Reply With QuoteSee if you can borrow some 18's to take along.....You might need a prop change, what are you running......
OK, Im getting my motor back from the shop next week, [460 ford hp is supposed to be 600 according to the builder, he got quite the ford reputation around here.] My neighbor has the same motor in his mud bog jeep and it bounces off the rev limiter all summer long, [7000 rpm.] My boat is a Sanger 18 ft flat, with 10 degree angle prop shaft. [ I know I should have 8 degree but I dont know If I want to change that yet.] i found this boat in a barn in southern Mich. and it had the big ford in it and a 1 to 1 ratio gear in the v-drive. I found a Casale top loader in really nice shape withe .024 gears in it. My question is this: Is this too much gear for my set up? Ive been told its too much and ive been told its just fine. I just idle around where its crowded and open it up once in a while and scare the crap out of my grandkids, not a racer by any means. I just dont want to wait till I put it in the water and find out I have too much gear. What do you guys think?
See if you can borrow some 18's to take along.....You might need a prop change, what are you running......
24 will likely be too much gear. Also replacement gears for a top loader may be hard to come by as well as split case boxed being a little nicer, gears easier to find used, and probably stronger (top loader days preceeded me a little so I can't offer much input on them).
I also have a box with 13 gears, would that be too little gearing? I have several props, 11x13, 11x14, 11x15, 12x15, 12x16and some two blade props, I think one is 12x16.
If you have an honest 600 hp probably 15's to 18's maybe 22's would be your range. You might be able to pull a 24 but I think it's unlikely based on the limited info here. There's bunch of variables with unknown setup, strut placement, engine placement, lots of stuff affects everything. Being you have the 13's it might be worth a shot and try the props you have to get some baselines and then make changes from there rather than spending a bunch of coin now and maybe come up with the wrong stuff anyway. Once you get a baseline with the 13's perhaps a better accessment of gear change necessary can be made. Also props are like apples and oranges, different types and styles. A whole nother can of worms there too. Your 2 blades as a general rule will give you more top end at the sacrafice of some smoothness (2 blades tend to vibrate more) for all around river use. btw if any of those props are bronze I'd advise against running them with 600 hp. You will also need a decent prop shaft if the boat happens to have a 303 shaft in it, that won't cut it either with 600 hp.
The more details you post, the more help you're gonna get here. So far it's minimial to go on.
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