B3 stand (homemade)

[boatman37]

Anyone have any 'blueprints' for a homemade Bravo 3 stand? Saw pics of a few where they bought a harbor freight furniture mover 'dolly' and added 2x4 uprights. And when I saw 'blueprints' I mean just a drawing or something with measurements. Have to pull mine this winter to replace the cone clutch and figured it would be much easier with a stand.

Thanks!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Look for a post I did a while ago - see if that's what you had in mind. I probably used the word drive or stand - maybe both - in the title.

 

[Blueone]

I remember @Lazy Daze stand ….very simple to copy

 

[Blueone]

Okay I am not as lazy as @Lazy Daze (2009 dude) but his pics are gone. Here is the original post
http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/drive-stand-cheap.25117/
maybe he has backup pics ?

 

[boatman37]

Actually there were a few pics in that thread so I have a basic idea. Will take a pic when I'm done with it. Thanks!

 

[Woody]

https://www.boatingmag.com/story/how-to/building-a-sterndrive-lower-unit-stand-for-a-boat/

or make one that's height adjustable https://www.stumpysfabworks.com/boat-outdrive-jack.html

 

[Thornton69]

We have a support tacked together with pipe and angle. Work with what you have available. Doesn't have to be fancy but sure like the caster idea. Height can easily be adjusted by raising/lowering the trailer jack.

 

[firecadet613]

I made a stand like @Lazy Daze and it's worked well for many years now.

 

[wyrman]

I made the Stumpy one that Woody posted.
It worked great, sold it last year as I no longer have a Bravo drive.

 

[BillK2632]

.
For my Alpha, but should hold a BIII fine. 2x4, 1x4, a cheap Matt for carpet (I added the carpet after these pictures) and casters from Lowe’s. Other than the casters, built from scraps I had laying around. Invaluable for working on the outdrive

 

[AJSB]

I made one a few years back using a HF dolly, 2x6's (bottom) and 2x8's (cradle pieces). I don't have measurements but I did chamfer slightly the pieces the drives set on so they settled in nicely. Here are a few pics.

 

[89P270]

I made two (twin B3's sitting in my garage now) using HF larger dolly and two 2x4x8's for each and they look like what billK put together. However, as I want to POR15 the entire drives and refurbish with new zincs, what AJSB shows is even better because it allows access to more of the drive unit. I am going to revise my stands to this configuration now. Thanks for the photos!

 

[boatman37]

So just made one similar to AJSB's. Beware I'm no Bob Vila, more like Tim the toolman Taylor...lol. But I can get by. Took me about 2 hours to build this one out of leftover wood I had laying around. Bought the 'dolly' at Home Depot and built on that. Pretty sturdy so shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Christo]

Looks pretty good boatman

 

[Espos4]

I made two (twin B3's sitting in my garage now) using HF larger dolly and two 2x4x8's for each and they look like what billK put together. However, as I want to POR15 the entire drives and refurbish with new zincs, what AJSB shows is even better because it allows access to more of the drive unit. I am going to revise my stands to this configuration now. Thanks for the photos!

Curious, why POR15?

 

[89P270]

Curious, why POR15?

Well, at first was considering POR15. Why? Many factors. It sticks like nobodies business if base metal cleaned well. Bad news here is if there are joints, it will weld them - Pay attention and separate joints for sure or pay later on this. Try and get a lid off the POR15 container if you get some on the metal - Impossible -you end up tearing the metal to get it open. It self levels like you spray painted it even though you brush-Translation easy to apply and looks great with the gloss black. Its thick and will fill slight (1/8 inch thick or less) corrosion indentations well. No priming necessary. Finally, it was made for the marine industry to start with even though hot rodders are the biggest users for things like frame protection. Downside, its not UV protected and to make UV protected you have to use the POR Topcoat which is flat and I dont want flat.

In the end, because of how much effort I am putting into the upper gear drive case, I have elected to go with Marine JB weld for the minor upper case indentations from corrosion and then all Mercruiser spray primer paint. Here's a photo of the first Bravo III i will start with. These came off my 2002 RInker 342 Fiesta Vee that only had 265 hours when I replaced the drives with new. I have opened the upper drive case and it looks pristine inside. Only issue then is the corrosion on the outer case and worse on this drive than the other. I will fill indents, sand smooth (BTW - JB Weld Marine is easy to sand with 80 grit aluminum oxide), primer (Quicksilver 802878Q52 Primer Paint) , and paint (Mercruiser Phantom Black)- Re-install decals I got off Ebay ($40). These will become backups for my current 97 270 DA (2.2:1 ratios on these too, I think the 270 is 2.0:1 so maybe even a little better performance if a I do the swap out in the future).

BTW - There is no magic bullet to stop corrosion for extended period (meaning more than a few years). This requires outdrives be recoated often. If you stay up on maintenance, they wont get like these - Although these cases were in water for 18 years (Fresh) there is a lot of stray current in the marina this boat sat in over the years. At one point I threated to buy a current meter (about 5 bills) and actually pin point the old boats throwing out that current but I sold the Rinker before I went that far.

 

[boatman37]

Pulled the drive today and sat it on the new stand. Perfect! Works great. Thanks!

 

[Nater Potater]

Only issue then is the corrosion on the outer case and worse on this drive than the other.

Your post gives me hope, as my drives look equally bad. I have the new decals for when I get the drives prepped and painted (next winter?).

 

[boatman37]

Mine doesn't look very bad just that the paint isn't up to me standards. Figured I might prep it, paint it and put new stickers on to hopefully make it look like new.

 

[BillK2632]

Boatman I like it! I which I had designed mine to hold the drive by the skeg and starting with a dolly is a great idea. The point to all this is, if you plan to do any work on your drive, or even just store it during the winter, a drive stand is a must have.