Would anyone care to issue a guide as to how much Hp any given Merc style outdrive and or transmission can handle from the TRS till now, (surface drives and other styles/makes too)?
Which of these units can handle 600 ft pds, which can handle 800 ft pds, which can handle all of it to 1200-1400 blown #s of torque?

And while we are on the subject , how much do these units weigh with all mounting hardware and trannies and such.

I'm trying to figure out which outdrive can handle 800-1200 HP 800 + tq, be somewhat lite wt. and have the fewest breakable parts and the best dependability.

Don't know squat about the trans's. A #4 or #5 will take the power. A #6 wet or dry sump will definetly take the power and live.

With the numbers you are talking about, I would think that "the six" would be the only sure way to go. Just my two cents.

Or an Arneson conversion kit.

Are you talking "rated" and "warranted" limits? Or practical limits?

Don't rule out a Konrad setup. They're rated at 738ft lbs, but they are surviving behind 1000-1200hp applications. It comes down to your maintenance schedule. Is it reasonable to get 100hrs out of a 1200hp powerplant?

With that kind of power, when it's time to freshen up your motors, it's also reasonable to expect to do the drive gearsets. From what I've experienced after a year of beating up Konrads on the race course, they should be able to handle significantly larger HP loads than their rated values. Your habits with the sticks will also play into drive reliability. In my case with NA 502's, I hammer them mercilessly.

I went thru my motors over the winter, but my drives looked perfect inside, with barely a noticeable wear pattern on the gears. I just changed the fluids and bolted them back on. I fully expect they will last another 10 events this season without a problem.

...and at a fraction of what a set of 6's cost. (or 5's, for that matter)

Brian