Any experience with Powerboatlimited.com ?

SC_Regal

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
78
Have a 2002 Bravo III that needs either lower unit replace/rebuild or entire outdrive. Questions:

Anyone have experience with Powerboatslimited.com ? They sell entire B III for $3995 with one year warranty. They also recommend entire out drive vs just lower, they say in their experience that replacing just lower eventually leads to failure.

Would you replace just the lower or go for entire outdrive? I can get reman lower for $2500 with 1 yr warranty or $3995 for complete with 1 yr

Thanks
 

alldodge

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Have no dealings with the company, but anyone can put a website out. That said the B3 is a B1 upper with a twin prop lower.

If the lower section broke, then you needs to have the upper cleaned out. Removing the top, drive shaft and upper gears are fairly easy but you would need drive shaft spanner wrench to remove. It can all be cleaned with diesel and put back together without much additional work.

The upper and lower needle bearings will need to be lubed with needle bearing lube.

Also look at Offshore Only in their classifieds. Most advertising there have been doing it for sometime
 

Tail_Gunner

Admiral
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
6,237
Expensive drive and lower there....and then there's the prop's...One could put a B1 lower on there and new prop for less than half that...What did you do snap the shaft or gear's?

http://www.sterndrive.cc/product/Fits-Bravo-I-Lower-Dual-Water-8866A15.html

Some will twitch a bit with that but there solid drive's, Ive been running a alpha style behind a 454 for 2 years no problems what so ever.... I dont use there impeller's however.
 
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SC_Regal

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 16, 2007
Messages
78
Thanks for the response

Should be gears (getting looked at now). I can rotate the props - get occasional grinding in the range of motion.

As far as B I lower - I really like the performance of the B III. Especially wakeboarding - I can stay on plane at a good speed. But the more I think about your suggestion I might give it some thought. I really just want to get 1-2 more years out of this boat before moving on.
 

alldodge

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I use to have others work on my drive until I moved. Took drive to another local mechanic (mechanic in name only) and that was a mess. So 750.00 worth of special tools and I rebuilt the B3 my self.
 

SC_Regal

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 16, 2007
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If you do swap to B I, what drive ratio? 2:00 now in the B III
 

SC_Regal

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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May 16, 2007
Messages
78
I have a 23 ft Crownline with 5.7 350 mag MPI

How would the B I differ from what I have performance wise? What about B II?
 

alldodge

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I have a 23 ft Crownline with 5.7 350 mag MPI

How would the B I differ from what I have performance wise? What about B II?

Have basically the same boat but with a 7.4 B1 (Rinker 232). You need low end torque to pull your self out of the hole, and the B3 is allowing better transfer of power. Mine with the BB comes jumps right out without issue. Same boat at my dock has a 5.7 MPI with B3, states the boat does well but takes a bit more time to come up.

The B2 is for a heavy cruiser type, good for getting a heavy boat up but it to needs the torque to turn the larger diameter prop.

Best comparison I can make, is if you had another boat just like yours side by side. The other have a 300HP BB B1 and your have yours 300HP SB B3, loaded the same, the BB will be up on plane faster then yours. When up at cruise speed yours will burn less gas. Put a B1 on your boat, the BB will be a 1/4 ahead before you get up to full plane
 

Tail_Gunner

Admiral
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Jan 13, 2006
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6,237
Gear ratio does complicate thing's in a perfect world, what is your ratio and as to what AD is speaking to as of tourqe...... well there is also rpm build up....Easy QC
 

alldodge

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:welcome: to iboats ZN

Sure sorry about your issues and thanks for the advise with the company
 

agallant80

Commander
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Oct 25, 2010
Messages
2,328
I would say not a good deal.

$3,995 for the outdrive
$1,000 core charge
$200 mail core back
Total: $5,195
What happens if they don't like your core? You are out the $1,000 deposit or a portion of it

Ebay you can buy a reman unit without core charge for $3,900 or $3,400 with core plus shipping. In addation you have paypal and ebay buyer protection.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remanufactu...Leg-/351361072752?hash=item51cec07e70&vxp=mtr
 
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