I did not have my digital camera with me, but the dealer pulled the top cap off of the drive and looked over at me and said "Dude, your getting a new drive".

The clutch appears to have failed, the top bearing got SO hot that it melted and became part of the housing. There is metal EVERYWHERE!

It is locked up tight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The good news is that Mercury is replacing it "NO CHARGE" under warranty.

AWESOME, Thank you Mercury!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The "XZ" has been discontinued, no real problems they just are going to make the "XR" standard on all the blue engines. There are no service bulletins, so I feel good about the starboard drive.
I am getting one of the last "XZ" drives from what I understand.

I'm going home and check the coupler very well and hook the engine to the flush and fire it up to make sure it is running OK.

Will try to get some pictures before they ship it back.

You should have them inspect the other drive while it's there. A little peace of mind goes a long way.

I think I really lucked out, just checked the coupler and it looks fine, all the teeth still on the spline.

Cranked the engine and it started up fine, and sounds GREAT!

I do plan to have them drain the other drive and check it over also. It is worth a little piece of mind.

We run Rex Marine drive showers and they do work well. Interesting though, the Merc warranty guy said drive showers are not worth the money you pay for them.

In the case of this drive, the friction/heat would have overwelmed even the best drive shower.

My good friend "Vagrant" just put temp gauges on his drives and that would have been nice. I'm sure I would have had a little advance notice with them anyway. To melt the bearing into the top cap took some serious heat.

I have had three other friends to also loose drives in the last thirty days. Now I know how it feels.

Not too good!!!!

I'm glad to hear Mercury stepped up and took care of the problem. Seems like the drives are really popping this year.

Do not think that 130 hours on a drive should be a problem I have 850 on my drive and never have any trouble. 1988 bravo and I have run the you know what out of it

The cause of the over heating with an assumed full lubed up drive is definitely curious to say the least. Checking the other is an automatic....Ya gotta love those warranty's

Bob,

You are right, 130 hours is not much. I do not know if there was a defect or just a failure of the clutch.

As for the heat, it is directly related to the friction. If you have a bearing fail, or the clutch fail all the lube in the world will not help.

I hope to see a LOT more hours out of the replacement drive.

WoW! a drive shower and synthetic's and it still went with low hours. Makes me wonder.

Doc,
Sorry to hear of this little deal you got going....How old is this drive. I know you said 130 hrs but is it over one year old/. I guess I am asking because my 02 Baja is just 2 weeks from being one year old and I guess that ends my warranty...I worry about the drives all the time and I do drive easy with them...Just wondering...Incidently, hope to see you and Steelware sometime this summer.

Hey,

Look forward to seeing you also, our club is putting together plans to make a run to Hartwell in August it looks like.

The boat was a year old on June 22nd. We get a lot of use out of our boat, which is why we purchased it. It is our home away from home!

If you add all the Bravo's I have had together it comes to over 560 total hours and this is the very first problem of any kind that I have ever had. If you maintain them and don't abuse them they will last.

Just took the 36 to the dealer this morning and asked him again his opinion. He thinks the clutch tried to engage, caused a LOT of friction/heat and melted the top bearing into the top cap. He says there was nothing I could have done. It is simply a failure. I will take some pictures this evening when I go to pick the boat back up of the failed drive and post here.

Thanks