Bravo 3 Cooling water pressure question

I just did mine myself last week, with the boat on the trailer, you take the outdrive off and it is then removable from the stern. Make sure whoever does it uses the new type hose kit.
 
SeaJay62, I don't think that there is any way to access the fitting on the inside of the hull on my boat without taking the engine out. The way the hull is made it's very difficult to access anything that low down.

I'm guessing you were able to easily get to it in your?

I looked at the quote a little closer when I got home, and about half the quote was for new manifolds and risers, so basically $3200 to pull the engine and replace the transom tube/hose.
 
mine is the 240 sundancer, you need to get to the 2 bolts to undo the hose fitting on the transom that connects the seawater hose to the raw water pump, I'm 6ft2 and 220lb and it is tight, I was doing the raw water impeller as well so unbolted the pump, and after loosening the clamp on the transom fitting, twisted and pulled the hose from the transom from the pump end. The inlet water hose itself can be removed from outside by tapping in a flat bladed screwdriver around the edge of the hose and fully collapsing the plastic collar that is used to secure the hose from inside the transom, the newer type has a solid plastic piece and rubber collar to replace the old hose and plastic cone. I found that a ratcheting type ring spanner worked best to remove the transom pipe fitting from the inside
 
Do you know if they actually PHSYICALLY verified the tube was collapsed? Or, is that an assumption based on what the "norm" is for a "salt water" boat. Since they're also talking about manifolds and risers, it sure does seem like they are assuming it's been in salt water all it's life. I could be wrong - but the diagnosis they gave makes the most sense if they are assuming it's been in salt.

As mentioned a number of times in this thread, it is VERY hard to believe (as in this would be a one in a million case) that Bravoitis is at play here given the fact that it's only been in salt water a few months. Unless it's melted - like Paul mentioned - or something else strange.
 
Thanks SeaJay62 and Lazy Daze. Not sure if you all are familiar with the the 2012 and newer 230 SLN/SLX, but I can see how the fitting would be terribly difficult to access from the engine compartment on this boat. The way the engine cover is made doesn't help at all, and the way the engine sits it is very deep in the hull with very poor access to the rear. I can barely even reach the winterizing plugs on the bottom of the engine to remove them each year to drain the engine.

I don't know if they physically verified it being collapsed. That is something that I want to confirm with the service guy today. He did mention that they changed the thermostat and "poppet" already and that did improve the pressure slightly but not to spec. I will have to get some specifics on that.

All I can think of is that perhaps I got in a very shallow area and somehow the tube collapsed? We did beach the boat briefly last time we were out to pick someone up. Maybe as I throttled up to leave it collapsed or something. I'm truly baffled, and pretty disappointed. This boat has been babied and after some research it seems to me that a Bravo 3 is a pretty poor choice for this type of boat.

More to come when I hear back. I appreciate all the advice so far.
 
Sand being sucked in shouldn't cause the tube to collapse - the typical problem with sand being sucked in is prematurely wearing the impeller or the housing. If you ingested A LOT of sand, I'm sure it could collect/clog... but even that would likely be low in the engine block.

Don't get too hung up on reviews and such about the B3. For one, most people only posts complaints. That drive is a great drive with MANY merits. It requires a little more upkeep/maintenance than a single prop drive, but overall it's a heck of a drive and very stout. Besides, the performance gain (both low speed maneuverabilty and hole shot) is almost like night and day between it and a single prop. In fact, many people actually specifically search for boats with B3's ONLY.
 
i dont think bravoitus..imho

mine was same thing.. spent $ replacing parts... ended up being a piece of old impeller stuck in the fuel cooler attachment on raw water hose from pump.. Original owner had the impeller replaced but servicing dealer did not check for broken pieces or did not do so thoroughly...

i suggest you pull hoses after the pump and physically look through... mine flushed back and forth, seemed like good flow but was impeded.. still i only get about 8psi now for low 3psi with block (@ 3800 rpm) ...but no more overheating after running on plane

replace your own manifolds, risers and elbows....easy, just cumbersome ( i used a 2x4 with strap to hold while removing/replacing manifold bolts)

good luck...
 
Update-

I talked to the service guys yesterday. They said that the technician used a borescope to inspect the tube and could see that it was collapsed. Said you could inspect it by raising the outdrive? Said that due to the accessibility of the engine compartment you really had to remove the engine to do the work and that was quoted as 2 days of labor. A little over half of the quote was the parts/labor to replace the risers and manifolds if they were found to be bad on inspection. Not sure that would be required but since the engine would be out it would make sense to inspect them and replace if needed.

Can't say I disagree with that approach, but wasn't sure you could effectively scope the tube and inspect it without tearing things apart first.

We have been considering swapping the boat for something with an outboard and more shallow water & fishing friendly since we moved last year. Kids are older and a water sports oriented boat really isn't the best fit for us right now. I had been discussing that with a sales rep prior to this issue, so today we are going to go to the dealership and take a look at what they have. More to come, but I may end up letting them deal with it and just getting a different boat altogether.
 
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