Mercruiser Alpha 1 question from newbie
05-14-2011 | 11:49 AM
#11
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Thanks!
Thanks to everyone who gave me input on this. I feel a little more confident that the out drive will hold up fairly well.
I am on a chain of lakes in northern Wisconsin and I don't anticipate running WOT for more than a minute or two, if at all. The boat came with a Mercruiser 90, a 90HP Renault Gordini engine and a Mercruiser drive. I repowered with a 120 and got better low end torque, but it still wasn't enough for my taste (or anybody's really). The torque curve on the rotary favors higher RPM, so I think that running a lower pitch prop will minimize this somewhat undesirable characteristic. will also serve to limit the top speed. I toyed with using a SBC with a lot of aluminum parts, but I think it is still a little heavy for the 15" runabout. The lack of low end torque just may be the key to making the drive last, and the prop will never clear the water on this chain.
If anyone else has some additional input I would really love to hear it. I realize that this boat has only slightly more power than the starter motor on some of the boats on this site, and it is not really off shore. Thanks for humoring me.
I am on a chain of lakes in northern Wisconsin and I don't anticipate running WOT for more than a minute or two, if at all. The boat came with a Mercruiser 90, a 90HP Renault Gordini engine and a Mercruiser drive. I repowered with a 120 and got better low end torque, but it still wasn't enough for my taste (or anybody's really). The torque curve on the rotary favors higher RPM, so I think that running a lower pitch prop will minimize this somewhat undesirable characteristic. will also serve to limit the top speed. I toyed with using a SBC with a lot of aluminum parts, but I think it is still a little heavy for the 15" runabout. The lack of low end torque just may be the key to making the drive last, and the prop will never clear the water on this chain.
If anyone else has some additional input I would really love to hear it. I realize that this boat has only slightly more power than the starter motor on some of the boats on this site, and it is not really off shore. Thanks for humoring me.
05-19-2011 | 03:46 PM
#12
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 164
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From: Minneapolis,MN
I'm glad you asked this question John-
I'm building a mild 383 SBC for my 1984 Formula 242 and am wondering about the "real world" capabilities of the Alpha 1. With good oil, a drive shower, and no hard launches or sustained speeds I think things will be good.
I'm building a mild 383 SBC for my 1984 Formula 242 and am wondering about the "real world" capabilities of the Alpha 1. With good oil, a drive shower, and no hard launches or sustained speeds I think things will be good.
