Corrosion problems specific to Bravo III outdrives

Water Bird

New Member
Jun 5, 2009
13
Williamsburg, VA
Boat Info
1987 17.5' Seville Bowrider
Engines
130 hp Mercruiser
:smt100 Does anyone have any information or experience regarding possible corrosion issues on 2000 Mercruiser III outdrives? I was reading this link http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQK/is_6_6/ai_80223849/ that speaks of possible corrosion that is not visible.

We are scheduled to have survey done on a 2000 Searay 24' Sundancer tomorrow and I was wondering if the surveyor will be able to detect this type of possible damage?

Thanks very much for your help!

Wren and Guy
Williamsburg, VA
 
The Bravo III drive is known for corrosion issues.
In late 2003 they added anodes, reducing the issue but not eliminating it.
There are lots of articles about this issue on the internet.
The best way to protect the BIII drive is to follow the maintenance instructions, use the correct anodes, change them well before they are half gone, keep the drive well sealed (painted) and inspect it on a regular basis.
Even doing this, I would avoid keeping a boat in the slip in salt water if it has BIII drives.
 
Thanks for your response - but I still need to ask - will a boat surveyor be able to tell if this boat has internal corrosion problems?
 
where does the article say internal corrosion problems? The bearing shaft carrier is behind the the propellers and would be visable if the propellers were removed.

Article also states "Although the majority of reports we've gotten involve 1998 and 1999 Bravo III units, corrosion problems may date back to 1993, when the Bravo III was introduced. Mercruiser Alpha I, Bravo I and Bravo II outdrives don't seem to be affected nor do 2000 and newer Mercruiser outdrive models." Looks like you might at least be looking at boat in which modifications were made to prevent some of the corrosion.
 
Second paragraph of this article says "Owners and mechanics from around the country say that recent model Bravo III sterndrives are being eaten up by corrosion and, in some cases, must be replaced because corrosion damage allows seawater to contaminate internal lubricated parts."

Sorry to nit pick but this has me really concerned. I have a friend who is a retired Electrical Engineer from Nasa who is strongly recommending staying away from this boat because of reported corrosion problems.

Guess I just wanted to know if anyone else out there had experience with this and if a surveyor was able to pick up on the problem.
 
A good surveyor should be able to find any corrosion problems on the drive. I believe that you are misinterpreting the article. The corrosion would be on the outside of the drive (it needs the presence of water to develop), allowing the water to get to the inside of the drive. The parts inside of the drive would not have been in contact with sea water to allow corrosion.

I have never heard of, or seen pictures of, a drive corroding from the inside out.

Oh... and if your friend was a GOOD engineer, he wouldn't be working for the government. :smt043:lol::smt043

Michael

That was a joke, btw.
 
Ok, thanks all for the replies. Guess we'll just have to lean on the expertise of the surveyor.
 
To answer your question directly, I have never heard of the outside of the drive looking fine and the inside being badly corroded. From my experience it’s an all or nothing situation.

Todd may chime in her. His boat is on its 3rd BIII drive (none paid for by Todd by the way)

A competent marine mechanical survey will include inspecting the drive for corrosion, inspecting the gimbal ring and associated hardware for wear / slop, pulling the dive to inspect the coupler, inspect the bellows, make sure the trim limit and trim gauge are functioning properly as well as the hydraulics and other mechanicals.

As far as your engineering friends recommendation to avoid the BIII altogether, what does he recommend you use? Every engine / drive combination is a trade off. There is no such thing as the perfect drive for all situations.

I could talk about Volvo issues but since we are talking Sea Ray’s let’s limit this to Brunswick products.

V drives (inboards) greatly reduce the maintenance issues however they cost much more up front, get worse fuel economy and lower top end speed. They also take up a lot of room making the engine room very tight. If you get V drives you may also want to get a bilge monkey. (a small person / child, sub 5’ tall, sub 100 lbs that is willing to help you do maintenance)

Alpha drives are far less expensive, almost to the point where you could consider them disposable however they lack the internal strength to handle higher horsepower engines.

Bravo I drives are great for higher performance boats that want high top end speed but like its Alpha I counterpart, they don’t do so good with hole shoot, cause a lot of wander at slow speeds and backing up is difficult.

Bravo II drives make a lot of power, great for hole shoot but not good for higher speeds. As speed increases they become less and less efficient.

Outboards, OMG, outboards are expensive. Compare the total combined cost of two packages of the same horsepower. Plus you lose a lot of room at the stern. They have their place but we like having the engines down below, out of the way, allowing us to use all the room in the boat.

Bravo III drives are complex, expensive to buy, expensive to maintain, you need to say on them for maintenance, and it’s a constant battle keeping ahead of corrosion. However their performance for a pleasure boat is hard to deny. Good hole shoot, top end speed, relative efficiency, cornering, backing, slow speed wandering is less (however it still exists) and it can withstand a good chunk of tork.

All this being said, I plan on our next cruiser to have V-drives. Mainly because as I age the performance thing is becoming less important. If a boat was a vehicle, I keep moving further away from a Corvette and closer to a RV, LOL! Also, the next boat will have a mattress, not cushions that make up a V-birth. My aching back demands it.

Again, no drive is best for all situations.
 
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I have a 2006 with BIII and I just had my transom plate replaced under warranty because of corrosion issues and I only have 57 hours and do not keep the boat in the water more then a week at a time. See http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19473

I've never had a boat surveyed so Icoulnd't tell you if the internal corrosion will be found by your surveyor but based on what I was told the only way to see mine is to take the drive off and I don't know if surveyors do this.
 
This topic has been covered a number of times. But the starting point is that unless you understand the nature of corrosion, and the environmental conditions that influence it you will be unable to make an informed decision.

For example, the salinity of salt water varies by location. In hotter climates, such as Florida it is 'saltier', because the weather is generally warmer and evaporation of surface water takes out the H2O and leave the slats behind. The water in Florida is also warmer than it is here in New England. Finally people boat year round in Florida and 6 months in New England.

What's the significance? Water chemistry, water temperature, and service duration all have significant impact on the rate of corrosion. And that is before we begin talking about maintenance related steps the owner can take to reduce corrosion. That is why we have a seven year old BIII that is moored in salt water without any sign of significant corrosion. It is also ugly because each year it has gotten completely scraped, sanded and repainted with corrosion inhibiting paint.

As a result there is no hard and fast rule that anyone can quote you, it will depend on where the boat you are looking at has been used, and how it has been maintained.

Since you are in the looking stage, you should move on to something else/newer/different if there are any reservations on your part. There are plenty of boats for sale these days.

Henry
 
Water bird. I made the replacement of the outdrive that was on my boat contingent with my offer. I made the offer prior to official inspection, but contingent on: if the outdrive only needs annual service, I'll take it.

When the boat was hauled out and the O/D was corroded completely, I requested the PO replace it. He did.

I'll try and find the link here of that thread.
 
The Bravo III drive is known for corrosion issues.
In late 2003 they added anodes, reducing the issue but not eliminating it.
There are lots of articles about this issue on the internet.
The best way to protect the BIII drive is to follow the maintenance instructions, use the correct anodes, change them well before they are half gone, keep the drive well sealed (painted) and inspect it on a regular basis.
Even doing this, I would avoid keeping a boat in the slip in salt water if it has BIII drives.


That's easy to say sitting in Wisconsin. LOL

Keep your outdrive in the down position when not in use keeps the water out of the pickup and coat with corrosion x or some other heavy duty anti corrosion stuff.
 
The surveyor will be able to identify the corrosion issues and give you an assesment. Just make sure he pulls the props to check the condition of the bearing carrier as well.

I would also be concerned about whether the Mercathode is operating properly (you have to get readings while the boat is in the water) and the bonding system is OK and does not have any issues because that will also cause problems. Ask the surveyor if he checks either of these things.
 
The surveyor will be able to identify the corrosion issues and give you an assesment. Just make sure he pulls the props to check the condition of the bearing carrier as well.

I would also be concerned about whether the Mercathode is operating properly (you have to get readings while the boat is in the water) and the bonding system is OK and does not have any issues because that will also cause problems. Ask the surveyor if he checks either of these things.

You make a great point Dave.

We have all likely had different experiences. These experiences would cause us to say to a surveyor “Make sure you check X”

Maybe we should make a list of what we feel a surveyor should check.

Also, at what point do you tell the surveyor to stop. What I mean is this: say you are buying a $20,000 boat and in the process of the survey it’s discovered the fiberglass has a significant delaminating issue around the hatch. I would not want the surveyor to continue. I’d want them to stop, pay them for what they have done and withdrawal from the offer.

I have tried to search the internet for a marine survey form as a starting point but have come up empty.
 
You make a great point Dave.

We have all likely had different experiences. These experiences would cause us to say to a surveyor “Make sure you check X”

Maybe we should make a list of what we feel a surveyor should check.

Also, at what point do you tell the surveyor to stop. What I mean is this: say you are buying a $20,000 boat and in the process of the survey it’s discovered the fiberglass has a significant delaminating issue around the hatch. I would not want the surveyor to continue. I’d want them to stop, pay them for what they have done and withdrawal from the offer.

I have tried to search the internet for a marine survey form as a starting point but have come up empty.

None of these are a good starting point? http://www.google.com/search?source...T4RNWN_enUS258US259&q=marine+survey+checklist
 

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