Real Alpha Reliability..

[EricG]

The recent posts of folks looking at Late 80's Pre-Bravo boats with BBC/alpha combo's has got me thinking. Yes, we all know that the Bravo is a much better drive than the Alpha, but, on a boat before 1988 - that wasn't an option. And everything I have researched has pointed to $6,000+ to change an Alpha to a Bravo (drive, Gimbal, H2O pump, etc) - if you can get a deal on the parts and do the work yourself. The reality is, that is not an investment you are going to get back from a 15+ year old boat.

So, I would like to hear from Alpha owners...what has been YOUR experience with your drives. Especially with Stock Power....

Me, I've got a 1988 Z21 - Stock Merc 350Mag (270 HP)/Alpha Gen 1. 600 Hours, I've put 150 on in the last 3 years....my drive has not given me a bit of trouble. Yes, I wish I had a Bravo so i could upgrade the power....but with what I've got, I'm happy with the Alpha.

-EG
"Hoping I didn't just jinx myself"

[ITTLFLI]

Good post!!
I agree!

I have a 1987 22 classic 454mag(330hp)/alpha. 320 hours and no trouble at all!

[1996Z15]

I have two questions:

1) How much horsepower can an Alpha realistically handle?

2) I saw the Alpha SS on Ebay and I was wondering if that would be a viable way to upgrade the Alpha 1. I know they weren't widely produced but they look cool.

[Trueser]

I have twin 350 Magnums with Alpha 1 with no problems. 1986


Plan on pulling them off this week for Maint.


Mike

[KMLFAMILY]

1987 22C 454 Mag 330 hp.Orginial Alpha 410 hrs.
Replaced an inner seal last yr.(chewed up by fishing string)Orginal owners name still marked inside on housing.It has a cleaver prop and i think this helps also.
Man,I hope i didn"t just curse myself ! eek!

[Rootsy]

FWIW,

this is a no one correct kinda answer subject. i've seen A LOT of alphas die and i've seen a lot live.. both for no good reason. I've pondered why this happens exactly from time to time.

what i have learned from personal experience though is that my GEN II on the 16 has never hiccup'd in the last 3 years under my ownership. began life with 210 pshp, then about 250, then 300 and finally about 330 - 340+. i replace the gear oil 2 times a year and grease the splines when i do oil. when i do oil i also pressure and vacuum check. I have never gotten any metal out of it and i run it decently. I do try to avoid airtime though...

This spring i went to an Alpha SS. I have limited experience with this drive but i am learning and absorbing everything like a sponge. i am still putting 330 - 340+ to her and so far so good.

i've heard some stories of SS's taking some serious ponies and RPM's lately. I spin mine mid 5's (it has seen 6K with the 25 cleaver)and it makes me kinda jittery. My neighbor and our fellow board member doug lovins is putting 400+ to his SS on his 18 and spinning 6K (drive is updated with GEN II gears i believe) with either a 23 mirage of a 22 quad IV hydromotive. Gary @ hydromotive told me that he has a 640 hp turbocharged 383 in a 19 foot searay going through a 1.5 ratio alpha SS spinning 6000 - 6500 running in the low 90's. yes that freaked me out...

as i see it the only thing going for these setups is the fact that, the higher the rpm where you make peak HP (where you want to run) the less torque there is going through the drive, it's a mathematical relationship. This is kinda why alpha's fail behind bbc's which make their BIG HP numbers at lower rpms which means BIG torque numbers. Torque is the killer as i see it.

this still doesn't explain why they soemtimes give up the ghost for no good reason... abuse? neglect? pure bad luck?

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

Last boat:
1999 22ZX 350 Mag stock, (life of ownership 240 hours) Alpha gen II, went through two drives, both upper failures that attributed to the bottom. 3rd drive was new when I sold the boat.
Bryan

[Murphy]

When I first got my 22 it had a standard Alpha. The previous owner had not taken care of it and was really hard on the engine/drive in general. I flushed it and put in new gear oil but it only lasted one season before the upper gear shucked a tooth. I replaced it with an Alpha SS and have treated it like it deserves to be treated. Amsoil synth gear oil, drive shower, the works. I never do hole shots (never felt the need anyway). The way I figure it, I can have the SS rebuilt 3 times before I'll spend what a Bravo would cost.

PS, the SS is a very cool drive. It has improved the performance of my 22 in both speed and handling.

Murph

[MOP]

I have noticed over the last few years that allot of the OEMs have gone to the 350 250hp with the Bravo on the small cruisers. It is a very sturdy package that I think they feel comfortable with it holding up their name and quality of their boats. You see the Alphas on the cheaper deal boats. Not to hurt anyone feelings but it has always been an iffy drive with any kind of power put to it. You have to wonder if Merc imports cheap componants, we still see brand new ones puking. Allot of which may be new boat owners flogging them.

[mphatc]

I also have nothing but good experiences with Alphas on smaller boats . . ie; up to 24' .
Most of the problems I have heard about are with heavey boats or those worked hard.


I have one on my second boat a Chapparal 2350SX, which has had family use, often fully loaded. I have had to replace the gimbal ring rubber boots. Gimbal ring would have been pricey, but I found the right piece on Ebay for $75. brand new!

Mario L.

[riverrat]

one thing not mentioned here is that these drives are lighter than the bravo. My merc. master tech says these are very good, reliable drives for this aplication. 99 '18 classic 350 mag mpi 300hp 100hrs :D

[Cuda]

My marine mechanic, Jim Bryde at Bryde's Marine, told me he put over 3000 hours on an alpha/bbc in his 26 foot Tiarra fish boat. It ain't light. I attribute the logevity to the fact that he probably lubricates it with proper outdrive oil instead of salt water. wink

[MR MAGOO]

Yeah, they blow up. I`ve blown up several over the years but only after many sessions of serious pounding :D

But unless you are running Speedmaster VI drives, they all eventually blow up...people brag that they get 6 months out of a new XR Bravo...

[CDMA]

Though I don't run an alpha anymore I used to...

Ran one season and blew a used drive with an unknown history then a rebuilt ( thankfully with warranty) drive. I was running hard when the blew but then again I only had 260 hp. I felt, and still feel that most of the time an Alpha is strong enough for that application but because of my desire to eventually add more power and my just loss of faith in the drive I had to change.

Two days of getting towed in because I had a gear "chunks" in my upper unit was enough for me.


It isn't cheap but if you can the peace of mind of a bravo was worth it for me...then again I have no house, no bills, no kids, no wife....hmmmm :)
Chris

[Silver Streak]

CDMA:
...then again I have no house, no bills, no kids, no wife....And from my perspective he is still a kid, so I'm thinking maybe he's really Peter Pan! :D

Rick

All right everyone, a quick chorus of "I won't grow up, don't wanna get a job....."

[jr]

I think there are alot of factors that will determine the life of an alpha. I feel the two biggest ones are how do you come out of the hole, and how heavy of a boat do you have. Not so much as how much HP you have but how do you use it to get the boat moving.

If you have a heavy boat, and slam the throttle down you will put alot more strain on the drives. Personally, I have a pair of Alpha SS's on a 6000 lbs. boat. In front of them I have a pair of 425 HP, 409 SBC's and 480 Ft./lbs. of torque.

My personal style of getting the boat moving is, 1500 rpms to get the boat moving, then steadly up to 3000 and hold it there until the boat is on a plane. And from there its what ever I feel like.

The the reality of it is I'm sharing 6000 lbs between the two drives, and taking it easy on them coming out. I've seen large cruiser types with one drive slam the throttle forward and its off to the races, well kind of, it is a cruiser after all.

I personally feel, it you have a light boat, and you constantly slam the throttle down coming out of the hole, your going to break something regardless of your HP. There is so much more resistance when the entire hull is in the water than when its on a plane. Thats why these guys can run monster HP through them at high rpms. The boat isnt offering nearly as much resistance. But I almost bet they take it very easy coming onto plane.

Jeff