502ss

iTrader: (3)

I am in the process of converting my 84 scarab 30 s-type from TRS to Kaama surface drives. I have been modeling everything in CAD and I am having trouble getting the big blocks to fit with the mg502 transmissions and not have a really aggressive angle for the connection to the Kaama drives. I then came a cross a picture of a 82 scarab s-type that has Kaama drives and the engines are mounted backwards with some weird transmission setup.

Does anyone know if this is the way all Kaama scarabs were setup?

Thanks
Jim

hogie roll

V-drives or velvet drives. They are common in cruisers and smaller sporties. Our wellcraft st. Tropez had them.

CDShack

No! motors are not mounted backwards in mine. Are those your transmissions? Those are long! Mine from bellhousing bolts to flange are about 1/2 that! I have a set of transmissions on the ground, I'll take a pic when I get home and get it to you. I still owe you pics of the engine set up, weather has been cold here. (not compared to you guys, but cold for Texas!) It's coming out soon.

CDShack

closer eyeball on it, those are V-drive style transmissions, not std. twindisc 502s.

To be honest I've NEVER seen them set up that way!!! (Learn something new everyday!)

502ss

iTrader: (3)

A couple dozen pics would be awesome! I have the standard mg502 transmissions and based on my CAD model its a tight fit. Do you have small blocks or big blocks?

CDShack

Big Blocks. Mine were set up by Innovation Marine back then, and they have a Jabsco raw water pump mounted to the front of the crank. There is just enough room to slide the impeller out and too the side before hitting the bulkhead. (you can have a picnic in the back over the transmissions) That's what I was saying on the headers, unless your running stockish manifolds with rubber hose, tailpipes will need to be extended some.

The distance from the flange of the TD502 and the flange of the Kaama is just enough to slide a standard Spicer double carden (1310) joint in. (old style "H") remember to calculate transom thickness. The neck of the gimble goes through a hole in the transom. Kaama flange installed is fairly close to the transom. Spicer catalog probably gives that dimension, and you can be within an inch or two of knowing where the front of your motors will sit.

502ss

iTrader: (3)

My exhaust is dry pipes (no rubber) but as you can see in this picture they stick out quite a bit from the back so I should have some room for adjustment!

Team Archer

The only way that tranny setup worked is if one of the engines ran backwards opposite rotation because those trannys cant run backwards. KAAMA sold all of there packages with the 502 tranny.

Unlimited jd

iTrader: (5)

Those vee drives can be converted to make a counter rotation, but the parts are rare.

KAAMASCARAB

The S type Scarab you have pics of with the red trannys and V drives is for sale on Facebook and has Arneson drives. The ad says Kaama, but it has Arnesons. I re-rigged my 77 Scarab 300 for Kaama drives from TRS. I had to remove the front engine compartment bulkhead and rebuild it flush with the hatch opening. The bulkhead, transom and engine stringers were rotted anyways, so I cut it all out and cored everything with Nidacore- no wood. I moved the bulkhead forward 8" and cut 8" out of the fuel tank (tons of work).