Nice vid as always Eddie! Couple things I've learned to make it go on easier... 1) get a drive jack, this will save your back you do not have to lift it at all... 2) use the alignment tool to line up the gimble bearing inside so the driveshaft can go straight into the coupler 3) turning the prop shaft works if you can install it in gear but if your drive is supposed to be installed in neutral, I use a long thin screwdriver in the u-joint cross area to just turn the driveshaft enough to make the splines line up. On the times when it fought me this is what made all the difference. 1/8th" turn it slides right in! I also use Permatex Aviation or Perfect seal on the threads of the studs that hold the drive on to prevent seizing.
Thanks Eddie - great video. I just changed my gear oil only to see a leak in my leg. After watching your video, looks like the job will be easier than I thought. Thanks mate - Cheers.
I didn't see anything mentioned about checking alignment. My motor mount settled causing miss alignment and the shaft to eat away the aluminum engine coupler. Make sure you check alignment annually!! Nice work Eddy!
The Trim-in-Limit insert which is the white half moon piece inserted before putting the trim cylinders stainless steel bar in with the washers and nuts is inserted incorrectly for a Bravo 3. It is supposed to be installed aft and not forward as they had it. Only Bravo one and two gets it installed forward.
Hi Eddie, great video - I think you mentioned that you greased the gimbal bearing. Are those not sealed? I know the older merc drives had grease fittings for the gimbal, but I thought all newer models had the sealed gimbal bearings that could not be greased. Please reply as I’m having issues with a B3 drive right now. Thanks...
Great video!!! Thank you for posting. I used this video today for removing my Bravo 3 X outdrive. It was very easy like the video shows. Greetings from Norway :)
Eddie, I understand bravo iii has no gasket but is there a need to use any sealing epoxy on the surface of the drive to insure no water intrusion or those seals are enough? I guess you are just trying to print water from going through the shift cable cavity and the other cavities such as the oil pin etc, correct?
Awesome video, I need to go a little further. I have a oil leak behind the first propeller. I have look for the need to get in and replace the two seal. One looks like an o-ring and there is another that looks like it's on the shaft. Looks like a straightforward job. Am I missing anything? Thank you.
Thanks for the video Ed! Where is the seal between the Stern drive and Bell Housing that seals the bellows? The Alpha series had a gasket between Stern Drive and Bell Housing, this doesn't seem to have anything preventing water from entering the bellows.
Good job.. Is there a ball and spring anywhere in there... like 3/8 inch dia. ? After pulling mine I noticed the ball and spring on the ground and I have never seen it before. Thanks, Gord.
So where did you end up losing gear oil?? I don't see that line being disconnected in the video. Also, I was told there is a speedometer line that must be disconnected, I too have B3. So i didn't see you do that either. lemme know, thx
OK, great video and you encouraged me to tackle this job by myself. Got it all reassembled, but I was not able to get it to engage the shift cable. I partially removed the unit to see what went wrong. I found that the new cable end did not click into the shift mechanism. Now the mechanism seems to be deep enough into the unit that will not allow me to press the top of the clip once the cable is reset again. I don't believe that I clipped it in the first time. Thought it might attach itself from the pressure on insertion. What is the best method upon which I can grasp the mechanism to where it protrudes, thus allowing me to make the correct attachment?
@@OnboardWithEddie Thanks for the reply. I can't believe what the problem actually was. Ugggh... After removing the drive 3 times because the "duckbill" would not engage the end of the cable, I decided to compare the old one against the new one. Like a fool, a cheap fool, I bought an aftermarket part from Amazon. It was the correct length, so I proceeded with the install. Well, to my disappointment, the knob at the end was 2.1mm to large. I ended up filing it to the correct dimension with my bench grinder. It's all ok now. Hey, your videos are great and I thank you for taking the time and effort to produce them. I have lived my life by the idea that if someone else has done a specific task, then there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to do the same task. I am not a boat mechanic, but a former pilot and insurance inspector. I bought a Chaparral 245SSI after I retired two years ago and I do the maintenance and repairs myself. Your videos sure make it easier. I have toyed with the idea of making videos myself. Best of luck and thanks again.
I keep getting water in the bellow rusting the yoke and bearing on a bravo 3.I changed the seal last year and same thing.Are the seals the only way for water to get in?The bellow is good. Any suggestion
If he’ll let you. Check the gear oil, make sure there’s no water or metal particles. Check where attaches to the gimbal housing for oil leaks. And check where lower unit attaches to the upper. And if the boats running make sure it goes into reverse and forward. And listen for any winding noise. Good luck. Hope it help 🤙⚓️
Thanks for the video, Im wondering if I could ask for help, Recently I purchased a 33 ft.boat to do Parasailing, Now Im leaving in Costa rica and I puschased the boat in Tampa, so when I got the Boat all the way to C.R. came with out Prop, the seller said that is bravo III and It take tween prop, but same budy out told me here that drive is bravo II so im going crazy I don't now what prop to get, Please could you help me may be If I send you a picture of the drive and the shaft you could reconized I will appreciate very much. Thanks
Seals on the shaft, also water passage, oil passage, shifter passage. I still don't see what keeps the sea water out of the u-joint area/gimbal bearing area. There is no large gasket that surrounds the whole perimeter like on the Alphas. Hmm... Great video, very helpful.
hey Eddie. i have bravo 3 outdrive . I'm changing the gimbal bearing . while the outdrive was out . i put it in gear. spinning the u joint shaft i noticed about 3/8 of an inch play as i turn back and forth . is that normal ? thanks bill
Eddie thanks for getting back to me. I had the gimbal bearing replaced 2 years ago. I started hearing what sounds like it would be the bearing when I turned the out drive to the right or left. I noticed after removing outdrive when they replaced the bearing they didn’t use a bearing install tool. Little marks all on the outer race !! Thought maybe it wasn’t seated correctly. Just bought a used alignment tool. That’s seems pretty good. Maybe can use a very small adjustment to make it really easy to go in and out. Then I noticed the gear lash. That’s why I sent you the question. Thanks again. I’ll put back together and hope for the best.
Fantastic video! Looking for cone clutch tutorial on 496 mag HO X Drive Bravo III. Curious if routine maintenance like you videoed could have caused cone clutch problem? It started immediately after a full season of preventative maintenance. Thanks for the video. Very helpful getting my started on my first DYI project.
ok, so. when you put the drive back together, how about the shifting cable. so when u just slide the drive back there the shifting cable will lock in place or you have to push the pin back down ? (the pin that was holding it when you were trying the to take drive out).
A good idea if the gimball is older, it would suck to hear it start growling the next season out.. alignment check certainly can't hurt to do either..I learned the hard way..had to pull a motor due to a ruined hub due to alignment issue many years ago..not fun
Nice vid as always Eddie! Couple things I've learned to make it go on easier...
1) get a drive jack, this will save your back you do not have to lift it at all...
2) use the alignment tool to line up the gimble bearing inside so the driveshaft can go straight into the coupler
3) turning the prop shaft works if you can install it in gear but if your drive is supposed to be installed in neutral, I use a long thin screwdriver in the u-joint cross area to just turn the driveshaft enough to make the splines line up. On the times when it fought me this is what made all the difference. 1/8th" turn it slides right in! I also use Permatex Aviation or Perfect seal on the threads of the studs that hold the drive on to prevent seizing.
Although 12 years old, simply another great video Eddie that is very helpful. Thank you.
great video ED! I'll be changing my own seals after watching how easy it is.. Kudos you are an awesome teacher!!
Thanks Eddie - great video. I just changed my gear oil only to see a leak in my leg. After watching your video, looks like the job will be easier than I thought. Thanks mate - Cheers.
Great job as always. Thanks for posting.
I didn't see anything mentioned about checking alignment. My motor mount settled causing miss alignment and the shaft to eat away the aluminum engine coupler. Make sure you check alignment annually!! Nice work Eddy!
The Trim-in-Limit insert which is the white half moon piece inserted before putting the trim cylinders stainless steel bar in with the washers and nuts is inserted incorrectly for a Bravo 3. It is supposed to be installed aft and not forward as they had it. Only Bravo one and two gets it installed forward.
Hi Eddie, great video - I think you mentioned that you greased the gimbal bearing. Are those not sealed? I know the older merc drives had grease fittings for the gimbal, but I thought all newer models had the sealed gimbal bearings that could not be greased. Please reply as I’m having issues with a B3 drive right now. Thanks...
Great video!!! Thank you for posting. I used this video today for removing my Bravo 3 X outdrive. It was very easy like the video shows. Greetings from Norway :)
Awesome videos, Eddie. Thank you for making them!
Eddie, I understand bravo iii has no gasket but is there a need to use any sealing epoxy on the surface of the drive to insure no water intrusion or those seals are enough? I guess you are just trying to print water from going through the shift cable cavity and the other cavities such as the oil pin etc, correct?
Awesome video, I need to go a little further. I have a oil leak behind the first propeller. I have look for the need to get in and replace the two seal. One looks like an o-ring and there is another that looks like it's on the shaft. Looks like a straightforward job. Am I missing anything? Thank you.
Thanks for the video Ed! Where is the seal between the Stern drive and Bell Housing that seals the bellows? The Alpha series had a gasket between Stern Drive and Bell Housing, this doesn't seem to have anything preventing water from entering the bellows.
Eddie you have saved me so much money thank you so much for the great videos
with all the horrible videos out there, these videos are great and are what they say in headlines. thank you glad you take the time to do these.
What is the torque you put on the drive bolts, And why don't you put that glue on the drive? Before you slide it in?
Damn you!! You made that look WAAY too easy! The pry bar is a great idea, I never thought of that.
Good job.. Is there a ball and spring anywhere in there... like 3/8 inch dia. ? After pulling mine I noticed the ball and spring on the ground and I have never seen it before. Thanks, Gord.
Hi Eddy
I got a singole engine with a Bravo III but how often do those seal kit need to be replaced? Thanks
im wondering the same thing, how often should it be done?
Hey Eddie, did you forget the speedometer tubing to reattach to the lower unit?
So where did you end up losing gear oil?? I don't see that line being disconnected in the video. Also, I was told there is a speedometer line that must be disconnected, I too have B3. So i didn't see you do that either. lemme know, thx
Amazing job explaining bravo 3! thank you soooo much!
OK, great video and you encouraged me to tackle this job by myself. Got it all reassembled, but I was not able to get it to engage the shift cable. I partially removed the unit to see what went wrong. I found that the new cable end did not click into the shift mechanism. Now the mechanism seems to be deep enough into the unit that will not allow me to press the top of the clip once the cable is reset again. I don't believe that I clipped it in the first time. Thought it might attach itself from the pressure on insertion. What is the best method upon which I can grasp the mechanism to where it protrudes, thus allowing me to make the correct attachment?
🤔 I would try, a long nose pliers. maybe a Long nose vise grip pliers. I never ran into that problem.
@@OnboardWithEddie Thanks for the reply. I can't believe what the problem actually was. Ugggh... After removing the drive 3 times because the "duckbill" would not engage the end of the cable, I decided to compare the old one against the new one. Like a fool, a cheap fool, I bought an aftermarket part from Amazon. It was the correct length, so I proceeded with the install. Well, to my disappointment, the knob at the end was 2.1mm to large. I ended up filing it to the correct dimension with my bench grinder. It's all ok now. Hey, your videos are great and I thank you for taking the time and effort to produce them. I have lived my life by the idea that if someone else has done a specific task, then there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to do the same task. I am not a boat mechanic, but a former pilot and insurance inspector. I bought a Chaparral 245SSI after I retired two years ago and I do the maintenance and repairs myself. Your videos sure make it easier. I have toyed with the idea of making videos myself. Best of luck and thanks again.
@@harleys2u 🤙⚓️
I keep getting water in the bellow rusting the yoke and bearing on a bravo 3.I changed the seal last year and same thing.Are the seals the only way for water to get in?The bellow is good. Any suggestion
I’m buying a boat with 2 Bravo IIII outdrives. What should I look for as far as making sure they are good?
If he’ll let you. Check the gear oil, make sure there’s no water or metal particles. Check where attaches to the gimbal housing for oil leaks. And check where lower unit attaches to the upper. And if the boats running make sure it goes into reverse and forward. And listen for any winding noise. Good luck. Hope it help 🤙⚓️
Thanks for the video, Im wondering if I could ask for help, Recently I purchased a 33 ft.boat to do Parasailing, Now Im leaving in Costa rica and I puschased the boat in Tampa, so when I got the Boat all the way to C.R. came with out Prop, the seller said that is bravo III and It take tween prop, but same budy out told me here that drive is bravo II so im going crazy I don't now what prop to get, Please could you help me may be If I send you a picture of the drive and the shaft you could reconized
I will appreciate very much. Thanks
hey Eddie...how much does a job like this cost? and you are in NY right?
Thanks for the great information!! Also the video is right on track Thanks!!
@oney135 That will keep water out from the sides but not the aft end where the drive bolts on with no gasket.
I have a bravo 3. Does the outdrive come out in neutral or does it have to be on forward? I tried on both and I cant get it to come out
Seals on the shaft, also water passage, oil passage, shifter passage. I still don't see what keeps the sea water out of the u-joint area/gimbal bearing area. There is no large gasket that surrounds the whole perimeter like on the Alphas. Hmm...
Great video, very helpful.
What's the torque on the six drive bolts?
Excellent video.
Hi Eddie, do you have video of replacing trim hydraulic hose?
how do you know without taking it apart and pump grease in the fitting bravo three that you have enogh grease in the bearing
hey Eddie. i have bravo 3 outdrive . I'm changing the gimbal bearing . while the outdrive was out . i put it in gear. spinning the u joint shaft i noticed about 3/8 of an inch play as i turn back and forth . is that normal ? thanks bill
Hey Bill yes that is normal.
Eddie thanks for getting back to me. I had the gimbal bearing replaced 2 years ago. I started hearing what sounds like it would be the bearing when I turned the out drive to the right or left. I noticed after removing outdrive when they replaced the bearing they didn’t use a bearing install tool. Little marks all on the outer race !! Thought maybe it wasn’t seated correctly. Just bought a used alignment tool. That’s seems pretty good. Maybe can use a very small adjustment to make it really easy to go in and out. Then I noticed the gear lash. That’s why I sent you the question. Thanks again. I’ll put back together and hope for the best.
Fantastic video! Looking for cone clutch tutorial on 496 mag HO X Drive Bravo III. Curious if routine maintenance like you videoed could have caused cone clutch problem? It started immediately after a full season of preventative maintenance. Thanks for the video. Very helpful getting my started on my first DYI project.
Real nice videos Eddie.
ok, so. when you put the drive back together, how about the shifting cable. so when u just slide the drive back there the shifting cable will lock in place or you have to push the pin back down ? (the pin that was holding it when you were trying the to take drive out).
Sam Askar did you ever get a response ? I didn’t see him flip that back down?
bravo 3 don't have exhaust bellows?
Turns out there is no large perimeter gasket. The seal is between the drive and the u-joint bellows and is internal, out of sight when assembled.
I don't get how the upper u joint shaft area seals when bolted together without a gasket like the aphas.
I wish some one would make a gasket for the transom seal like a TRS or number 3 drive
Just curious why you didn’t change the bearing and do an alignment check while the outdrive was out
A good idea if the gimball is older, it would suck to hear it start growling the next season out.. alignment check certainly can't hurt to do either..I learned the hard way..had to pull a motor due to a ruined hub due to alignment issue many years ago..not fun
I noticed the trim limit pin is positioned forward, but in the manual for Bravo 3 it says to position it aft, what is correct or does it matter?
It should be to the aft according to the book
How often do you have to get this done?
What is the part number for the seal kit?
Sorry, It’s a busy time of the year for me. Quicksilver 16755Q1. I’m sure you got it by now. 🤙⚓️
Heyyy!!! Fogedaboudit!!!!!