hmm why is it my "cheap" ideas for the boat always wind up being very expensive???

tis could easily become a $10k project. used extension box $2500 min, external steering and helm $3500, shorty lower (cheap one from totalmp) $2000

thats 8 right there!!!

crappola!

I bought my IMCO +3 for $1,200.
It's like brand new.
No shorty lower needed.
X-steering went for $3000 on ebay recently, and Maxx & Assoc will be pricing their system soon.

Sounding more like $4500 should be close for a doityourselfer.

hmmmmm

PM me i'll give you eth detail on that pair i found.

makes sense, probley why all the big dogs run bolth

Hey puder I know where you can get a steelings box for 500 bucks but it has know drive shaft or carrier.

Unfortinatly, your wrong. It's really a factor of your transom angle and the box design. Draw a line perpendicular off the transom and you'll see that the further you go back, the lower the line goes. If your transom is at 13* (I think that's the standard angle) then the additional setback will push the drive in deeper. If the angle is steeper than 13*, say 15* then the drive will go even deeper. If it's less, say 11*, then the drive won't go in quite as deep. All told, we're only talking about an inch or so.

The second factor is the extension box. The stellings for example compensates for the additional depth by raising the gimble face up. But this only works if you have a standard transom angle! More or less will throw the height off. You could actually end up being a scootch higher than what you started with!

Another factor that comes into play is the angle of the boat when it's on plane. This will set the drive into the water even further. It's this reason that people are actually able to set the prop centerline above the bottom of the boat. When the boat is running at speed, the angles will have the prop running close to the surface-even though it's technically above the running surface.

I currently have my prop set 3/4" above the running surface. It planes out with absolutly no slippage and I could go even higher if I wanted. I'm also running a shortened lower. But that was more a necessity of the application. If I wanted to run a high drive height, I would have to raise the engine up 2". This would have put the valve covers above the gunnel creating both an appearance issue and a high center of gravity.

I agree with Cord,
You do get more leverage but you might end up buying a shorty lower in addition to the box. Why not try the easiest and less costly thing first. If you pick up 3-4 mph with a shorty lower ($2000) as opposed to $4500 for maybe 5 mph . Which one is more cost effective ? I'm just guessing on the speeds but I'm hoping to get 3-4 by just adding a shorty lower on my particular set up.

my engine is out and needs to be remounted anyway becasu ei am goign to use an offshor emount instead of the stringer top one. SO i figured if i was ever going to do it now the time. I think that perhpas a shorty lower might be be a bette ridea and save me some $$$$. Hell i have enough in this project as it is.

The $500 Stellings sounds good. You can run an Imco driveshaft in it. The driveshafts are around $350. That makes $850 for an extension box. That ain't bad.

Course this will be a NEUTRAL box. Not exactly what youre after.

As far as the out and back rule, it's not out 12 and up 3. It's out 12 and up 1.

A 12" setback and a 1" lift will give you the same amount of prop in the water (of course this is just a rule of thumb and many factors come into play but it is the closest comparison I have heard.

All mfrs use a 13 to 15 degree transom angle to build their extension boxes to. Nobody makes a "square" box, they are all kind of "rhombuses" or whatever...

Cord I never thought of it that way,