NXT was out about a year, and a few boat builders were experiencing some failures. Come to find out the the set up was wrong, different then the bravo's, x-dimension was set to high, and the bullet of the drive needed to be modified slightly cause there was too much transom lift. I put on over 100 hours on that set up, it was flawless, and made boating enjoyable. The boat when new went just under 93 with the props it was set up with. Loved the boat, and now that the bugs have been worked out. I would not hesitate going with the NXT drive vs the #6 lower. It will save approx 16k per side. It is rated for 800hp, and the 700s are dynoing approx 770hp. Just respect your equipment getting on plane and over rollers, and you'll enjoy the set up. good luck. Jeff

Older Cig's are cool boats but any non step 35-38 Cig is not a fast boat with 400-600 hp (per motor). Upper 60's to upper 70's. There are also some not as old boats out there with #5 drives. I had them on my Nortech with over 800hp and never had a problem. There is a 37 Outerlimits with #5's here http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o30686-en.html this looks like a real good deal but I feel too much for anybodys first big go fast. When you find a boat you like post a link or a picture and there is a good chance somebody here knows about the boat and can provide info.

Check out some of the older Cigs.. do a search.. they are putting ASD-7's drives on them. Great drive hard to blow up.. good for approx 900-1000 hp.

Has anyone ever tried this conversion?
http://www.arneson-industries.com/pa...ravoConversion

I have seen these on boats and I know they are strong but why don't I see more of them out there. Is it the cost? #6's are expensive so what are the advantages an disadvantages .

i imagine those could make docking interesting........

The ASD's?

yea im bad enough at it as it is...just slap one of those puppies on and ill really hit some ****

You are way misinformed.

Ive driven both, the ASD's dock no different than my #6 set up...there is alot of wrong information out there. They also get up on plane just as good once set up properly with the correct props and can handle more hp and torqe than the NXT set up. Less parts easier to fix just not nearly as many repair shops as the big Monopoly co. These drive are used mainly over seas.. where we are brain washed that Merc. is the only co. to buy. I'm glad Ilmor and a few other co.s came on board.

RIK,

What kind of power loss does the bravo kits have compared to a Bravo?

Thanks Jassman, I am really looking for a boat that when I go out I know I will make it back under my own power.

The kits have a loss (including transmission) of less than 15 hp. A stock Bravo B1 has a 39 hp loss.

o no doubt way less moving parts i bet they are reliable as hell. Can they make the same angles as a stock b1>? I thought they only have a small range of steering movement>? Thats why i figured they would suck around docks.

I have always wondered then why don't we see more of these. I think when my Bravo's go that I will look into this kit. It seems to me in the 80's to early 90's surface drives like ASD's and Karma? were more popular.

As for around the dock, on my twin when I am docking I use the shift levers, and the wife on the back:drink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paul235 (Post 2977587)

o no doubt way less moving parts i bet they are reliable as hell. Can they make the same angles as a stock b1>? I thought they only have a small range of steering movement>? Thats why i figured they would suck around docks.

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Buddy of mine had a 28' Jones offshore hull back in the early 80's with a single 460 BBF twin turbo deal and Arneson bronze drive.It performed really well , and docking wasn't too bad considering being a single engined boat.Try docking a V-drive cruiser in reverse ,then you'd appreciate an Arneson or Kaama drive.
Never been in a twin Arneson boat , but I imagine it would be no different from a twin Bravo boat using the sticks only at the dock.I've built my46" RC boat back in 1980 inspired by my friend's boat "Putt Putt" Had to build my ASD drive ,since noone in the hobby shops had them at that time.
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/prather1.JPG

http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/Prather%20custom%204

That RC boat is pretty cool, any Video's

ran the boat on some lakes back in the ol' days when I didn't have a movie camera . Hopefully next season I'll take some.Me and my son playing with electric helis now a days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siprRZWkxYQ