MoJet,
2.57:1??? Dude, are you sure? That means at 6000 RPM you will have a shaft RPM of 2334. Velvet Drives do come in reduction ratio drives but you don't want that in a v-drive!!! To further explain, you would need a 257% overdrive in the v-drive just to get back to 1:1!!! ie., the motor and prop turning the same RPM... Normally in a v-drive you'll want 10 to 30% overdrive or even more for racing applications. The reduction drives are used on tow and work type boats that spin a very large diameter prop for torque and pulling capacity. They are also used on old style cabin cruisers that have water-displacement hulls (non-planing).
The reduction ratio velvet drives have a planetary gear reduction box and are longer in length than the 1:1 drives. The only thing I can imagine is that your drive has been modified to lock up the reduction drive and it is really 1:1... But why not use a regular 1:1 drive to begin with?
S&S
[ August 15, 2002, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Stab-n-Steer ]