My Bravo XR with IMCO -2 lower has some issues. I could hear rattling under the drive shower cap when I leaned over the sundeck with the engine running. Found metal chunks on both drain plugs and black oil with 25 hours on the oil. I took it to a friend and he removed the top ... he said gears are done. Those are about $3k a set. Is there any source for good prices on gears? I have two plus months left on this season. I go out 2-3 time per week. I don't want to spend $20k on a new SC upper and lower or Teague Platinum. I just spent $$ on rebuilding my engine this winter. I'm looking at options while mine gets rebuilt. I could buy a rebuilt Bravo XR with black Merc lower for about $9k. There's a few options here on OSO classifieds. I could buy a used one but who really knows the condition. After mine is rebuilt I would have to install it and I would have to sell the used one. I found some rebuilt uppers on Markeplace for about $5k. But I don't know the condition of my lower at this point. Suggestions?

Whatever you do don't even think about replacing the upper without going through the lower. It needs more than a flush.

Yep. It's likely the lower has some damage.

Call the bravo shop see what they have

Mbam had new xr uppers for sale recently

Teague and IMCO SC’s use XR gears, you’ll be no better off

Im guessing the gear look like this?

Pits

How much power?

some people will go to the X( helical ) gears….there’s always the SCX upper

XR gears are prone to this, if it did the other thing that happens less frequently,
you would be buying a new upper

I haven't seen the gears. I only have about 625hp, but this drive could have 500-600 hours. It's a 27 Eliminator Daytona. I don't abuse it or hammer it planing, but I run a Max 5. I've heard some guys run XZ upper gears.

There are some that will run cryno XZ gears, at least they do not pit.


its that or SCX, the XR gears surface pitting sucks and will do it behind a 525.

XZ gears will also help you pick up a few HP and be much quieter