bravo maintenance

[imported_wildcat]

I understand that the Bravo 3 water pump is operated via the belt and does not have an impeller. It sounds like the Bravo 3 would be much easier to maintain than an Alpha. I wanted to find out if the maintenance and reliability is worth the extra expense in a Bravo 3 over an Alpha?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: bravo maintenance

You heard wrong. It definately has an impeller. In theory it should be easier to maintain considering it's inside the boat. But more often than not it's just about impossible to get at. You just about have to be hung by your ankles and lowered into the bilge to work on them. They both fail just as fast if they're starved of water. The Bravo pump is significantly more expensive, too.<br /><br />You can put that pump on a motor with an Alpha. You have to remove the hose from the transom bracket and plug the upper fitting, then install a thru-hull water pickup. The pump in the Alpha drive still has to be there to cool the drive. That'd make two water pumps to maintain. But sometimes big boats with smallblocks need the extra cooling the motor mounted pump provides.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: bravo maintenance

Just to clarify - you in fact did hear right that there is not an impeller in the foot of a Bravo unit, it is indeed a separate pump mounted on the engine. As to whether or not it is easier to replace and maintain, well I suppose that is a relative question.<br /><br />I have the situation that Willy describes in that I have a new Mercruiser engine (5.7) in my boat that has the raw water pump on the engine. I have a 1.25" thru hull pick up that I use to cool the engine. I also have an Alpha 1, gen 1 with an impeller in it. I have removed the hose at the gimbal housing and blocked off the hole at the transom. (I am in the process of putting on a new transom assembly and this time I am going to put the hose back on and simply route that water back out the transom - with the thought in mind of putting a three way valve on this hose for a wash down. A project for the future, but the hose will already be hooked up and ready to go! )

 

[imported_wildcat]

Re: bravo maintenance

Thank you very much for the reply. I am just trying to make a decision between an Alpha and a Bravo 3 for a 210 Sea Ray. While everyone tells me that control is much improved with a Bravo 3, I am more concerned about reliability and maintenance issues. Since both are reliable outdrives when maintained, I would prefer the one with the best do-it-yourself capabilities to maintain. Which drive is more tolerant to the average do-it-yourselfer?

 

[Bondo]

Re: bravo maintenance

Bravo is, Hands Down a Better Drive......

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: bravo maintenance

Personally I wouldn't put a Bravo anything on anything but a bigblock although I've seen them on 4.3s. Bravo 3s don't yank the steering wheel out of your hands like single prop drives can, but with power steering that isn't much of a problem. As a general rule, Bravo 3s will go faster than their single prop counterparts as well. On a 21 foot Mom & Pop boat? I might stick with a smallblock and an Alpha. Much bigger than that and I wouldn't trust an Alpha. Bravos are just about bulletproof, but kind of a waste on anything smaller than a 454.