Why Bravo ll ?

Shining

Shining

New Member
Oct 3, 2006
704
Upstate NY
Boat Info
Boat less / Sold
Engines
5.0EFI BII
So this is my first boat w/ Bravo ll. I need a new prop. I'm looking at $500 price range for aluminum. :smt009 Can someone clear up the facts for me comparing Alpha and Bravo ll, besides the fact that the Bravo ll outdrive is bigger?
Thanks,
-Mike
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
Bravo II is the work horse drive. Heavy duty gear case and guts. :grin:
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So I've read. I just don't think my 240 w/ a 5.0 needed all that. Just my opinion. So what makes a boat Co. decide what outdrive to put on a boat? :smt017 It seems more now are Alpha or Bravo lll.
-Mike
 
Mike.....the weight of your boat probably dictated a Bravo 2 drive over an Alpha. If I had to guess why Bravo 3s are used on the newer single engine cruisers, I would think it is because that drive makes it a bit easier to dock and also bring the boat on plane faster.
 
Consider it a better idea to have the B2 on the back of your boat instead of the A1. Who ever made that decision was thinking your boat needed it. :thumbsup:

For longevity I would personally prefer a heavy duty component than one of lesser durability. :smt024
 
The Bravo II drive swings quite a bit larger prop than the Alpha, it can move more water. My guess too is that the boat weight is a factor, so ability to move water matters. Also, the Bravo II is tough. I crush rocks with mine and it still works. :smt018

It does not have the maintenance (corrosion) headaches that the Bravo III drive does. You don't hear of people thinking they need drive showers to keep it cool, like you sometimes do with Bravo III owners.
 
Thanks guys. You make me feel better. :lol: This is good therapy for me. That $500 prop just kinda freaked me out. I'm going from a 17 3/4 to a 18 3/4 dia. Damn...that's big. Also changing the pitch. Hope it does what I want it to. Unfortunatly, the marinas around here don't carry B2 props to try first. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I bought the right one. The service mgr. believes it will do the job.
-Mike
 
You should realy feel better if you were to price out two bravo 3 Props. Try $600 each and you have to have 2. :smt089

Good thing I found a set of spares from a fellow SRO member at a great price. :thumbsup:
 
STIHLBOLTS said:
You should realy feel better if you were to price out two bravo 3 drives. Try $600 each and you have to have 2. :smt089

Good thing I found a set of spares from a fellow SRO member at a great price. :thumbsup:
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WoW :smt101 Now I feel really good! :wink:
-Mike
 
I'm kind of surprised they put a Bravo II on a 24 ft boat. It can't be because the boat is too heavy. That boat just isn't too heavy or as "windy" as others, including flybridge boats that get Alphas. And the engine isn't big - so it's well within Alpha guidelines of 300HP. I wondered if it was special ordered.

Then after thinking about it maybe they were concerned that the boat was a little under-powered. The BravoII might offer a higher gear ratio (eg: 2:1) producing kind of a "low gear" effect. It's used on really big boats for that reason.

I think you'll need some extra attention to get the right prop. There may even be a 4 blade prop available. With the reduction gear, even the 5.0 may be able to turn it. If you have to spend $500 on a prop, check the prices on a stainless prop. But try to figure your size out before investing. Also, you may not need such a large diameter prop with that boat (it's just not that heavy). Think about a 4 blade in a more normal size. Maybe the price is better too.
Just a few quick ideas.
 
Probably too late, but you really should be looking at stainless. I have a bravo II and the difference in performance (SS vs AL) on my boat is tremendous. Plus, the SS prop is much more durable.

http://www.ptprop.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=55_61_66

My boat is 10 years old and my Bravo II drive has never needed anything beyond normal maintenance. I even bent a SS blade one time and it did not faze the drive.
 
MLauman said:
Probably too late, but you really should be looking at stainless.
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If you go this route, do these props need to be, or benefit from, being scanned and tweaked, or is it OK to just buy and install it assuming you get the pitch and diameter correct?

This might be the year for me to do this.
 
I would go stainless as well. The aluminum will flex. Just my .02
If its your first boat you might be better off with aluminum if you run aground a few times. I know I did on my first boat.
 
I found a guy in Opelika Ala that did a really nice job on my twin b3 props for about $300 total, balanced and cupped a little for better lift out of the water. I lost about 3 mph on the top end with the props but the vibration is less. There are a couple of guys down in Panama City and Destin Fla that have good reputations for scaning balancing props.
 
Dave M. said:
If you go this route, do these props need to be, or benefit from, being scanned and tweaked, or is it OK to just buy and install it assuming you get the pitch and diameter correct?

This might be the year for me to do this.
Click to expand...

The Powertech props (from the link I gave) are balanced and scanned at the manufacturer, so if you get the right one you are good to go. I bought mine thru a local prop guy and he did a little tweaking (added a little cupping). But mine is a 3-blade - they did not have the 4-blades when I bought it. I suspect the 4-blade SS props are really impressive.
 
out-n-aboat said:
I would go stainless as well. The aluminum will flex. Just my .02
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Not just flex, but actually flatten out thus losing valuable pitch - or so I have been told. And apparently it is more of a problem on the BII because the blade area is so great.

out-n-aboat said:
If its your first boat you might be better off with aluminum if you run aground a few times. I know I did on my first boat.
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Not sure what you mean by this. If you run aground with an aluminum prop you are almost guaranteed blade damage. Much less likely with a SS prop.

Some would argue that the aluminum props are better because they 'give' before the drive gears are damaged. Probably true with an Alpha, but at least in my experience the BII is so tough that it hasn't been an issue. And yes, I have run aground a couple of times. :smt009
 
Well, I bought the aluminum one. Trying to keep the $ down this year. I'm sure it will do. Now it's off to the canvas shop to get snaps put on my isenglass. I know I've said it a hundred times before, but I hate that rubber tracking, easy-up crap. :smt013 Good-bye rubber/ hello snaps! :thumbsup:
-Mike
 
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