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View Full Version : Bravo3 Needs Help! Clunk clunk



FISHIN SUCKS
06-17-2008, 07:17 AM
Need a little help here for our friend John with the 275 Medallion. He has clunking sound when in gear at low idle. when he goes in neutral, he does not notice it nearly as much, but thinks he still hears it. Got any ideas:confused:??? At first when I asked him about being in neutral, he said he could rev the motor and she sounded okay, but now after checking further, he thinks there might be a little noise in there. Any suggestions is much appreciated,

thanx, tom

MOP
06-17-2008, 08:04 AM
Best thing is to drop some or all of the gear oil, if it is clean no sparkle just a little, if it is shiny dump it all and get the drive apart. It can be gears, U joints, gimble bearing hard to say without hearing it. While idling he can try turning the drive full side to side to see if the sound changes, that usually gives you an idea if the U joints are going. You can also take a big screw driver and hold it tight against the drive and the gimble and put your ear against the butt end to see where the noise comes from.

kimjohnandmacy
06-17-2008, 10:00 PM
thanks for the advice. it was the gimbal bearing. quick fix! had all of the gaskets and seals replaced while we were in there also. Hopefully happy boating for the rest of the season! -john:cool:

FISHIN SUCKS
06-20-2008, 06:31 AM
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Thanx for your help here MOP! John is back up and running and to confirm, it was the gimball bearing. Much appreciated:wrench::clap::thewave:,

tom

FISHIN SUCKS
06-30-2008, 10:26 AM
Okay, the Gimble and seals replaced, sounded good for a while, and then yesterday, she was making a 'tick tock' sound consistently 1-2 seconds apart in forward gear only (idle speed). Not knowing if this was normal or not, we took a cruise for about an hour, heading towards the dock, put her in nuetral to coast to the dock, no reverse, no forward. Could this be a clutch issue possibly? As always, help is much appreciated!

tom

MOP
06-30-2008, 11:21 AM
Before you tear into anything disconnect the shift cable going to the drive, start it and at idle shift it with the cable see if that makes it work. If so examine the converter the adjusting post may have come loose not allowing enough throw.

kimjohnandmacy
06-30-2008, 01:23 PM
MOP, Thanks for the advice. I am heading up the the boat to see if i cant figure this out.

-john

kimjohnandmacy
07-01-2008, 05:29 PM
Shift Cable was functioning correctly. apprently, according to the guy that looked at it, it is in the clutch. He mentioned somthing about a cone??? anyway looks like pretty serious repair. He felt that it was idoling too hi which caused a lot of tourque when i gets thrown on to gear???? Looks like i am off to our one Merc dealer in the area:( I sure they will committ to having me back in the water before late September.

Does this sound like a possibility. any idea what kind of repair $$ i should expect. someone already told be to trash the drive and buy a remanufactured one????

Should i do like Fishin Sucks did and just tell my wife its not worth fixin and go get a new 41ZSC:crossfing::hangum:

kimjohnandmacy
07-01-2008, 06:51 PM
ok.. the first opinion in after dropping the lower unit is that its in the clutch. the mechanic metioned somthing about a cone??? anyway, the guy who looked at it doesnt have the tools needed to go any further so it looks like i am off to the Merc dealer in the area who will most likely committ to having me back in the h20 by late Sept.

The cabeling and the converter box all were in working order.

What should i expect $$$ for this type of repair. A couple of people suggested just getting an entire remanufactured lower unit. about 3-4K just for the part(S) as i have found so far..:toilet:.

Is clutch that bad that i should replace the whole dam thing?

Did something cause this like that floating log in Lake Cumberland in May that i should bring in my insurance company in to the picture:yes:

Should a pull a "Fishin Sucks" and just tell my wife its not worth fixin and go get an other one? My Choice today would be a 2008 41 ZSC?:pimp:

Any advice or knowledge would be much appreciated.

RedDog
07-01-2008, 08:17 PM
I have held off posting because I didn't want to be too pessimistic until I heard more.

First, the cone clutch is in the upper, so don't go and buy a lower unit yet.

My drive also started the clunk-clunk at Lake Cumberland's AOTH in May (along with a few other folks - Catch22 and RoadTrip SE). I had a busted gear. The repair was an "upper gear set" replacement. I paid retail for the "gear set" at $1336. It can be had for less (2 or 3 hundred) if you look around on the internet but then I was at a dealer and didn't see that as an option. Best as I can figure the "gear set" was basically everything in the upper - gears, clutch, bearings, seals, etc. The repair also involved disassembly of the lower to clean out any metal chunks that migrated there.

Mileage may vary depending on where you are and who you know, but the total repair including the gear set, misc seals, bearings, anodes, etc cost about $2300 parts and labor not counting sales tax. :hangum:

On the upside, from the time I got it into the shop until I was on the water again was less than a week.

kimjohnandmacy
07-01-2008, 08:36 PM
Thanks for the insight.... although 2300 sucks:doh:its not the worse that i have heard:bonk: Ill Keep you posted!

thx

-john

MOP
07-01-2008, 08:46 PM
Did you try disconnecting the cable and shifting it manualy to rule out clutch and adjustment issues? Seems a bit odd that it was just apart had clean oil and new seals etc and it pukes a gear set coming out of gear and coasting!!
On a Bravo you remove the top cap and shift assy from the rear of the upper to see exactly what is going on inside. They rarely blow the lower gear set, open the top up to see what you have. It is pretty obvious the mech you went to should not be preforming the work. It may or may not be blown but the only way to know is to look in the right place.

Phil

kimjohnandmacy
07-01-2008, 09:07 PM
i agree 100% about you opinion on the first guy to look at it. i think i wont refer to him as a mechanic from this point further. i will be sure to pass on your ideas on to the authorized merc dealer when i take it there tomorrow.

is there a great deal of difference between a Bravo Three and other Mecr outdrives as it pertains to the issues i have been having? Because we are in a area of mostly smaller lakes, every ones first opinion is......:nilly:....not a B3!!!!!

thanks again for you insight and knowledge!

-john

MOP
07-01-2008, 09:09 PM
Just poked around on Ebay,there are a few very good deals on Bravo's part and whole. If it is blown that may be another avenue.

Phil

harbormaster
07-02-2008, 04:44 AM
Verify what they are going to charge you for the rebuild. alot of times its easier to buy a reman. If you need a drive give me a call. I sell reman bravo 3 drives for 2950 with a 6 month warranty. Shipping would be about 145 dollars.

713-910-2000

kimjohnandmacy
07-02-2008, 09:19 PM
Thanks Scott, still hopping for a something simple(er), but thats a great price if i have to go that route.

:shark::shark:END OF PERFORMANCE TALK:shark::shark:

In another matter... i still get an authorization error everytime i try to view someones profile. here is what i get.

"
kimjohnandmacy, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation."
Thanks

-john

kimjohnandmacy
07-14-2008, 09:41 PM
The verdict is that the entire sterndrive is SMOKED:hangum:Apparently the problem started in the upper grear housing and sent metal shavings on down and trashed everything else. That from an authorized Merc service Center after several other opinions.

I did have an alarm about three weeks before i died and did discover the drive oil was a little low, but i bet i only traveled less than a mile at idol speed back to the slip. We topped it off and had two great weeks of boating.

Anyway, i need a Bravo Three sterndrive. ???How do i know what gear ratio i need??? Its a 275 Medalion w/ a 7.4. Serial # perhaps:nilly:

I need it as cheap as possible, but as importantly, i need it FAST:newzealand:as possible.

FISHIN SUCKS and I are slated to be on a lake erie trip a week from wednesday and neither of us are in very good shape right now. To bad his 28ZX didnt have a bravo three on it.... our problem would be solved.
think my world suck, check this out :shocking:http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53298 Love you buddy! we'll get there:cool: sorry to get sedimental but your are always telling me not to run from my feelings


thanks all

Scott Call me! 260-414-2221

kimjohnandmacy
07-14-2008, 10:02 PM
The verdict is in and apparenty my entire sterndrive is SMOKED!!:hangum:That according to the local authorized Merc dealer. Apparenty something went wrong in the upper gear housing and sent a Sh**load of shavings on down.

I need to find something as cheap as possible, but more importantly someone who can get it here fast:shark:. FISHIN SUCKS and I are supossed to be up on lake erie a week from wednesday and he is in worse shape than me.... think my world sucks, check this out... http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53298

Love you man! ...We'll get there buddy, dont worry! Sorry to get sentimental, but you always tell me not to run from my feelings:cool:

Thanks for the help....Scott, call me!

-john
260-414-2221