Bravo III bellow replacement cost

[boatingedge]

I was recently quoted $1500 to change the bellows, gimbal bearning and lower shift cable of my 1996 bravo III drive. They said it would be 9.5 hours of labor. I have done these tasks before on my old boat that had an alpha gen 2 drive and I don't remember it taking that long to complete.

I am wondering if they made a mistake with the estimated # of hours. I would think it would take somewhere along the lines of...
1.5 hours to remove and install drive
3 hours to replace bellows and shift cable
1 hour to replace gimbal bearing
5.5 hours total

Also, this was a general quote given over the phone so it would not be higher due to corrossion issues and such.

What are your thoughts? Am I off base?
Thanks

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Bravo III bellow replacement cost

Quote might be a LITTLE high, but in a worst case, if they have to deal with corrosion, broken bolts, stripped hinge pins, etc, could easily cost that much. And paying someone else to R&R that massive drive so you don't have to- PRICELESS!

 

[45Auto]

Re: Bravo III bellow replacement cost

Those items on a Bravo III are almost identical to an Alpha Gen II. The shift setup is a little different, if anything the B3 is easier and quicker to replace.

Major difference is that the B3 weighs about 150 lb compared to 80 for the Alpha. I made a cart to slip mine on and off the boat, I would think a dealer would have something similar.

On a well maintained B3 your list would be about a 4 hour job. At $100/hr for labor and $300 or so in parts I would expect the job to be about half your quote. Obviously the dealer will add in some time to cover any unseen problems, but it does seem a little excessive in your case.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: Bravo III bellow replacement cost

for an over the phone price thats in the ball park

we got a quote for the twins on our 310 this spring.
it was 2800 to 2400.
did every thing you stated plus the trim and gauge sensors on both drives and ended up out the door at 2500 and change for both. a pass on the 2 gimbal bearings would have saved us $200

 

[45Auto]

Re: Bravo III bellow replacement cost

The trim limit and gauge sensors are $100 each. So at least $500 of your $2500 went towards them. Means you got everything done that boatinedge wanted for about $1000 per drive. His quote for $1500 for one drive still seems a little steep to me.

 

[boatingedge]

Re: Bravo III bellow replacement cost

Thanks for input guys. I think I am going to get a few more quotes or figure out a way to remove the drive by myself which is my preference. I just haven't figured out a way to do lift the drive yet...