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madmax911
12-03-2002, 11:53 AM
I am looking for online tech info on the blackhawk drives as well as opinions on its strengths and weakneses.
Ex-how much HP can it handle ,parts availability, time between rebuilds,known defects ect...

tsnave
12-06-2002, 03:37 PM
Hi there MM! I have run Blackhawks for quite some time now and also have friends that all run them. I have more glory stories to tell you than I care to type about. The Blackhawk is a drive before its time and can be upgraded with good components by Max Machine Worx. What is your application?

madmax911
12-08-2002, 04:42 AM
Thanks for your responce,i am new to the forum...
Thingking about installing a BH on a 23' modified V hull.Hull looks very close to a Stoker SST.
I have read most of the post's on the BH and it seems that some love them and some hate them.My biggest concern is braking the drive on re-entry if I air-out the boat.I live on the Gulf coast and sometimes like to play ruff.The hull is being built right now and the motor (550hp)is out of another boat.The builder says the hull was designed for the BH but also works well with Bravo 1.
Is Max Marine the only source for tech info?

SUPERCREWJOHN
12-12-2002, 01:53 PM
I ran one some years ago on a Hallett 210S hooked to a 502 Mag. Created a huge rooster tail, and was faster than heck and relatively bulletproof. Defintely before its time unfortunately.. You certainly wouldnt want to try to ski behind one.. jawdrop

Havasu Hangin'
12-12-2002, 03:37 PM
SUPERCREWJOHN:
Defintely before its time..Didn't Volvo's Duoprop get launched first?

tsnave
12-16-2002, 06:37 PM
I have an extra BH and props if you are interested. If you are serious about playing hard, have Maxx Machine Worx beef it up. The drive is great for top-end efficiency, but it is not quite as docile as a Bravo around the dock and trailering. The Volvo Duo Prop may have hit the market sooner than the BH but it is NOT a surface drive. The rooster tail rumor is true at WOT, but you can certainly trim it down. Please feel free to e-mail me or call me if you have any questions. 913-530-6370 or taevans@swbell.net.

tsnave
12-16-2002, 06:37 PM
I have an extra BH and props if you are interested. If you are serious about playing hard, have Maxx Machine Worx beef it up. The drive is great for top-end efficiency, but it is not quite as docile as a Bravo around the dock and trailering. The Volvo Duo Prop may have hit the market sooner than the BH but it is NOT a surface drive. The rooster tail rumor is true at WOT, but you can certainly trim it down. Please feel free to e-mail me or call me if you have any questions. 913-530-6370 or taevans@swbell.net.

Havasu Hangin'
12-16-2002, 09:31 PM
tsnave:
The Volvo Duo Prop may have hit the market sooner than the BH but it is NOT a surface drive. What's the difference between a BH and Duoprop that makes the BH a surface drive and the Duoprop not?

madmax911
12-17-2002, 05:16 AM
tsnave:
I have an extra BH and props if you are interested. If you are serious about playing hard, have Maxx Machine Worx beef it up. The drive is great for top-end efficiency, but it is not quite as docile as a Bravo around the dock and trailering. The Volvo Duo Prop may have hit the market sooner than the BH but it is NOT a surface drive. The rooster tail rumor is true at WOT, but you can certainly trim it down. Please feel free to e-mail me or call me if you have any questions. 913-530-6370 or taevans@swbell.net.

madmax911
12-17-2002, 05:33 AM
Thanks for the reply.
Big time change of events since last post...
My boat builder was vandalized and several customers boats were damaged.He is a small one man show and it will take him a long time to recover.In the mean time while looking for info on the Blackhawk I came across a used boat on Offshoreonly.com.An Ex racing boat called an Exciter 24 for a good price.Had it surveyed and drove up and bought it.It allready has a BH and the owner says it runs high 80s low 90s.We shall see...TSNAVE I am interested in your props,what pitch do you have available?..

tsnave
12-19-2002, 10:55 PM
HH! Obviously, you have never seen a Blackhawk outdrive. It is QUITE a bit shorter than a DuoProp. It also has one rounded ear prop (forward) and one cleaver style prop (aft) that helps create a substantial amount of stern lift. Shorter drive, equals less drag, equals higher MPH.
MM-I have 27's, 29's and 31's.

Havasu Hangin'
12-20-2002, 07:52 AM
tsnave:
HH! Obviously, you have never seen a Blackhawk outdrive. Yes I have.
tsnave:
It is QUITE a bit shorter than a DuoProp. It also has one rounded ear prop (forward) and one cleaver style prop (aft) that helps create a substantial amount of stern lift. Shorter drive, equals less drag, equals higher MPH.So if I mount the x-dimension on my Duoprop a little higher, and put a new set of props on, then is it a surface drive?
Shorter drive, equals less drag, equals higher MPH. Right?

DUCKY
12-20-2002, 06:50 PM
A Blackhawk is almost 8" shorter than a Bravo, and was designed specifically around Eliminator's line of Daytona Tunnels. The propshaft centerline is about .5" -2" below the pad on most installations. The plan was to allow a raised X-dimension without having a foot of space under the oil pan. The twin props just helps acceleration, since the drive is so high. The blackhawk can handle about the same power as a Bravo (500-550hp).

DUCKY
12-20-2002, 06:54 PM
Havasu Hangin':
tsnave:
HH! Obviously, you have never seen a Blackhawk outdrive. Yes I have.
tsnave:
It is QUITE a bit shorter than a DuoProp. It also has one rounded ear prop (forward) and one cleaver style prop (aft) that helps create a substantial amount of stern lift. Shorter drive, equals less drag, equals higher MPH.So if I mount the x-dimension on my Duoprop a little higher, and put a new set of props on, then is it a surface drive?
Shorter drive, equals less drag, equals higher MPH. Right? Oh yeah, ALOT HIGHER. And you would have to have surfacing props custom made. I saw a 19' Daytona with a duo-prop that was mounted with the p/s 1.5" below the pad. They added almost 2 feet of transom to it to make it work. The ran it with a really healthy SBC and flipped in the first turn of the first race. It was so high tha you could see the pan rail from the side of the boat!!!

Havasu Hangin'
12-20-2002, 09:06 PM
DUCKY:
I saw a 19' Daytona with a duo-prop that was mounted with the p/s 1.5" below the pad.What about something that is not a Daytona?
Are you sure the Blackhawk was launched specifically for the Daytona?
BTW...they are also on big fishing boats...and nowhere near the surface...

DUCKY
12-20-2002, 09:45 PM
Havasu Hangin':
DUCKY:
I saw a 19' Daytona with a duo-prop that was mounted with the p/s 1.5" below the pad.What about something that is not a Daytona?
Are you sure the Blackhawk was launched specifically for the Daytona?
BTW...they are also on big fishing boats...and nowhere near the surface... I have seen them on other types of boats, but mostly tunnels.
A fishing boat though? Are you sure it wasn't a Bravo 3 (Mercruiser's answer to the Duo-Prop, introduced in '97 and still in production) The Blackhawk was discontinued in 1996 (I think) and I know for a fact that 90% of the R&D work at Mercruiser was done on Daytonas. I even heard that this was the initial reason for Eliminator building a plant here. It was to be the "skunkworks" for surface piercing drive reasearch. All-Seasons marine in Henderson also did extensive testing for Mercruiser on the Blackhawk, on several different Daytona's. I know Merc and Elim had a marketing agreement for the Blackhawk, but the deal fell through.

Havasu Hangin'
12-20-2002, 10:07 PM
Yep, Ducky...could have been a Bravo 3...didn't look that close.
I'm not a big fan of Volvo, but I call em like I see em. IMHO, Merc has always been behind the technology (they follow Volvo's patent expirations)...but ahead in performance development.
Didn't Volvo invent the outdrive? Didn't Volvo invent the counter-rotating prop drive?
I think either counter-rotating prop drive can be a surface drive...which is my point about the Duoprop, if x-dimension is the only limiting factor.
Most guys know alot about Merc, but Volvo is the unknown...I wish Volvo would reinstate the performance program...competition is good. The downside to using anything Volvo today is the availability of aftermarket performance parts...
Hmmm....there is a guy on OSO that is shortening his own drives...