First Bravos
 

As most of y'all know, I sold my boat and I am conducting research on my next boat. Most of my friends are tell me to avoid TRS drives and only get a boat with Bravos.

What this in mind, in what year did Merc start offering the Bravo outdrive? Was it 1990?

Re: First Bravos
 

I have a Bravo in my 1989.

Re: First Bravos
 

1988 was the first year, sealed drive with an oil dipstick on top like a Volvo. The stronger design with a drive oil bottle began sometime in the early 90's I think.

Re: First Bravos
 

My '89 has a bottle. When I bought the boat I had the serial numbers checked and the dealer verified it was original to the '89 boat.

Maybe someone retrofitted the bottle?

Re: First Bravos
 

Try running the serial numbers on Mercs website. My boat is a '98 but the motor it came with was a '97.

Re: First Bravos
 

The Bravo came out in 1988 but had oiling problems until changes in the early 90s...
I would agree to stay away from older boats with TRS drives. I had one and the $$ for parts made me sell it...

Re: First Bravos
 

Mine also is 89, with oil bottle design. They were available.

Re: First Bravos
 

There are retrofit kits to add bottles to the older drives. My 88 Bravo did not have one. Yes, merc did make some oiling changes to the drive a couple of years into it's production. They also changed the bullet shape and the oil drain location. All of these are improvements, but in my mind wouldn't eliminate a potential boat. Do stay away from the big block alpha set up which was a 88 only deal.

Re: First Bravos
 

Really?? I thought my blown up TRS lowers were cheaper to rebuild than my blown up IMCO Uppers. :D

Gears were around $700 in the TRS lower and the bearings were cheap, I would rebuild them myself. Merc wants $1000 for the gears in the XR style upper, plus parts; verticle shaft is $200 plus bearings..... :(

The TRS upper never blew up!! Now, if I could somehow put the TRS upper on top of my IMCO lowers I would be set! :evilb:

Re: First Bravos
 

I think he meant to say 1987 as the one year BBC/Alpha. A friend had a 30' Webbcraft with two of them :cool: