what goes wrong with the alpa 1 out drive

[need a faster boat]

what is the norm prob with the alpha 1 out drive that goes bad on them?

[eliminatedsprinter]

I happend to be talking to my mechanic when I read this, so I asked him this question.
What part or parts usually break on an Alpha drive when too much power is put in front of it?
His response was. "Everything. Gears, bearings, you name it". He said about 300 hp is all they can handle.
I asked the question that way, because, based on your previous question, I figured you might be looking for the areas you might need to beef up to handle more power. I hoped this question might get some info you might be able to use twards that end.
[ October 03, 2003, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: eliminatedsprinter ]

[Dr. Eagle]

Kinda like I said in your earlier post. They are a great outdrive, but they just are not designed for high HP/Torque applications.
The outdrive is under a tremendous amount of stress coming out of the hole, and an engine with high HP and torque is just going to be more than they can handle.
I have been in the shop when they had them torn down for various reasons (usually an underwater strike) and the gear sets, bearings and shafts are just not really heavy duty looking. I asked the mechanic questions about how the components are made and how the mechanisms all worked. I had seen diagrams of the innards, but not one laid out on the bench like that.
Keep you engine under 300 HP like eliminated sprinter said and you should be OK. Over that and it will last a while, maybe a long while and maybe not. How long is anyones guess.

[Dr. Eagle]

You have to remember that the predecessors to these alpha drives was developed by Karl Keikhafer in the late 40s or early 50s and these alpha drives were developed in the 60's I believe in more or less their current form. A small block chevy was all that they were designed to handle.
Mercury decided not to advance the design beyond where it was in the late 80s and pursue the cone clutch system that Volvo Penta had pioneered when their patents expired.
Performance sterndrive powered boats really did not start showing up around the lakes until the late 80s with the Volvo, Bravo and King Cobra (cone clutch edition).
OMC Did take the dog clutch outdrive to a higher level with the early models of King Cobra, and married a 460 Ford to that drive. This was only done for two or three years before switching the higher HP applications to Cone Clutch. Even those outdrives had their problems. eek!
[ October 04, 2003, 08:13 AM: Message edited by: Dr. Eagle ]

[Ctuck]

I've owned both Alphas and Bravos and No Arguement- Bravos are much beefier and the preferred way to go. However, I have to say that I've owned 2 boats with 454's and Alphas and loggged hundreds of hours without blowing up either. The main thing to understand is that its not HP that Alpha's can't handle, its TORQUE. If you're easy on the stick(s) out of the hole and don't pour tons of torque into the outdrive while its still trying to push the boat up on plane, they do fine. I know that easy hole shots are not very popular with real adreneline junkies, but I love my Pachanga '32 with beefed up 454's driving Alphas. If money was no object, I'd surely convert to Bravo's but so far I've spent that money on the motors and cosmetics and decided that if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Wetter the Better]

im with ctuck,its all about how easy you come outa the hole, my 355 im buildn now should be close to 450hp and that will be in front of a 85 alpha good luck

[79Hawaiian]

Not super-informative but better than working. Check out these videos:
Boat Test Sterndrive Videos (http://www.boattest.com/engines-stern.aspx)

[CMABadseed]

the alpha is tottally solid. my pop has an older aplha that is behind about 350hp....he's got over 350 hrs trouble-free.