Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

[chuck in WA]

Hey guys,

A buddy of mine is looking into a 1989 Sea Ray, 26 foot. It's got a 454 in it, but has an Alpha One outdrive (#OC634149). I thought I remembered reading on this forum some time ago that an Alpha drive wasn't very heavy duty and would come apart behind a 454. Any thoughts? Thanks, Chuck

 

[Starflight]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

the Alpha is only good for up to 300 hp. I wouldnt trust it to last behind the 454.

 

[j442w30]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Mercury offered a 454/Alpha combination for about a year until they realized that the Alpha is just not strong enough for the power of a 454 unless you're very careful with them. I would stay away from that combination if I were you, a Bravo drive is the only way to go with that kind of powerplant. Especially when the boat is a heavy 26ft Sea Ray cruiser.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Whew!


You're back already? Was that a serious deployment or what? Did you get stuck in the "stage"....or lost at the "deid"?

I have about 3 weeks vacation now.......I think I'm going HERE!!!!

A real garden spot!!!

Hey! That's my tent in the lower left hand corner!
Maybe it's for sale!!

I don't think I'd put a 454 in front of an Alpha either.....they are not supposed to be good for more than about 300hp or so.


Did you ever have a look at your PM's?


Cheers,



Rick
(also in WA)

 

[Sorrento 25]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

I have an Alpha/7.4 in my SeaRay of the same vintage. I researched this quite a bit after discovering the bad news and found that their life expectancy in this application is believed to be about 75 hours. In the hopes of extending that I underprop it slightly at the expense of top-end, run synthetic gear lube, and use a Just Wicked Marine drive shower.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Ayuh,.........

It only took Mercruiser a year or 2 to figure out that the Alpha just Don't Work with the Big Blocks.........

There's Lots of used boats out there,........
Tell your Bud to Keep Looking..........

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

This is why I specifically looked for and bought a Bravo to replace my Wunderful King Kobra!





Hey Chuck,

I sent you a PM sometime ago....did it get deleted in the BBS software change?

 

[rusty bolts]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Hello my alpha 1 went well over 650 hours on my 1987 454 mag motor ,but i always brought it up slow, and top end about 5300 rpm about 50 mph on a 4 winns 235 sundowner. the motor was a extr*****$$ Ran like a raped ape . My preasent GW has 460 omc that is now running right on the money. good luck i would run a 4564 alpha 1 it any time

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Out of the frying pan and right in to the fire with that King Kobra!

Hello my alpha 1 went well over 650 hours on my 1987 454 mag motor ,but i always brought it up slow, and top end about 5300 rpm about 50 mph on a 4 winns 235 sundowner. the motor was a extr*****$$ Ran like a raped ape . My preasent GW has 460 omc that is now running right on the money. good luck i would run a 4564 alpha 1 it any time

 

[chuck in WA]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Thanks for the replys gents, I'll forward them on to my buddy for his info.

Nice pics Rick - fortunately I haven't been to Uncle Sam's beach resort in quite some time. Always the possiblity though I suppose. Check your PMs - sorry for the delayed reply; I didn't have email notificaiton set up.

 

[chuck in WA]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Hey Sorrento 25, what's a Just Wicked Marine drive shower?

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

Hey Sorrento 25, what's a Just Wicked Marine drive shower?

Do a google search for "Just Wicked Marine".

 

[isp184dude]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

I have a 21' Sunbird with a 454 Alpha and I have never had any problems whatsoever. I'm hammer down all the time but I don't make sudden turns or hop out of the water. I would be comfortable running a Alpha on a 454 until I have concrete proof that it isn't driver error causing the failures. Merc was probably due for a stronger outdrive anyway, I'm sure the Bravo was already in the making.

 

[brads2103]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

My dads friend has the same year and boat since when he bought it. He finally had to replace it this year and he has always been hard on the trottle in the lakes or ocean. but he has always babyed the boat after driving it always greeseing everything.

 

[isp184dude]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

I've heard of some people putting a restrictor plate on the intake manifold to knock down some of the HP. Some may say it seems silly to waste the engine HP, but it's a small price to pay some say. Like I said before, I haven't had any problems so far. When it pops due to too much HP (if it does) I'll be sure and let everyone know.

 

[swansont]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

I have the 454/Alpha I combo in my 87 Sea Ray also. When I bought it at just under 300 hrs on the gauge, the previous (2nd) owner had just had the lower unit redone, due to a cracked case. (which he gave to me) Two seasons ago (season after I bought it), I tried to ramp it in a terrible windstorm and I'm sure I must have bottomed out on the stainless steel prop, because the next day, after about two hours of running, I shelled out the lower. Put in a new lower, am still breaking in, tomorrow is my first day out this year, (blush) only had it out about 6 hrs last year, (blush again), but will be curious, short of pilot error, how long it will last. Love the power, hate the gas bill, would hate to replace the lower again. Thought about trying to convert to a Bravo, but it sounded like a lot of work, and $$$$$. Hate to get rid of the boat, it is a Monaco 210 cuddy, from what I've checked, a rare boat in the states. I guess we'll see how it does.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Alpha 1 beefy enough for 454?

The swap to a Bravo is not really that hard......but you would need to change the gimbal and transom shield probably. I'm going from an OMC King Cobra to a Bravo and the mechanical stuff is not hard at all.

All your wiring etc would be the same.

I have the 454/Alpha I combo in my 87 Sea Ray also. When I bought it at just under 300 hrs on the gauge, the previous (2nd) owner had just had the lower unit redone, due to a cracked case. (which he gave to me) Two seasons ago (season after I bought it), I tried to ramp it in a terrible windstorm and I'm sure I must have bottomed out on the stainless steel prop, because the next day, after about two hours of running, I shelled out the lower. Put in a new lower, am still breaking in, tomorrow is my first day out this year, (blush) only had it out about 6 hrs last year, (blush again), but will be curious, short of pilot error, how long it will last. Love the power, hate the gas bill, would hate to replace the lower again. Thought about trying to convert to a Bravo, but it sounded like a lot of work, and $$$$$. Hate to get rid of the boat, it is a Monaco 210 cuddy, from what I've checked, a rare boat in the states. I guess we'll see how it does.