Mercruiser Bravo 3 Problem! Suggestions??

[Alondra]

The boat is a bayliner 32 with twin Bravo 3 Mercruiser diesels with counter rotating props.
Does anyone ever had a broken Pignon Wheel (the crown on top of the drive shaft going into the tail, there where it goes down in a 90 degree angle)??
After a strange nocking sound we opened up the shaft to find out that the teeth of the wheel had been broken over a 3 inch distance.
What could have caused this failure? Does anyone had this before to? What needs to be done to prevent it from happening again??
There is a small damage on the prop but I can ahrdly imagine that hitting something would have caused it to break. The damage on the prop would have been much bigger i would think.
Any suggestions??

[GordMay]

I’ve read reports that the twin-propeller Bravo III seem prone to corrosion damage.
Not familiar with the term "Pignon Wheel".

[Chief Engineer]

French Pronunciation of pinion

minion-mignon

[jzk]

Originally Posted by Alondra

The boat is a bayliner 32

A Bayliner? I hope you don't take it out in the Ocean. Now there is a production boat everyone can laugh at.

[sandy daugherty]

Pinion gear. The outdrive is by Mercury, and jzk's Bayliner slur is out of place here.

[Chief Engineer]

Iffn ya cants offers nuffin keeps yer opignons to yo' own sef

Originally Posted by jzk

A Bayliner? I hope you don't take it out in the Ocean. Now there is a production boat everyone can laugh at.

[jzk]

I was kind of an inside joke after the comments that Alondra was making towards Beneteaus and Bavarias on another thread.

We have a couple gas Merc 350s with Bravo III drives on a Monterey 298ss, and have not had a problem. How many hours on yours?

[Chief Engineer]

Didn't realize this was a cross thread (I hate it when that happens!!!)