Alpha vs. Bravo
 

The bravo 3 is a very nice drive but the props are very pricey. They track
very straight forward and back and the shifting is very smooth. I would not
consider the single prop bravo for a small block v8, the alpha is up to
pretty much any small block unless the boat is really big or heavy. For a
while the alpha was mated to 330hp big blocks and a number of people had
problems with those. The alpha got a reputation for trouble with high power
engines during that time. I think that was not just the hp but also the
increased torque of the big block and that many were on boats in the 25ft
and up range. The engineering of the alpha is old but simple. It's age has
the plus side of there being a lot of people that can work on them and a
profusion of parts. Aftermarket part company competition has forced merc to
keep part prices reasonable for the alphas. I have had a 300+ hp small
block on an alpha for 4 years now without any problems.


"Jay" wrote in message
...
Folks,

Looking for some feelings on the comparative difference. I'm looking at a
21 ft. sundeck model, with a 5.0, 260 horse. The local dealer sells them
with a Bravo.. Since I've learned a bravo is about 3000.00 more, is there
no
reason an Alpha can't do a comparable job?

The few MPH I might pick up, being able to back up or track straighter
doesn't really matter much to me.... are there other advantages I don't
know
about, or don't understand?

-j

Alpha vs. Bravo
 

On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 23:28:22 GMT, "Lawrence James"
wrote:

The bravo 3 is a very nice drive but the props are very pricey.

That much is true. You have 2 times the stainless, so it's 2 times the
cost.


they track
very straight forward and back and the shifting is very smooth.

Much of what causes wander on a planing hull boat at displacement
speeds has more to do with hull design, than the drive. While a
counter rotating drive such as a Bravo 3 or Volvo Duo-prop can
mitigate much of this, it cannot eliminate it. Usually it takes twin
drives spaced far enough apart, to have sufficient leverage.


I would not
consider the single prop bravo for a small block v8, the alpha is up to
pretty much any small block unless the boat is really big or heavy.

Here, I would respectfully disagree. If someone has the chance to make
the choice between an Alpha drive or a Bravo (Which usually means an
engine package that's near the borderline in HP), I'd opt for the
Bravo. The Bravo drive is built heavier, so it should be practically
bulletproof for engines on the low side of the horsepower curve. The
Bravo also utilizes a cone clutch which shifts smoother, and lasts
longer than the Alpha's dog clutch. Another side benefit here is the
elimination of the often troublesome ignition interrupter which is
needed to momentarily remove torque from the Alpha's dog clutch to
enable a smooth shift. It's a band-aid, which is not needed with a
cone clutch. Finally, the Bravo drive uses an engine mounted sea water
pump, rather than an internal to the drive unit. That means that you
can replace the impeller while the boat is in the water.

Yes, the initial cost of the Bravo drive will be higher, but you get
what you pay for. Peace of mind and convenience sometimes cannot be
given a price tag.


For a
while the alpha was mated to 330hp big blocks and a number of people had
problems with those. The alpha got a reputation for trouble with high power
engines during that time. I think that was not just the hp but also the
increased torque of the big block and that many were on boats in the 25ft
and up range.

You could "get by" with larger HP on an Alpha, if you took care to
"baby" the drive, and not do anything that would strain it. But I
would hate to have to worry about it.


The engineering of the alpha is old but simple. It's age has
the plus side of there being a lot of people that can work on them and a
profusion of parts.

The Bravo is not that much harder to work on. And because the Bravo is
a popular drive for the "go fast" set, there are all sorts of
aftermarket modifications, parts are plentiful, and there are a
plethora of shops that specialize in the Bravo.


Aftermarket part company competition has forced merc to
keep part prices reasonable for the alphas. I have had a 300+ hp small
block on an alpha for 4 years now without any problems.

Hopefully this year will not be the year for your first problem. If
you take care of your drive, it should be ok, but you have to be more
conscious of the limitations of an Alpha drive with that much HP.
Converting to a Bravo, may not be cost effective for someone with a
used boat (You can probably rebuild an Alpha twice for the cost to
convert to a Bravo). But I'd opt for the Bravo on a new boat if I had
the choice.

Dave