Surface drives
 

I’m looking to learn more about surface drives, I’ve been all threw out google going down a bunch of warm holes but really not coming up with solid info on how I would acquire a set..

Yes I have also used the search here on this forum

thanks for any help

Used are hard to come by but occasionally pop up.
Surface drives are really cool!
Faster than conventional, less stuff to break, and can't forget the rooster tail!

Not sure what you want to know? Is there a particular surface drive you're looking at? Arneson is still in business, Kaama (Kaamaengineering.com) still has a large following (me included) and there are a handful of other independents floating around. There are a lot of folks on here that have good info, let the questions rip!

Sick Stinger has a set in the swap shop at the moment

very, very... VERY expensive. you gain less drag in the water, higher top end, higher efficiency, however the parts are CRAZY priced, props are the cost of your left arm, right foot, and first born. Parts are also not plentiful. Acceleration is slower. docking is much more difficult I'm told.

I'm gonna stick with my Bravo 1st since I can get parts anywhere from ebay to amazon and walmart. summer is too short to wait on parts...

but if you have the funds, and really want to go fast, go for it!

different types is probably a good start for me, I know of kaama and have read of arneson a couple times but kinda walking blind and good old goodly really sets ya off a worm hole haha!

Thank you everyone for the reply’s! I honestly thought I was going to get torn apart for asking but this form isn’t like most, good people here!

I have a 1989 formula 272 sr1 I inherited from my late uncle, he had just ordered new 502s for it before he got sick so I’ll be putting them in after some engine bay overhaul finish up, and has bravo 1s for now will be running this set up for probably a year maybe two then plan on blowing them and really turning up the power!!

thanks again everyone!!

The 272 is a great boat for cruising and enjoying but not a good hull to try and go fast in. Do some searching in the forums, guys have put quite a bit of power in them and hit a wall speed wise. Also to run a surface drive you need a transmission, that only leaves you with one option that you’d be able to make work in the tight confines of a 272 engine bay. The arneson 7m conversion that puts the trans inside the extension box.
Others may know better but I don’t know if the arneson could creat enough bow lift to carry that hull. Put the 502’s in with fresh bravo 1’s and enjoy the boat

Mopower snd Opie272 (you can find way to their posts here - ie: click on names for their pages) where involved in most of the hp and speed 272 posts. Both went with 540’s.

https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/...questions.html

A few years ago I found two separate ASD6's, I needed a pair for a project. Was able to buy one and not the other so sold it to a buddy of mine so he could do something out of the box with it. Currently its mounted on a Caravelle 233 cuddy cabin mated to an Audi V6 twin turbo. This summer we finally got it on a plane (lots of electrical gremlins with that particular swap). I ended up doing something Twin OB Sonic would have done, just start modifying the prop on the dock until it worked the way I wanted! With a little creativity I was able to get out of the hole and carry the bow. Lake Huron in Aug was too rough to get a speed run it so we hope to get to an inland lake yet this year.
FWIW - the drive was installed from new on a 23' Chris Craft with a big block

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...45b6b40128.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e92e8dee06.jpg