Bravo XR new vs upgrading a Bravo 1

I have a 21 RT that I'm wanting to bump up to around 650 hp over the winter with a standard Bravo 1. I'm going to get hydraulic steering put on over the winter and am wanting to upgrade the drive as well. I've read that there are some shops that will basically put XR internals into a standard bravo case. Is it better to go this way or just get a new XR and be done with it? I'm all for doing things right but if a I can get all the internals and it's equally as strong for cheaper I'm all for that as well.

Also I'm assuming an XR would hold up for my application at 650? I don't drag race around by any means, the most gas my boat gets coming from a dead stop is pulling up fat people skies. Everything I've read online has made mention to weight and my boat ways 3800 empty which is quite heavy for a 21. However this on offshore threads so they are talking about much bigger boats then mine.

I have searched this topic numerous times on different forums and never really found any answers besides, "buy and XR drive take off." Would be worth a call to B&D, Max Machine Works, etc. to see what they say.

As long as your case is in good shape I'd upgrade the B1 with someone like Max Machine over buying a new XR. Because even with a new XR you will be visiting them eventually anyways.

I am no expert, but what I found searching again is that the B1 gears and XR gears are the same size. The B1 gears are helical cut gears and XR gears are strait cut with a heat treat to make them harder. There have been differences in the drives over the years, but 2000 and newer are rated at 500hp for B1 and 600HP for XR from Mercury. I could not find HP estimates for pre 2000 drives.

I have a 96 drive with a 500HP in front of it and no external steering(going to fix this). I'll give BD and Max a call and see what they say. My gimbal ring is getting weak so I'm wanting to try and fix as much stuff as possible when everything out of the boat this winter as opposed to a little bit here and there.

In reading up on info on XR they appear to be hit or miss which is concerning, I'll read some info they don't hold up well and some hold up great.

A family friend had a 26 daytona with around 1100 hp put to XR for years and he never had a single issue with it, he also kept a spare drive handy for when he did even though that day never came.

He got a new daytona with Teague Platinum drives with 800 put to them and babies the hell out of his new boat and he had a drive let go last year.

farmo83 said:

I have a 96 drive with a 500HP in front of it and no external steering(going to fix this). I'll give BD and Max a call and see what they say. My gimbal ring is getting weak so I'm wanting to try and fix as much stuff as possible when everything out of the boat this winter as opposed to a little bit here and there.

In reading up on info on XR they appear to be hit or miss which is concerning, I'll read some info they don't hold up well and some hold up great.

A family friend had a 26 daytona with around 1100 hp put to XR for years and he never had a single issue with it, he also kept a spare drive handy for when he did even though that day never came.

He got a new daytona with Teague Platinum drives with 800 put to them and babies the hell out of his new boat and he had a drive let go last year.

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I do believe it has most to do with the boat the drives are on. A bigger, heavier boat is MUCH harder on a drive than a smaller lighter one. I bet your RT with 650hp will be just fine for the XR.