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Alpha one gen one BigBlock 132 white outdrive rebuild

L

lief

New member
"Hello All,

I have a 454 th

"Hello All,

I have a 454 that is a little rough on apha 1 outdrives. I have 2 complete outdrives and one extra lower unit. It seams with this many I may justify rebuilding them myself or if I could find a great rebuilder in the North carolina area I could use them. It seems that the new AL props are easier on the outdrive but the used SS props are very hard on them.
Does anybody have a good rebuilder neer raleigh or do you think it is possible for me to do them?

The gear ratio is 1:32 and it is the white alpha one gen one. I think I seen that the spec is a little different then the black standard 1.5 small block outdrive although I'm not sure.

Thanks, Lief
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outdrive"">
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454 SSX
 
"you can buy an SEI lower unit

"you can buy an SEI lower unit new for $695. I doubt any rebuilder could touch that (especially if you sell your core on eBay- oughta fetch $50 or $100 even as a basket case if you blew it up- SEI has no core requirement). They have a 3 year no fault warranty as well. I don't think they make a 1.32 upper though...you might want to get handy at uppers.
Was your boat always failing drives? Or just rebuilt drives? If the latter, I would question the skills of the rebuilder and their attention to tolerances. Sloppy work that will live behind a 3.0L will not be acceptable behind a big block."
 
"Hey Hy,

Ya, I've been

"Hey Hy,

Ya, I've been going through outdrives from the start. But I can not say it is the outdrive fault. I like to go to the keys and you know how the shallows are and the channels to get out to the atlantic. Normally I hit something but this last time I know it was the prop. I could feel the vibration and at wot, that lower unit is working hard. I have a china unit but it started to howel for no reason. That is the extra one I have. I have 2 complete outdrives and 6 props, I really do not want to switch, I was thinking I need to build them myself-perfect. It is tempting to get the outdrive at 695 though, they do not mate exactly the same to the OEM, you kinda have to pound them on/together.

thanks, Lief"
 
Lief:

Are you checking the

Lief:

Are you checking the engine alignment when you install an OD? From what I've been told the SEI drives are an exact fit replacement. My friend put one on and I was on his boat and drove it. It worked fine at WOT on a 350 CI 260 HP.
 
If you are going to keep the b

If you are going to keep the boat a few years you may want to swap to a complete Bravo 1 drive.
This would require an engine R&R.

Rod
 
"Hello Guy,
Yes, I check the

"Hello Guy,
Yes, I check the alignment. I put a new engine in this year from
Craig Talley
Tidewater Machine Inc.
757-855-5091
They are selling them at 1950 picked up there. It took a while but I got it aligned. The boat is a 22 foot pachanga. It is a jet ski on stariods. It is nothing to shoot through a 9 foot breaker on they way out. I'm putting these outdrive under a lot of power and strain.
The lower unit that started howling was from China, my out drive rebuilder in Fort Lauderdale hated it and said he would not rebuild it. He didn't trust the metal parts. It needed to be forced onto the OEM upper, not into the coupler. It worked fine for a year though. If you look at the Lower, you may be able to see in your friends alignment that the lower has about 1/4 inch offset in mating to the upper. It still seals, it is just a little thicker.
Thanks for checking on the alignment! That is a must every time we install an outdrive."
 
"Hi Rod,
Do the Brovo 1 drive

"Hi Rod,
Do the Brovo 1 drives have the 1:32 big block option? DO you know where to price them out. I can rebuild mine and sell them on Ebay if you think the brovo is stronger.
I'm thinking I still want to learn how to rebuild them and get all the tools."
 
"Lief;
I have rebuilt a coupl

"Lief;
I have rebuilt a couple of Alphas over the years, and there is no way I want to do that again. I think rebuilding drives is best left to those that do it all the time professionally.

A lot of the marine shops are quitting the drive rebuilding business for the same reasons. You can buy a replacement SEI drive much cheaper than you can rebuild your broken one. And it comes with a 3 year warranty. It is only good for 300 hp, however, and SEI will not sell you one to go with a 330 hp big block.

Unfortunately there is no economic aftermarket option for a Bravo drive. You would have to go with a Merc.
They are available in 1.32 ratio, and they are good for up to 500 hp. They are used exclusively on the big block engines nowadays.

The Alpha was used with the big blocks for only a few years until the Bravo came out (in 1993 I think).

The inner transom plate is the same for both Alpha and Bravo, but you will need everything from the outer transom plate back for the Bravo.

I would check on ebay."
 
"Hi Rod,

Thanks, I'll c

"Hi Rod,

Thanks, I'll check out the brovo and see if I can choke down the cost.
Have you seen a good write up on the alpha lower unit rebuild?

Later
Lief"
 
I will trade you.......

I w

I will trade you.......

I will rebiuld your outdrive in exchange for your home............LOL

Do not want to see the cold weather anymore.........LOL

New England area.........
 
"All I can see is the wind and

"All I can see is the wind and the rain, the sea is my mother, she will never take me back to her murky womb. You can keep your nothern waters.
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wahoooooooooo!
 
"Hi Rod,

I've checked t

"Hi Rod,

I've checked the message board and the prices around the world. It seems that a dead bravo 1 boat is needed because the cost of new is 2k for gimble ... plus 2.5k for the drive.

I will need to become an expert with the alpha. I think I can do it. PLease let me know of any write up for the lower unit.
The Viking!!"
 
"Lief;
You need Merc service

"Lief;
You need Merc service manual #14. It covers the Alpha drive in great detail.

You can download it from a site thru this board.
Go back a few weeks and look for a topic called "Ayuh; the back door is open again", or something close to that. The link was kindly provied by Bondo.

Rod"
 
"Lief;
Correction; you need S

"Lief;
Correction; you need SM#6 for the Alpha One, 1983-1990.
SM14 is for the later Alpha Gen II from 1991 on.

Sorry about that.
BTW, I moved Bondo's topic up near the top again.

Rod"
 
"The place is called Rigg'

"The place is called Rigg's Marine located in Eldorado, WI
Mercruiser redesigned the 1.32 gear set when 454 engines were grenading the Alpha sterndrives.
Rigg's bought Mercruiser out of the gear sets when warranty time expired.
Rigg's rebuilt my Alpha 1 with these heavier gears.
Five years on the back of a MIE 330 hp 454.
Ship the sterndrive to them."
 
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