Jassman

Looking for some advice on putting some surface drives or stern drives on a heavier stepped V boat with a weight of approx. 13,850 pounds. What are the pro's and con's, from trimming, to docking, to possible handling characteristics, and how hard is it to convert over, thanks Jeff. I appreiciate any help.

audacity

are u talking about the arnesen bravo conversion?

super termoli

jeff, that very much depends on the type of surface drive you're looking to install. it's pretty much certain that docking will be a bit more difficult but it's a question of habit more than anything else. if people are ready to accept crashboxes for performance then i really don't see why they complain about surface drives... apart from that, you will find that the most difficult to install is Trimax because your whole transom needs to be configured for it. However, and I said it many times, this is well worth the investment in terms of handling and performance, especially acceleration. Not to mention reliability. I however believe that you should think about Trimax only if you're building a new boat due to balance issues which may arise due to the fact that they are not trimmable on the go. A boat needs to be designed around them. As for others, the issue will be engine compartment space because you need to place your trannies somehow. And the best option here is the Arneson ASD6 where your trannie will sit in the extension boxes just off of your transom. The problem is that with the ASD6, you will have to limit yourself to approx. 700hp. but IMHO, that's the best retrofit option. Performance will be much better, handling will be good providing you know what you're doing, docking will be more than acceptable, reliability will be great. A step forward if you ask me...

Jassman

Im looking at Weisman, actually both of their drives and an ASD-8.

How is the surface drives for getting on plane, vs my #5 drives w/Stelling boxes. Are these drives trimable, thanks Jeff

super termoli

Jeff, those drives will be OK for getting on plane, at least there should not be too much difference with your current setup. However, it's not really their strong point vs. Trimax which channels air to the props during acceleration. In order to improve this aspect, you would need to do some pipe welding or drill through the cavitation plate and install some sort of tube which would channel air to the prop when it's completely under water (standstill start). Those devices are starting to be quite common on #6 and Arneson drives. But overall, unless you're drag racing, getting on plane should not be a problem.

As far as trim is concerned, both Weissman and Arneson are trimmable. About the only drive which is not trimmable is Trimax and there are advantages and disadvantages attached to that. Be careful with the ASD8. You may need to change the entire disposition of your engine compartment in order to position your trannie correctly. If that is the case, this will be a lot of work at best and the worst case scenario is running out of space for motors and having to move bulkheads (monster task). I am not familiar with your setup and the measurements involved so have all possibilities checked by someone who knows about surface drive setups. You seem to have a pretty good relationship with Nortech and there isn't anyone who can answer your questions better than the builder of your boat. They have all the dimensions in hand, they have a wealth of experience and I'm sure they'll advise you well...

BTW, what motors will you be running?

Jassman

Super, I'm still running my TMP naturally asp. 750 EFI's. They Are Bulletproof, idle great at the docks, and reliability is what I wanted. I'm just trying to make my set up more effecient, thats all. I love the boat (4300 Nortech), its a floating condo, and thats what we wanted, the TMP motors start every time, and the present drives which are #5's and Stelling boxes are great but I want to switch to a dry set up if possible and am working with Pat at Weismann to get a more effiecent set up, and increase top end slightly if possible. I prefer his set up vs a #6, its lighter, more effecient, and there are a few other reasons. The boat ran 82 with four of us on it, but Im having problems with one of my props its off 350-400 rpms, it's slower, and spools up very very slow compared to the other prop, so its going back to Terry. I always appreciate your input, thanks Jeff

Payton

Another option is Pulse drives. A PSI drive is trimmable. The tranys can be put in a standoffbox. The drives move up and down with a swim platform that covers the drives, nice safety feature. It is a different look than a more conventional surface drive. You are not limited by HP or torque.

Jassman

Thanks for the imput Payton, I just know of 3 instances where that set up did not work out favarable, and there was a loss of speed as well as front end plow, both of these boats I was very familiar with. The system will work, I know of one customer, Mongo, who loves them, and work great with some applications, but I believe not on my boat. Thanks Jeff

super termoli

Given your requirements, it looks like you should go with Weissman products. You really want the handling, feel and docking ease of an outdrive but don't want to go with the #6 due to its weight, power loss etc... If you don't want to reinvent your whole boating world but you still want to make a step forward, it looks like WSD may be for you. It's probably the closest thing to a #6 but better. Other options all have their pros and cons but clearly involve more work, either in the rigging stages or in the getting-used-to stages...

GLH

From what I saw Weisman's are very funny looking (I'm being careful not to say ugly even) the 6's would be my choice gives you HP upgrade capability and just like Arnesons throw a nice tail but are handleable around the docks!

Oh! yes has in all discussion we have on this I'll bring the time tested parameter of re-sale in the US in the equation.