Kaama Surface Drives
 

How dependable are these surface drives? I just bought a 302 SR1 with them and was wondering if I should change them out or keep them. What is a good price to sell both of them for or how much will it cost to swap them to a bravo type. The boat has twin 450 horsepower engines.

Did you get the yellow one from the swap shop? I was thinking that one looked like a pretty desirable purchase.

Nope, I own that one. The main reason I bought that boat is because of the Kaama drives. I've been fascintated with surface drives since way before I got into this silly sport.

I love the drives, and haven't had one bit of trouble with them. They are probably ten percent faster than a conventional drive boat. There is no way in the world, I'd change them to a conventional drive.

Keep in mind, if you change drives, you will also have to change the full hydraulic steering that came with the Kaama package.

This exact same boat set some kind of kilo record for it's cless in 1986, and 78.xx mph. I bet back in it's day, there weren't many stock powered boats that went past it. This was with 454/420's.

The only reason I have mine for sale is since we moved nearly three years ago, our boating needs have changed, and business sucks for me. There are signs of businass coming back around, and if it does, I'll damn sure keep my boat.

Here is a picture of the one that set the kilo record off Sarasota in 1986, and a couple shots of my boat.

From what Formula has told me, There were only 7 total in 1985 and 1984 302SR1 with this set up of 450 hp and KAAMA drives with twin disc 502 ( 1 to 1:54). I was lucky enough to find this one in as good a shape as it is in. Both engines are new rebuilt by a pro and he assured me thatthese are a full 450 hp. My problem is that is hard to find parts. I will be needing a boot for one drive and can not find it.

Archer Marine is hopefully going to be making boots again soon.

Most other parts are available at your local auto parts stores. The only thing that would really suck is if you broke the case...

Jon

Oh ya check in the Formula area. There is a thread down there that has a list of guys with KAAMA boats.

Jon

KAAMA drives are great!! We work on an 83' 302 with 750 blower motors a side and they are VERY reliable! The boat will almost do 100!:evilb: :cool:

Don, Internal parts for the Kaama are readily available at most machine and gear shops. They are standard parts.

I rebuilt one drive with all new parts for far,far less than what a Bravo rebuild would have cost.

Johnny, Ive got a few real good pics of that boat from a few years ago. Nose was A LITTLE HIGH in the air that day. You guys did a hell of a job to save that boat that day

There is a gent on here that has a 311 with the same colors as mine with KAAMA drives,420's and the silent thunder. If i ever wanted another boat that would be it. Seems to me that setup is preety bulletproof:drink:

I saw one last Fall tied up at the town docks in Portsmouth NH. Blue with the name BIG STRONG GIRL down the sides. Looked to be in pretty good shape.

drives are great. if a guy has some mechanical ability he can build the tools necessary for the project. i made a stand for them and a puller plate for disassembly. bearings and seals are easy to get ahold of and casale engineering in california has three different gear sets they stock, and if they dont have them on hand they will make them for you, great guys to work with and get along with...........

only problemis the props can be spendy and hard to find

You can buy an adapter, and run big hub props on them, but they don't exactly give those props away either.

hehe :D
Im going to take some pics of her tomarow. Almost time for the water

Hey Cuda, while wrenching on another boat the guy in the next boat told as a sidenote that he knows a Formula 311(?) with Surface drives right here while he asked about my opinion of surface drives... :-)
Asked immidiately what kind and he started fiddling with Kmaa or something and I just had to Ask him KAAMA? and he got Lit instantly..as did the rest on the dock... boat in question is a 86 or a 85. I have to go and take a look at it as it will be the First Boat Kaama In Europe I know about.

Also I used to work as a mold maker on NC-machining centers at a prototype company that also has high temp mold injection presses, thought about that boot problem (of yours and others) if it ain´t solved I could go and ask them of a price quote, I know they need some work.

Mine is an 86. The guy that sold it to me had two new boots that hadn't been installed. I installed one, then another guy from Oso asked me if I'd sell him my other one, so I figured I'd sell it to him for what it would cost for another, now they aren't making them anymore.:( I don't need another one yet, but it would be nice to have a spare. I think they are the same boot that another surface drive uses, and they can't get them either. If they were the same diameter on both ends, I'd get some flexible thick hose to use, but it's about ten inches in diameter on one end, and eight on the other.:(

I shipped one to Austria in '04. It was a 1984 Scarab S-Type with Kaama drives.:cool:

HEY THERE, DID YOU EVER FIND SOMEONE TO MAKE THE BOOTS FOR THE KAAMA?? SLICKSTEVE IN MICHIGAN

the problem was that they don´t do out of rubber that can handle oil...yet.

I´ll might get them get interested if the order is for a large quantity not otherwise as they do projects for Nokia etc also.

No oil should come in contact with the boots.

Not even grease?

Sorry guys I missed this.


Howabout a Silicone hose ?
I have also a contact for a supplier of silicone hoses for paper machines , we use this contact for water and pressure hoses on turbo cars.

ca 10 to 8 " in diameter and reinforced or not ?

Nothing bu air between the boot and the drive u joints.

Didn't Volvo buy up Kaama back in the day?:p

If you put Bravo's on it you will probably loose about 8 miles an hour.

There is a machine shop in Costa Mesa Ca that can weld, and re-machine the cases.

They also make shafts.

If you have oil in the boot, you have a problem.

have you been able to find a reliable source for props for the kaama drives yet

It's been 15 years since the last reply to this...

New to Kaama's on a Formula 302 SR-1 1985. Are they reliable ?

Generally yes, very simple design, not too many moving parts, most seals, ujoints, and bearings are common, and easy to get at any bearing house. I usually tear mine apart every 2-3 years to inspect, change seals, and renew oil just as a precaution.
Why? Because the parts are hard to find if you can at all, so you don't want them to grenade for ANY reason. Haven't been produced since the early 1990s, so specialty stuff like the boots, shafts, gears, and castings are very hard to find, particularly in a rush! In that regard, I have two (2) complete drives (transmissions to prop nuts) that I've located over the years that sit in the shop as 'replacement' parts, although I've not needed even a single bolt. It's just the cost of running Kaamas.

I love mine! IN their day, they were 6-8 mph faster than Merc stuff, will have even the most seasoned boater wondering what the heck you have hanging off the back of the transom, and will kick a rooster tail 40' high and 120' long at WOT, but living with them is not for everyone. JMHO.