Upper gears: #3,#3A,#4 drives
04-10-2010, 06:19 PM
#1
Platinum Member
Upper gears: #3,#3A,#4 drives
Attention: All owners of Mercury Racing #3, #3A, #4, and #5 SSM drives. As you well know Mercury has decided to no longer make available any gears, shafts etc. for these drives. GK Systems Inc. has obtained permission, from Mercury Marine, to use the original blueprints and OEM manufactures of these pieces and will have available new, near net forged straight cut splined 1.31:1 upper gear sets.
Two different sets are now in production. 1 set will service the #3A and #5 drives. It is exactly the same set as the one that was discontinued by Mercury #43-818823A1. The other set, which was NEVER available from Mercury will have a near net forged straight cut splined gear and a "shaft" that will work in #3 and #4 drives. Polygoning for #4's will be available and will be extra.
Pricing on these sets was $2968.57 (retail) when they were available through Mercury. Pre-production discounts are available with a 10-12 week delivery time. Builder and multiple discounts also.
Think ahead: Keep your drives. You DON'T have to switch to another drive. Other ratios may become available if demand exists. For now GK is only going to have available the 1.31:1 ratio upper gear set and the next set that will be produced will be the lower gear sets in a 1.125:1 ratio.
PLEASE NOTE: These gear sets are made in the USA by the same company that made them for Mercury Racing using the Mercury blueprints. They are NOT made overseas!
Also GK has new propshafts for LH and RH #3A and #5 drives and can supply new "big-shaft" propshafts for #4 and #3 drives.
Please pass the word on to anyone that has a boat with these drives.
Contact GK Systems by e-mail at: [email protected] (note spelling: systms, not systems)
Gary
Two different sets are now in production. 1 set will service the #3A and #5 drives. It is exactly the same set as the one that was discontinued by Mercury #43-818823A1. The other set, which was NEVER available from Mercury will have a near net forged straight cut splined gear and a "shaft" that will work in #3 and #4 drives. Polygoning for #4's will be available and will be extra.
Pricing on these sets was $2968.57 (retail) when they were available through Mercury. Pre-production discounts are available with a 10-12 week delivery time. Builder and multiple discounts also.
Think ahead: Keep your drives. You DON'T have to switch to another drive. Other ratios may become available if demand exists. For now GK is only going to have available the 1.31:1 ratio upper gear set and the next set that will be produced will be the lower gear sets in a 1.125:1 ratio.
PLEASE NOTE: These gear sets are made in the USA by the same company that made them for Mercury Racing using the Mercury blueprints. They are NOT made overseas!
Also GK has new propshafts for LH and RH #3A and #5 drives and can supply new "big-shaft" propshafts for #4 and #3 drives.
Please pass the word on to anyone that has a boat with these drives.
Contact GK Systems by e-mail at: [email protected] (note spelling: systms, not systems)
Gary
Last edited by RMPRam; 04-10-2010 at 06:22 PM.
04-12-2010, 02:08 AM
#4
Gary,
Not yet. I'm still working on tidying up the re-rig, and my engines should be done probably early May.
I found the forward fuel tank was leaking, so I dug it out. It was a 60 gallon cylinder, and the aft end cap weld had a 4" long crack in it. I'm having a belly-style tank fabricated now, that will increase the capacity up there to 97 gallons. That, plus the 150 in the main tank should give us a couple hours of hard running. I built a new set of pickups for the main tank. Cigarette originally had 1/2" fuel line with 3/8" NPT fittings running all the way from both tanks to selector valves at the helm, then all the way back to the engine compartment. No way I am going to try to feed 1000 hp per side like that. The new setup has -12 hose and minimum 1/2" NPT fittings, and I'll only have about 4 feet of line between the tank and the new 3/4" Hardin fuel filters. I got a little Holley marine electric pump to transfer fuel from the forward tank to the main tank. I figure I'll be able to burn it faster than that thing can pump probably, but I'll wait until the boat starts feeling a bit nose heavy to click it on.
Also, pitched the old 3/8" angle engine mounts, and have fresh 1/2" angles cut and ready to drill. I bolted a laser to the drive input flanges, and located the shaft centerline on the forward bulkhead. That will make it easy to survey in where exactly the new motors are going to land.
There are still a few odds and ends, but it will run this summer for sure.
Not yet. I'm still working on tidying up the re-rig, and my engines should be done probably early May.
I found the forward fuel tank was leaking, so I dug it out. It was a 60 gallon cylinder, and the aft end cap weld had a 4" long crack in it. I'm having a belly-style tank fabricated now, that will increase the capacity up there to 97 gallons. That, plus the 150 in the main tank should give us a couple hours of hard running. I built a new set of pickups for the main tank. Cigarette originally had 1/2" fuel line with 3/8" NPT fittings running all the way from both tanks to selector valves at the helm, then all the way back to the engine compartment. No way I am going to try to feed 1000 hp per side like that. The new setup has -12 hose and minimum 1/2" NPT fittings, and I'll only have about 4 feet of line between the tank and the new 3/4" Hardin fuel filters. I got a little Holley marine electric pump to transfer fuel from the forward tank to the main tank. I figure I'll be able to burn it faster than that thing can pump probably, but I'll wait until the boat starts feeling a bit nose heavy to click it on.
Also, pitched the old 3/8" angle engine mounts, and have fresh 1/2" angles cut and ready to drill. I bolted a laser to the drive input flanges, and located the shaft centerline on the forward bulkhead. That will make it easy to survey in where exactly the new motors are going to land.
There are still a few odds and ends, but it will run this summer for sure.
