Thanks Joe,

We mostly do countershaft boxes. We normally design to fit, we will use plantetary boxes , but not perfered.

We did a 3 spd trans several years ago that fit in place of the damper on a bravo type installation. We moved the engine .5 of an inch and still had a damper. It is very difficult to get big companies to do something new. They are reactionary.

To make it cost effective we need to get the numbers up. Transmissions like the Banks project are billet housing and 100% of the parts are made in house except the bearings and the speed sensors and potentiometer.. Tough to cut cost but with numbers not so bad.

My question about the engines was based on production/military boats. JP8 is my biggest problem now with common rail. Power to weight also.

I know we can get the power to the water with our drives and gearboxes just looking for a good mate on the engine side.

I have been concentraiting on the overall package to improve the stability of the boats at high speeds. It is all a part of a complete package. The b series or the v8 fit no problem. I have had to work around the boat companies for years. In this boat (avr) the engines are flywheel to flywheel (not connected) two offset FNR boxes and the 6 speeds are in the standoff boxes. Very low, very stable.

In the pictures they are showing the AVR installation. In the last picture is the platinum boat with a standard side by side installation (almost) The engines are lowered via the transmissions.

pat W

Pat,

All I deal with today is stock engines in our gen sets. I can tell you which engines last the longest in the small bore and that's the Cummins.

If your going into the rect market with a "overall" system the one thing you need is access to engine parts - power to weight is great but without parts your dead. All engines break and the first time your "overall" system breaks at the engine and they can't get parts it won't be the engine people who get a blackeye - it's your "system" and you know that is how it will go!!!!

My 2 cents?

Your on the right track and you make my case when you say - "It is very difficult to get big companies to do something new. They are reactionary." That is why I think and I could be wrong, you need to build something to go between off-the-shelf power and the black drive.

No offense, you might have a better mouse trap but who really cares? The black drive people spend millions to push theirs and you see the people trying to use them with diesels and they fail to reach their goals. In shear numbers on a world wide scale there are more black drives than you can build boxes for.

You have the expertise to change that and I think you could get people on this site to convert their gas boats to diesels and that is your start. Will the black drive guys come and maybe steal it as some point???? or maybe they'll buy it, it has happened before.

I wish you luck it's tough, the difference appears to be you want to be Neiman Marcus, I want to take the Sam Walton approach - LOL!!!!

The problem I have with the Walton approach is making the parts overseas to keep the price point low.....we have been working on keeping it in the US.

It maybe a worn out idea......but we are sticking to it.

Thanks again for the help,

pat W

p.s. Gucci not Neiman Marcus

Bravo Sir. I simply wish more Americans felt the same way.



Darrell.

I agree..... now this thread is back on track

Guys - your taking the Walmart comment out of context, it has nothing to do with overseas or made in USA? Your reading way to far into this remark.

Walmart - appeal to the masses
Nieman Markus - appeal to a few

That simple.

Gucci - I can agree with that - LOL!

Pat have you really got those tiedown straps hooked to the drives??

The owners do not me.

Joe,

What about JP8 fuel and common rail injectors. Is there any cure yet? I have heard ATF but I think it was a joke.

pat W

Thanks Joe, seems like you were in the right place at the right time for a bit of fun and excitement, mind you must of been a nightmare trying to understand the Italians as back then even Fabio's English was a bit tricky to understand ... think I read somewhere you even raced here in the UK's CTC in the 38'

anyhow it's great to see the thread still powering onwards with ideas

Joe,
Cummins is worldwide. In my area the territories are kinda blured. In Japan you have Cummins Japan which handles every thing except the marine engines. Komatsu is the distributor for the Cummins Marine engines. Most of everything below the equator is covered by Cummins South Pacific out of Austrailia. Cummins has operations in Brazil (So does Komatsu) also Cummins is in a lot of 3d world joints like Mexico & India. In Europe Cummins is in bed with VM Motori via the CMD deal. Been selling the hell out of those engines to European Governments. Have some other production stuff going on in Germany & France. All in all it's just one big party. On the company website the're bragging about CMD Europe selling some 4.2s to the Polish Border Guards for their rubber boats. But your right about the stateside parts train for Cummins. Just tack on 15% for engine down service and you can usually get anything in 24 hours. GM has never been able to do that. Your right about peeps missing the overall picture. If ya can't get it fixed when it breaks what good is it?