Identify this Alpha drive? SS?

[rayar3]

Looking at buying these drives as spares. I'm told they are Alpha SS drives, but sure don't look like the SS sitting in my basement. To me they look like standard Alpha One Gen 1's with a bullet nose. The upper seems to be standard length, not a shorty. Any ideas?

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo103/rayar3/ssdrives002.jpg

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo103/rayar3/ssdrives001.jpg

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo103/rayar3/ssdrives003.jpg

[Trueser]

Is one a Counter rotating? I would like to try one on the 29?

I have some interest in these drives.

[BigGrizzly]

They are not SS drives on one or two you can see the nose cone outline. Look how far away from the cav plate the prop is.

[rayar3]

Let me add that the nose cones are factory, not added on. The "line" that you see is a scratch.

I agree that they are not SS drives, but are something that Mercury produced in the late 1980's. I'm just trying to figure out what they are. If I had to make an educated guess, I'd say that they were part of the Alpha One line up just like the Bravo line up now. You could get a standard Alpha One, this one with a bullet nose, or the SS with "sportmaster" drives.

[mrfixxall]

Is one a Counter rotating? I would like to try one on the 29?

I have some interest in these drives.


Mike!! why didnt you ask that you were looking for one? I just sold a set of counter rotating alphas with 1.32 gears for $850.00

[Trueser]

I need 1.5

and yes I would like to try a set.

[Trueser]

All I need is the lower I have spare uppers already.

CR

The guy selling these want way to much $$$

[mrfixxall]

All I need is the lower I have spare uppers already.

CR

The guy selling these want way to much $$$


it wont be but mabe 2 mph faster but it will take the twist out of the boat..

then your gonna need a tiebar also if you dont have one already:)

[rayar3]

Good talking with you Mike. I'm not going to get them myself and if anyone's interested here's the ad for them: http://stlouis.craigslist.org/boa/1174249176.html

He was asking $1500 each, I offered $1250 each before I saw pictures when I thought they were SS drives. I called and backed out of the deal. It's not worth my time and I didn't want to lowball the guy knowing that they are just Gen 1 drives.

Of course if they were SS drives, $1250 each would have been a steal!

And by the way I do have one SS drive (a real one!) that was just inspected, resealed, new water pump installed. I can verify the work for anyone that's interested. Thinking about selling it if anyone's interested. When it comes down to it I don't have the water to drive 75 mph near me, so I might let it go and just keep the stock drive on the boat.

[Trueser]

it wont be but mabe 2 mph faster but it will take the twist out of the boat..

then your gonna need a tiebar also if you dont have one already:)

I have no twist and I was told that could be closer to 4 mph gain

[BigGrizzly]

Speed increase depends on how fast you go now. I have never seen a 4 mph increase from the nose cones. Now since the SS is 2 1/2" shorter it is possible. Remember the shorty is suppose to be 10 mph but in most cases under 80 It may be up to 6 mph with the correct props. There are never guarantees. On my Corsican the nose cone by Hydromotive gave the boat better stability and cut down on the idle wiggle. I like the nose cones because it protects the lower unit from impact, it really works.

[rschap1]

Picking up an Alpha SS short upper this evening and some other SBC parts...Gill exhaust headers/manifolds with SS risers and carb and intake...now all I need is something to put it all on.

[Rootsy]

Alpha SS gearcases DID NOT have side water pickups.. only low water pickups directly above the nosecone, just off of the leading edge of the gearcase...

[19donziz29]

He was talking about a 4mph gain on the Z29, which currently has 2 right hand drives. Making one of them counter-rotating is suppose to give some gain. Surprisingly it tracks perfectly straight at speed with both drives being right hand. I would really like to do a Bravo conversion! It likes to get some good air out on Lake Michigan and I'm always nervous about the alphas with that heavy of a boat.
Matt