I considered a b-max this summer but when i called dean the 4-6 wk backlog wasn't going to work for me. Zt-my understanding is a b-max has no provisions for thru prop exhaust,am i correct? I am running lightning headers w/switchable y-pipes that push exhaust thru prop when idlieng so if a guy wanted a b-max he's committed to thru hull's and reconfiguring y-pipe etc,adding mufflers etc?Smitty

take your drive to a shop that will shim the brg. carrier instead of using the crush sleeve we do this in the shop all the time with great success

Xtremespeed,didn't mercruiser used to do that with the early bravo's? seems like i seen the procedure for it before,do you think that the prop shaft is thrusting around then loosening up the crush sleeve resulting in gear failure due to no preload?I started rebuilding outdrives a few years ago,maybe i'll do that in the future,i use solid spacers in place of crush sleeves on ford 9inch and chevy 12 bolt rear ends for hardcore racing and it works,Smitty

It will not go through prop, but it can go through the Y pipe and exit underwater. I did this for a week before I switched to dry pipes on the new engine. Just don't try to go past 1500rpms this way.

Are you saying bmax uses a crush sleeve? I'm not up on the internals of the bmax.

Just blew my drive two weeks ago at Sanduscky. Boat was running great when it blew the starboard drive doing 60. It sounded like I bottomed the boat out. It is at Monroeville Marine getting repaired. Have to replace the entire outdrive. Looked like a grenade went off in it.