That's what I like to hear! No problems here after one season. (steering is going on next month)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7H6zNFH8f0
Results 61 to 78 of 78
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02-03-2010 06:12 PM
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02-03-2010 06:54 PM
A question for you! When you say "it's all in the sticks" are you implying that people dont know how to throttle or just running them to hard? I have read on this same comment from guys who have a lot more than 500HP behind a Bravo.
Stu Jones of FPC told me once in 03 that the bigggest failures on his poker runs were Bravo's.
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02-04-2010 07:07 AM
I just upgraded to XR's last season, I picked up a set of used Merc reman units(not swept back), probabally 2005 vintage,with around 10hrs of use from the previous owner who bought them from Merc. Anyways, When Merc came out with the X,XZ,and XR drives around 2000, they all came with thicker floor gears which fixed the issue of blowing the clutch through the gears. These early XR gears lasted longer, and when they did wear out they would pit, letting you know its time to replace.
I'm not sure of the manufacturing timeline (maybe someone else does), but the later gears dont usually pit, but actually the teeth start to crack at the root and break off. I only know this because on my 2005 drives, upon an inspection(with 20hrs from me) I had a forward gear with a visable crack in one tooth. I was forced to keep using it, but am using that gear for reverse. I am going to have them apart for spring inspection soon and am curious what they look like now, I put around 60hrs on them so far against 750hp.
Bravo 101: As far as the X,XZ, and XR drives go, and someone correct me if I'm wrong. The X uses thick floor helical upper gears with a std 1" prop shaft. The XZ uses thick floor helical upper gears with the 1 1/4" XR prop shaft, and the XR uses thick floor straight cut upper gear with the 1 1/4" XR prop shaft.
LE
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02-04-2010 09:29 AM
Good info, it would be nice to find out what they've changed. Did yours come with the silver or orange garter springs? I've seen the orange springs in a couple newer units that had issues. Both times there was a problem with the upper driven gear on the counter rotation side. The silver springs seem to have helped. I thought all XR's would have the silver springs?
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- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Posts
- 440
02-06-2010 11:13 AMDoes the ITS system add any more reliability to a bravo XR??
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- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Posts
- 8
02-06-2010 03:04 PM
You are correct!
My last Fountain, a 99 35, had 500's and regular Bravos, tagged as Performance Bravo which was nothing more than the dual water pick-ups, and not a hint of a problem. Torn down for a look see at 170'ish hours and were perfect. New one, 2006 Lightning with 525's and XR's has had one upper gear set replaced at a little over 100 hrs. No broken teeth but little chunks out of the face of the teeth. Got lucky and was suspect of all the little chunky chit on the magnets, tore it down before it chit and made things worse.
My Velocity had std Bravos with 525 SC's with chillers and boost upped, 600 plus HP, and it would blow the floor out of the gears, snap the tower off, even blew one gear set out the side of the case. This was a true case of more than the designed power for the drive. I always understood this deal, just don't understand the XR deal.
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- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Posts
- 440
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02-09-2010 08:43 AM
No one is talking about what props they have....3,4,5 or 6 blades. I used to beat the crap out of my 42 when it had 525SC's with 3 blades on standard Bravos...never broke a drive in 4 seasons. Also I have noticed slack in some prop hubs. Slide hammer effect? If you keep popping the same drive it might be something to look at.
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02-10-2010 07:01 AM
You can pull the back cap and see the teeth faces of the pinion and drive gears and get an idea of how there wearing. You will probabally need to pull the pinion and drive gears out to inspect the gears properly. I didnt see the crack in my gear untill I pulled it apart.
LE
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