Crankshaft and prop rotation

[MapisM]

Just to double check......... who manufactures your gearbox and what ratios do they show in their specification, asking as my engine manufacturer who brands mine with their own name lists mine slightly wrong according to the gearbox manufacturer.

They're the ones originally supplied by Cat, but actually built by Twin Disc.
There are various models of transmissions which were available with those engines, ranging in the whole list of ratios below, so I guess that if the builder fitted the same ratio on both engines either he wasn't aware of the load differences between port and stbd engines , or they're not so relevant (if any).
1:48
1:5
1:51
1:53
1:54
1:97
1:98
2:00
2:04
2:43
2:47
2:5
2:54
2:99

 

[MapisM]

Can I conclude that you consider the Alpha is not a proper drive ?

Well... ermm... Let's say that the one and only boat I ever had with an alpha drive got me nervous at each and every gear shift!
Though I've been told that the latest Alphas are much better in this respect.
And I don't disagree with you anyway, it's surely an honest and unexpensive drive which does its job. Particularly when mated to 6 cyl blocks - it's not incidental that they gave up selling it also with the 454 after a while.
As I recall, they still give the option with the 350, but I'd definitely prefer a Bravo behind that block.