DIY bravo tear down?

[MPHSystems]

My bravo drive suddenly won’t go into F. One minute we are hauling ass WOT pulling hard for what is and the next minute turned around to talike to another boat we knew and it wouldn’t go back into F. Goes into N and R but not F. No noises, or slipping or anything, just suddenly won‘t go into forward.


I’ll double check all the cables but if it’s something inside I’m afraid of the wait (and cost) to have a professional work on it.


I’m sure I can get it apart, how hard are they to put back together?

 

[4Waters]

My bravo drive suddenly won’t go into F. One minute we are hauling ass WOT pulling hard for what is and the next minute turned around to talike to another boat we knew and it wouldn’t go back into F. Goes into N and R but not F. No noises, or slipping or anything, just suddenly won‘t go into forward.


I’ll double check all the cables but if it’s something inside I’m afraid of the wait (and cost) to have a professional work on it.


I’m sure I can get it apart, how hard are they to put back together?

Depends on mechanical skill level, mine ate the upper gears and I couldn't afford to have it rebuilt so I bought the parts, a couple of books and fixed it myself, I have over 150 hours on it now

 

[Riverryder]

when you move it to F what does it do? When my drive went out. I would go into forward but hesitate had to move the shifter a certain way for it do go. Sounds like what cart boy said. Your upper gears are fucked. I had to buy an upper.
I can ask my guy if he has one. As he had just taken them off a twin motor boat for an upgrade. So he might have another.

 

[Fun Times]

Need your stern drive serial number to know what model year/design you truly have and to help find the correct parts catalog, so you know what to order.

Here are some teardown videos to help get an idea if needed,

 

[MPHSystems]

when you move it to F what does it do? When my drive went out. I would go into forward but hesitate had to move the shifter a certain way for it do go. Sounds like what cart boy said. Your upper gears are fucked. I had to buy an upper.
I can ask my guy if he has one. As he had just taken them off a twin motor boat for an upgrade. So he might have another.

It does absolutely nothing, no noise, no vibration no nothing. It’s like it’s not even trying.


If anything on it is trashed I will be seriously bent. I was sold as having 11 hrs on a fresh rebuild and the U-joints are brand spanking new.

 

[Shlbyntro]

I would open it up before jumping to conclusions. however, if you think there is any chance at all that you won't be the one puting it together than leave it be and let a shop take it apart. no mechanic likes being handed a box of parts and it makes the job way harder than it has to be.

As far as serial numbers on a Bravo, nothing will help much. no matter what bravo it is, all the internals have been superceded to a single common part set minus some gear ratio dofferences. The gear ratio is the only thing you need to know at this point, you will probably end up counting gear teeth anyway tho, but Bravo internal parts have been very hard to get as of late.

I would say best case scenario is an issue with your control box. Hopefully it's not a clutch issue because that will require an entire new upper gear set with bearings and reshimming due to the update in gear/clutch design. the new parts are not compatible with the old parts so you would be changing it all if this were the case.

good luck to you bud.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

My bravo drive suddenly won’t go into F. One minute we are hauling ass WOT pulling hard for what is and the next minute turned around to talike to another boat we knew and it wouldn’t go back into F. Goes into N and R but not F. No noises, or slipping or anything, just suddenly won‘t go into forward.


I’ll double check all the cables but if it’s something inside I’m afraid of the wait (and cost) to have a professional work on it.


I’m sure I can get it apart, how hard are they to put back together?

Seems like this has happened to others. From 2017:

Bravo drive won't go forward, was fine when I shut it off??

Took boat out on the 4th, was running great all day. Drove my wife to the dock a few miles away and came back to sand bar and shut it off. When I went to leave again to get her it would not go in forward gear. Will hit N and R just fine. I took lower cable off at the engine and tried manually...

forums.iboats.com

 

[MPHSystems]

I would open it up before jumping to conclusions. however, if you think there is any chance at all that you won't be the one puting it together than leave it be and let a shop take it apart. no mechanic likes being handed a box of parts and it makes the job way harder than it has to be.

As far as serial numbers on a Bravo, nothing will help much. no matter what bravo it is, all the internals have been superceded to a single common part set minus some gear ratio dofferences. The gear ratio is the only thing you need to know at this point, you will probably end up counting gear teeth anyway tho, but Bravo internal parts have been very hard to get as of late.

I would say best case scenario is an issue with your control box. Hopefully it's not a clutch issue because that will require an entire new upper gear set with bearings and reshimming due to the update in gear/clutch design. the new parts are not compatible with the old parts so you would be changing it all if this were the case.

good luck to you bud.

I really don’t think it’s the cone clutch because minutes before, cursing at 4K, I went WOT and it would push everybody back in their seats.


I think it’s either the cable adjustment or a shift fork. N prop spins freely by hand, R prop spins forward by hand. F prop spins freely by hand.


I’m dropping it off with GT in the morning, Garry has been working on these for 100 years, I’ll find out for sure what’s up with it.

I think I have a line on a slightly used complete gear stack if it comes down to that.

 

[Melloyellovector]

Likely just the cable, there is adjustments, follow the cable. See if you can manually put in gear. If so, adjust and done

 

[MPHSystems]

It’s with GT now, I’ll know for sure soon enough.

 

[MPHSystems]

when you move it to F what does it do? When my drive went out. I would go into forward but hesitate had to move the shifter a certain way for it do go. Sounds like what cart boy said. Your upper gears are fucked. I had to buy an upper.
I can ask my guy if he has one. As he had just taken them off a twin motor boat for an upgrade. So he might have another.

I give up, turns out my upper gear set is fucked. Apparently whatever jackass put it together left out a bearing and trashed the whole thing. I have less than 1 hr on the drive.

also, it has 1:36 gear set which might explain a few things.

 

[Riverryder]

@MPHSystems fuck that’s exactly what mine wore out!

 

[MPHSystems]

Well, it’s back together now. The inside looked like a yard sale, no broken teeth but everything else was trashes.

A retired marine mechanic turned me on to an almost new 1:36 gear set for a very reasonable price and my mechanic had everything else.

putting it on the water to run it through the bases tomorrow.

it looks like one of the races just came apart and took everything else with it.

the engine is a 572ci with a 177 blower, probably 625HP. Is that too much for a bravo drive?

 

[Riverryder]

@MPHSystems where you going to put in at tomorrow? I’m launching out of needles in the morning

 

[MPHSystems]

@MPHSystems where you going to put in at tomorrow? I’m launching out of needles in the morning

I’m in Boulder City this week, probably hemingway. I store the boat in needles but I don’t have anyplace to stay there.

 

[Riverryder]

The line that’s gonna form at hemmingway is going to be out of this world. You could drive to needles launch out boat back and go back to vegas? Haha

 

[HST4ME]

Well, it’s back together now. The inside looked like a yard sale, no broken teeth but everything else was trashes.

A retired marine mechanic turned me on to an almost new 1:36 gear set for a very reasonable price and my mechanic had everything else.

putting it on the water to run it through the bases tomorrow.

it looks like one of the races just came apart and took everything else with it.

the engine is a 572ci with a 177 blower, probably 625HP. Is that too much for a bravo drive?

500 hp is too much for a bravo drive.

 

[Runs2rch]

I’m in Boulder City this week, probably hemingway. I store the boat in needles but I don’t have anyplace to stay there.

Go out of Willow or Cottonwood. Was at Hemenway a few days ago. It is a mess.

 

[HST4ME]

Red Line shockproof gear lube, start using it.

 

[MPHSystems]

Go out of Willow or Cottonwood. Was at Hemenway a few days ago. It is a mess.

Launching at Hemenway was a breeze, drove right up. Getting out was a medium sized shit show.

 

[MPHSystems]

Red Line shockproof gear lube, start using it.

This is the stuff I use.

Looks like maxed out marine had done a sleeping mod of some sort between the upper and lower which changed the shim size, back to trouble shooting.

 

[ToMorrow44]

Well, it’s back together now. The inside looked like a yard sale, no broken teeth but everything else was trashes.

A retired marine mechanic turned me on to an almost new 1:36 gear set for a very reasonable price and my mechanic had everything else.

putting it on the water to run it through the bases tomorrow.

it looks like one of the races just came apart and took everything else with it.

the engine is a 572ci with a 177 blower, probably 625HP. Is that too much for a bravo drive?

You’re gonna eat up gears with 625hp and a blower. That needs an XR drive or be driven very gently. 4000rpm to WOT and pushing people back in the seat is not nice to the drive.

 

[boatnam2]

I was going to guess upper gear set after you said it happened right after a blast, outdrives get real spendy when they break. 625 is pushing it, but its more about the throttle jockey than the horse, ride it hard, she wont finish every race.

 

[MPHSystems]

You’re gonna eat up gears with 625hp and a blower. That needs an XR drive or be driven very gently. 4000rpm to WOT and pushing people back in the seat is not nice to the drive.

I believe your are correct. That said, the teeth on the beers looked very good. I looked at them (not being a mechanic) and thought possibly 100 hrs on them but definitely not 500 hrs. My Merc mechanic, who has done hundreds of drives, said 40-50 hrs . My broker, called the prev owner (who is going to cover a significant portion of the cost) says he put 1 40 Hrs season on that drive, 11 of which were with that big engine.


My mechanic put it together with a fresh set of 1:36, cone, bearings seals everything. Ran it for 5 minutes before handing it off to me for the day ( was on another boat) and shut it down, didn’t like the sounds and put it on a hydrohoist for the night. Sunday I meet him at his shop, he tears down the drive and inspects. Sure as shit, the maxed out marine modification makes it looks like the lower bushing is in place but it is not. He grabs one off the shelf and puts it all together and the drive is right as rain.

 

[farmo83]

Well, it’s back together now. The inside looked like a yard sale, no broken teeth but everything else was trashes.

A retired marine mechanic turned me on to an almost new 1:36 gear set for a very reasonable price and my mechanic had everything else.

putting it on the water to run it through the bases tomorrow.

it looks like one of the races just came apart and took everything else with it.

the engine is a 572ci with a 177 blower, probably 625HP. Is that too much for a bravo drive?

If you want to limp around no it'll be fine. If your going to be sitting people back in the seats, yep.

Also I have no idea what kind of boat you have but if it runs real wet and is heavy that makes things worse.

 

[MPHSystems]

I was going to guess upper gear set after you said it happened right after a blast, outdrives get real spendy when they break. 625 is pushing it, but its more about the throttle jockey than the horse, ride it hard, she wont finish every race.

I have a shoulder puncher in the observer’s chair. She’ll keep an eye on the throttle jockey during the day, then at night she’’ll ride that throttle hard and put it away wet. Finishes every race! If the mood strikes her, there’ll be 2 races.



I won’t lie, right above 4,000, the sound of that blower gives me wood and the higher I rev it, the sexier it gets….. it’s the sound of my bank account being blown through the transom though.




I have to give a shout out to:

Billy Dunsmore who hooked me up with a gear set, those things are tough to find and are only going to get scarcer as the season goes on. Billy is a standup guy and a proud reflection of his father.


Jeff Willoby, Diamond Marine. Ace mechanic who refuses to put his name on anything that isn’t right. The mother fucker came in on Sunday to get my shit straightened out. Boat runs like a champ, carbs are dialed. turn the key and you don’t even hear the starter, just: CRACK!! Blob blob blob blob.


Billy-B

Brokered this deal, and without any pay has been a rock solid moderator and advocate of what is right between me and the boat owner. I don’t think I’ve ever meet anybody with more integrity than Billy.



Boat could still use a bit of lipstick and rouses.

1) Needs some elbow grease and rubbing compound on the interior bell coat.

2) Stereo wiring was a fuck fest, Having been a highly decorated car stereo installer for a decade, that crap isn’t going to fly.

3) windshield is heavenly crazed, that will get replaced when it’s broken or I stumble on a smoking deal,

Couple other nick-knacks but this danmb floating station wagon is ready for summer!

 

[MPHSystems]

If you want to limp around no it'll be fine. If your going to be sitting people back in the seats, yep.

Also I have no idea what kind of boat you have but if it runs real wet and is heavy that makes things worse.

Hallett 240 open bow. Weighs just under 4K #’s dry.


I am currently keeping my eyes open for an XR drive, I’ve already installed a new XR transom assembly this one is going to have to get me through this season, perhaps 2. I’ll treat it as such. I’m a new boater and have no business on the edge of the envelope anyways. The whistling thing will be used very sparingly. This boat is for dragging my kids up and down on a towable, hopefully teaching them to ski.

 

[farmo83]

Hallett 240 open bow. Weighs just under 4K #’s dry.


I am currently keeping my eyes open for an XR drive, I’ve already installed a new XR transom assembly this one is going to have to get me through this season, perhaps 2. I’ll treat it as such. I’m a new boater and have no business on the edge of the envelope anyways. The whistling thing will be used very sparingly. This boat is for dragging my kids up and down on a towable, hopefully teaching them to ski.

There is a shortage of anything drive related so if you find something be prepared to wait a while if you pass it.

Awesome boat, just remember to have a healthy respect for it at high speeds and gain some seat time.

 

[MPHSystems]

There is a shortage of anything drive related so if you find something be prepared to wait a while if you pass it.

Awesome boat, just remember to have a healthy respect for it at high speeds and gain some seat time.

Thank you.


I’m most comfortable at 3,200-3.500 which is in the 45-55 MPH range. It’s a thrill to run it up past 5,000 but I don’t leave it there.


A friend / customer of mine just flipped his 38 MTI twin 450’s in Florida… doing 65MPH, basically just idling in that boat. His fiancé was in the observer’s seat and got banged up pretty good. Bruises, broken ribs, she’ll be fine but is still pretty sore. Everybody else walked away but it could have been a lot worse. They are very nice young couple and I’m glad nobody was gravely injured.


Bad things can happen very quickly on the water. We don’t drink so that should help.

 

[MPHSystems]

There is a shortage of anything drive related so if you find something be prepared to wait a while if you pass it.

Awesome boat, just remember to have a healthy respect for it at high speeds and gain some seat time.

Actually what I want to do is:

I have a MoTech M130 in my sand car which pops in and out easily. I can buy an AIM PDM 32, 10” dash and 12 button keypad.

AIM PDMs have half duplex outputs so, they will run the trim tabs without relays, integrated GPS and other goodies like loggers


I sell the blower and innercooler, go N/A and lose 10-20 PMH, cry me a river, still plenty fast.


I get, a hatch cover you can lay on, better fuel economy, better engine longevity better diagnostics, better everything.


I’d need to change out my gear set from a 136 to a 150 but I think overall it will be a better boat that way.



This going to have to wait a season or two but it’s in the plans.

 

[farmo83]

Actually what I want to do is:

I have a MoTech M130 in my sand car which pops in and out easily. I can buy an AIM PDM 32, 10” dash and 12 button keypad.

AIM PDMs have half duplex outputs so, they will run the trim tabs without relays, integrated GPS and other goodies like loggers


I sell the blower and innercooler, go N/A and lose 10-20 PMH, cry me a river, still plenty fast.


I get, a hatch cover you can lay on, better fuel economy, better engine longevity better diagnostics, better everything.


I’d need to change out my gear set from a 136 to a 150 but I think overall it will be a better boat that way.



This going to have to wait a season or two but it’s in the plans.

I have no idea what prop you're running but I would think a 1.36 would be way too much for that boat. In general you don't want to go change gears until you run out of prop options(IE greater then a 36P). Teague mentions this in one of his teague talks.

If you need help with the electronics call Alexi, he's the best at that stuff.

 

[MPHSystems]

I have no idea what prop you're running but I would think a 1.36 would be way too much for that boat. In general you don't want to go change gears until you run out of prop options(IE greater then a 36P). Teague mentions this in one of his teague talks.

If you need help with the electronics call Alexi, he's the best at that stuff.

Well, as it is it pops on plane like nobody’s business as it is. I’ve only had it up to 5,200RPM with 1.36 and that GPS at 79MPH but that was before I hade the carb, blower and prop rebuilt.


I always thought James Lin was the best, but Alexi knows MoTeC? I don’t know Alexi, how do I get ahold of them?

 

[racektm]

Well, as it is it pops on plane like nobody’s business as it is. I’ve only had it up to 5,200RPM with 1.36 and that GPS at 79MPH but that was before I hade the carb, blower and prop rebuilt.


I always thought James Lin was the best, but Alexi knows MoTeC? I don’t know Alexi, how do I get ahold of them?

BOOSTPOWER USA – Marine Racing Engines

 

[MPHSystems]

BOOSTPOWER USA – Marine Racing Engines

Sick AF


they do some nice work!

Truth is that I‘ve been told by several boat mechanics that little 177 blower on top my 572 is actually a restriction at higher RPM


As it is, the boat pops right up on plane, goes faster than I want to drive it and has enough acceleration to put anyone standing on the floor at will.


For now I’m just going to use it to drag my family up and down the river/lake, have a picnic, float, that sort of thing.

 

[racektm]

Sick AF


they do some nice work!

Truth is that I‘ve been told by several boat mechanics that little 177 blower on top my 572 is actually a restriction at higher RPM


As it is, the boat pops right up on plane, goes faster than I want to drive it and has enough acceleration to put anyone standing on the floor at will.


For now I’m just going to use it to drag my family up and down the river/lake, have a picnic, float, that sort of thing.

I had the same 177 blower, Alexi built me a new motor a couple of years ago for my 210. Its there now getting freshened up!