This may have been covered but you did go for a "sea trial" correct? The seller got it on plane and you went for a ride? I know it's difficult to tell if there is anything peculiar about a boat you have never been on but wondering if you felt a vibration?? On your next visit to the boat, take pics of the props and also spin them with your hand and see if they wobble or not. I suppose that finding both props with the same damage is a reach but it appears that both sides have identical problems so lets start eliminating things.

thanks for the measurements, I'll check mine. My prop hub is metal with 4 little rubber strips, I'll get a picture of that too.

did a sea trial, the seller drove. He slowly eased it up on plane, I don't remember if the props were blowing out slightly on him. I imagine they were, I just wasn't aware of that going on. Until I've had it in lake erie for a few weeks I can slowly get it on plane, while doing so the props are blowing out. Once it's bottom is too dirty, no matter what I do it won't plane.

I don't notice any vibrations, and the props don't wobble when I've spin them while on the trailer.

Baja33Outlaw,

I'm very curious about the drive shower pickups. It's something I hadn't thought of that would definitely check the boxes. I'd wager that, if they are on the wrong side, there's your culprit.

You still need to address those cone clutches. Just sayin'....

For the record, I'm contributing to learn. As much as it may seem otherwise, I am listening way more than I'm talking.

Thanks. Brad.

The area where it is shorted is below the cavitation plate and above the area of the gear case that is shaped like a bullet, where the gears and shaft are housed, they then follow the lines of the trailing edge of the gear case and remove the rear section from cavitation plate on up.

I think i understand but still want a pic if anyone has one.

It sounds like the prop shaft centerline is too high. (Or, for some crazy reason he cannot trim the drive all the way in.)

~OR~ he has a set of -2" lowers making it hard to plane.

I would also add that his prop diameter "may" be too small, however, he would be hitting the rev limiter - so I do not believe this to be the case. He should easily be getting 5200-5400 RPM. Can you try a smaller pitch prop, like a 24" pitch but verify it is the same diameter. Anyone around you have one of those? Can you tell us your prop diameter?

I am in the area and I'll ask around if anyone has a 24" pitch Bravo prop. If you could get it on the trailer, someone up around us can help you check the prop shaft centerline.

These all sound like issues I would have trying to run drives / X-dim too high or too small of a prop diameter on my boat. I chose to eventually run spacers, and keep prop diameter high at 18" (surfacing drives).

Can someone confirm the X-dim or prop shaft centerline to hull bottom measurement of the stock setup?

My buddy had a 36 outlaw and it planed like a ski boat. Can you ask the prior owner if he ever had the drives raised up??? OR, knows of shorty lowers (-2") being installed?

All of the stern drive engines rotate ccw from the rear

SSM’s NXTs alpha’s are rotation specific

the top gear in a bravo will rotate the prop shaft ccw, the bottom will
rotate the propshaft cw

When running twins, one of them is always that way with Bravo drives. Yes, it puts more pressure on the top cap of the drive spinning the LH prop, but nothing extreme. My LH drive had about 750hrs on it before it blew apart. My RH is on borrowed time at 900hrs. This behind 425ish HP. I also blew a RH Bravo upper on my Pantera 525SC at 210hrs. The uppers are the week spot in all Bravo drives.

Griff, JaayTeee,

Fair enough. I guess I just always assumed, since I thought I'd seen that Merc engines were available in both hand rotations, although CW probably only on request. Still seems like a bad engineering practice. "Just not a good condition" was something a mentor used to tell me when he'd look at a less-than-ideal setup I had on a machining center, even if I was getting away with it, and I can't seem to shake it. Hell, if I were head of engineering, there would be RH and LH spiral bevel gears for the two drives, to impart the same thrust (canting the spiral angle imparts more thrust one way than the other), but I'm also an overkillist on these aspects. All good. My education continues.....

Carry on.

Thanks. Brad.