Vinny P

After bringing the boat home for the winter today, I took the lower apart. Didnt get to the upper yet. These gears have 76 hours on them. I set then up last winter, my first time setting up a drive. I admit to beating the boat up alot. I run the ocean , jump waves, lots of full throttle passes. Boat is a 259 Convincor, 680 hp, 660 torque. I have been running Merc Hi-Performance gear lube, changed every 20 hours.

I am leaning towards not running them again next year. Looks like they are just staring to break through the hardening.

RLW

Vinny,
Hopefully Smitty (Articfriends) and Mr. Gadgets will post their opinions. It doesn't look bad from the pic. It's hard to tell and quite frankly, I don't have any experience with outdrive teardowns. There is some wear indicated on the back side. I assume from using reverse. What is the Rockwell number when they are new?
Russ

Vinny P

Russ,
Actually, the wear marks are on the forward side. Dont know where they stand as far as hardness numbers. I feel it would be best to just change them and be safe for another year.

Vinny

Smitty

iTrader: (1)

Time to get some new gears. Better to do now than chance breakage and metal going thru the drive.

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Looking at your big gear,in the 1 or 2 o-clock position is there actual lines where they almost look like cracks? It looks like it when I click on the pics.The last gear treatment process I tried on my gears worked very well at helping my gears hold up,I only get 15 to 20 hours before my gears are trashed 5 times worse than your pics. If you pm me I am offering the gear treatment thru my business thru a vendor I have contracted with for a nominal fee,Smitty

RLW

Smitty,
What type of metallurgical treatment are you offering?
Russ

SpeedMaster

Looks like the pinion may have been set-up a little high.

Vinny P

Smitty,
I got your PM. I will certainly consider the offer, thanks. There has been alot of talk around here about heat treating gears. I know that it has helped you and ZT260. Maybe others, dont know for sure. I woudl be willing to try the process but I was under the assumption that it was best to do this process on gears that were run in a bit. Is the process you are selling the same you used for yourself?

As for the pictures, you are right, it looks like the gear has small cracks. However, when holding the gear in your hand, there are no cracks. They just look worn and tired.

Vinny

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Vinny,the extra case hardening I had done to a set of gears didn't help them last any longer,the craters were just deeper when they started to fail. The treatment that did work for me was a experimental, multiple combination of surface prep,proper cryogenic stabilization of the core structure and a final finishing process. It is technology derived from nascar and f-1 racing from a company that Bob Madera got me in touch with the right people at.My gears were done with this process as a experiment as a one off,I am currently compiling a order to meet their minimum batch requirements and I'm going to implement this treatment into some of the parts in the transmissions I build for some of the big hp racers locally plus for the guys I build drives for locally and any oso member interested that is having lower gear durability problems like I have experienced. My thinking is it would work best on slightly used gears that have a good wear pattern (which is what I did) but the engineer I am working with assures me it will greatly extend the life on a new gear also as it is impractical to find a supply of low hour gears to purchase. Anyone interested in trying it send me a pm,Smitty

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Amongst my other experiments was a full size 5 blade maximus that lugged my boat so hard on the top end I sheared off a prop shaft but gears held up,Smitty