Curve in skeg

[fnshrmaster]

Cables for now.

 

[patches]

If your case is a 200 case the welded on tab is about your only option. A cast in tab like a Sportmaster is great but there are alot of cases out there running welded tabs with no problems. Go to an outboard drag race and look at all the cases. Welded tabs running over 120 on some of them with no issues. This idea that a tab done by JC, Titus, or Bob's is a ticking time bomb is crazy.

 

[catfish123]

OK...so my son and I are both crazy........feel better now???????????

 

[patches]

Lol. Y'all can have it. I won't post anymore on this subject

 

[fnshrmaster]

Well lets hope it stays together, it sure looks like nice work. Kurt

 

[h2oskiier30]

Not pointing a finger at anyone's ability, but maybe it has something to do with *who* does the welding as to if it will last or not. Like I said, that's my brother's JC's coned CLE in the picture, and he has run it for 2 years now with quite a few hours on it and speeds well into the 90's and has had zero problems with it.

 

[M.ALEXIE]

I have never heard on one coming off till now. Need to find a different welder I would say.

 

[catfish123]

FOR THE RECORD:

1 The problems occurred with SPORTMASTERS........NO OTHER TYPE OF CASE

2 The welder was VERY COMPETENT

3 "IT" doesn't come off

4 The skegs are prone to cracking right below the bullet after this work is
performed and it may take several years for it to happen.

5 If you have never heard of it or experienced it, that's great.

6 If you take the time to research this subject, you WILL find that it is not just an isolated case or two, (no pun intended.)

7 If you have this type of modification done on a SPORTMASTER and it
holds up for years, that's great. If it holds up for more than 2-3 years,
play the lottery because your luck is phenomenal.

8 If you have this type of modification done on a SPORTMASTER and it does crack, remember this thread when you shell out thousands for a new case.

 

[MoodyAllison]

A competent welder????? Didn't know there was such an animal!




J/K Cat123.....(I have a little exp. in that field)

 

[catfish123]

This problem has been around for years:Sam Baker06-06-2002, 10:57 AMI would HIGHLY recommend NOT cutting a SportMaster skeg. It's a different alloy than the CLE was and is VERY prone to breaking. With these, it's not been a matter of IF but WHEN. Before we started seeing breakage, we were cutting every skeg and welding in the torque tab. After the first two broke, we held off, then more broke. I'd say that at least half to 2/3 of the SportMaster gearcases we've done the Allison torque tab and cut have broken - right at the bullet - the whole skeg gone. They break at the weld and then almost immediately snap at the top. That's why we've gone to this mod - no welding necessary.Sam--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jay200206-06-2002, 04:29 PMI'll keep a close eye on mine then. Did you radius the area at the top where the tab is welded? Just curious. As always safety in any fast machine is TOP priority! Hydro Boy- There is alot of speculation involved here. I would tend to listed to my prop man, that's what he does for a living. I would go for the smaller prop and at some point find a box that has a higher rev limiter. Smaller pitch props tend to have less steering torque than the larger ones which will allow your gear case to run thru the water straighter. If your gear case is "crab tracking" thru the water, then your losing prop efficency.Ziemer- I've got a power head to clean and reassemble so I doubt that I'll have time to go to the lake this weekend. I guess if this is the price I have to pay for finishing 2nd, I'll deal with it. Now I have to work on 1st place!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------bill mason06-06-2002, 04:50 PMLet me tell you from personell (hard no make it damn hard) experience. The stock sportsmaster is a piece of crap! I have ran just about every style of lower unit including the allison cut sportsmaster (which the skeg broke after 3 months) no damn fun blow out at 90 or any speed. If you call anyone who cuts the skegs they will tell you that at some time the skeg WILL BREAK. On the onther hand the sportsmaster with the Baker modification handles like a DIAMOND! Save your self a whole lot of money, time, and possible pain. Just pack it up and send it to Sam. Unbelievable how much difference it handles and is less than two mph slower than the sportsmaster with the highly modified cuts!! If you the sportsmaster that has the smooth finish Sam has something that he does to the lower half of the outside of the case. Looks great like etching. Never touch it, doesn't fade in and out of colors, I don't even wipe it off. I spent over six grand finding the best replacement after my new lower unit skeg broke. Send it to Bakers period!

 

[h2oskiier30]

Thanks for the clarification of your problem being ONLY with sportmasters, catfish. With your first post in this thread, it gave the appearance that you frowned upon them on any case, since you didn't specify.

For the record, I run a Titus coned sportmaster, and he left the factory molded in torque tamer in place, and did the port side "curve" on the skeg. He did do a 200 profile on the skeg, as well.

 

[catfish123]

The port side "curve" and the 200 cut profile with a few other little things is the way my current Sportmaster is. It is a version of the "Sam Baker" modification and I have had no issues with it. Sorry for the confusion on my original post. I just don't want to see anyone go down that expensive path if I can help them in preventing it. Trust me, I have no dog in this hunt other than trying to help people from some of my real world experiences.

 

[fnshrmaster]

How can you tell if your lower starts life as a sportsmaster? Kurt

 

[whipper]

Spotmasters are all aluminum with the cone built in no puddy or welds holding the nose cone on. They are built from the factory that way. They are also built with Low water pickups from the fatory. But Titus does do a mod for SM cases were he cuts the nose of a SM and reshapes a new one on with differnat lwp inlets his own shape ect... Makes the case longer changing the {aspect ratio} So I guess the best way to tell if not 100% sure because perhaps the case is painted would be to look at the seial number. Those are located in the cast buy the water pump. A trained eye in the differances of shape can easally tell just by looking at it though.

If your ever in doubt and need to know what case you have or are wanting to buy with no real discription just post a pick on hear. Theres lots of guys that could tell what it is buy just looking at it pretty sure. If you go on S&F theres pages of differant cases in lowers for sale. Scroll through there a few times and youll start to see all the differant cases and the little things that make them differant. i have a little book that lists them all and what there intended uses are. It also lists most of the mods that can be done to each case for what ever aplication. Really cool little book buy Aromarine reaserch. Get your hands on as many little books and reading material you can. There getting scarce these days.

Allisons Little Red Book and all the ones from Aromarine reaserch are great ones to have. Titus Grimson has a web page and has pics of some of what he does also. Theres others as well. The internals are another area worth reading about. The gear ratios and berrings in what case ect...

There is an awfull lot of differances out there. There are cases for all kinds of differnant applications. Pleasure,Race, Fishing or ones best suited for all three at a comprimise to one or the other. The SM case seems to be the most universaly diverse case out there that is low maintanance and does most things very well. Wish I had one.:big grin

 

[fnshrmaster]

Thanks for the info Whipper, I am going to pull mine and look at the serial # and find out. I also read that the JC should be kept in a warmer place during the cold winter months. (Read that on a hydrostream post that showed the steps and mods of a JC case.) Thanks again for the info! Kurt

 

[h2oskiier30]

Here is the original picture you posted of my brothers JC's coned cle, along with a pic of my Titus coned sporty. Both a 4hole CLE and a sportmaster have the "large" silver inspection window toward the top. If you look toward the rear of the lower on the same plane as the inspection window, on the CLE (pictured) there will be the "slits" for exhaust to escape. On the sportmaster, instead of the slits, there will be zinc anodes.

 

[fnshrmaster]

Here is the original picture you posted of my brothers JC's coned cle, along with a pic of my Titus coned sporty. Both a 4hole CLE and a sportmaster have the "large" silver inspection window toward the top. If you look toward the rear of the lower on the same plane as the inspection window, on the CLE (pictured) there will be the "slits" for exhaust to escape. On the sportmaster, instead of the slits, there will be zinc anodes.

Ah I see , I will go check mine now. Thanks again!

 

[fnshrmaster]

I have the zinc anode but no silver insection plate. Its all black. Does this mean it started life as a torquemaster?

 

[patches]

**********************

 

[fnshrmaster]

Thats a pic of my lower. The motor is a 2004 bought new in 2006, lower was done then, I have receipts. Kurt