Lower Units

[sledman8002002]

For starters, I generally dis-like web polls, but curiosity is getting the better of me...

After seeing some really great pics from this years Rally, especially the one's with a whole army of Ally's parked prop to prop with the walkway in between at the factory meet, I thought I'd run a consensus on what the Allison Owners here are most happy with using.
From what I can tell from those pics, it looks like the majority of you are running with Sportmasters. (Please do correct me if I'm wrong).
Are there a large number of you running a nose cone modified CLE case?
Fat shaft or small 15 spline? Preference?

What's your take on the right way to go for the average Joe lakeblaster/cruiser?

 

[mtolley]

I have run coned 200, coned xr6, stock CLE, and a sporty. On my 02, the coned 200 is the best all around case. Ran them all at the same motor height. The cle would blow out. The xr6 has durability issues for an every weekend gearcase, but is fast and handles well. The sporty I had to raise @ an inch to get the 5-6 mph I lost from bolting it on and the handling diminshed. My vote.... Coned 200

 

[FlatOutAlly]

I have a stone stock Sporty and a Titus modified CLE. The Sportmaster collects dust.

 

[hirk]

Ran a stock sporty, coned torquemaster and bobs coned 200. The latter two handle great and feel smooth as butter where as the sporty was sensitive to engine height and handled like crap if it was ran low.

 

[GotMyAlly]

I've had both stock and modified sporties, several of each. It's the only way to go if you're going to bump a few stumps going fishing and don't want to mess with epoxy putty on a regular basis. A stock sportmaster can be made to handle much better with just a little filing and sanding.

 

[bullwhipjkg]

always liked a 200 with a cone
titus coned sportsmaster was sweet to
on my drag im running coned 200's and have a titus coned cle

 

[ssv1761982]

I have been running a sportmaster on my xb2002 and it seems fine to me. I am going to try a Titus coned CLE this weekend but I probably don't have a big enough prop since this one has 2:1 gears.

I wonder how much different the setup will need to be? Will I need to raise or lower the motor any?

 

[Dave Hensley]

Ran em all. Tore up all of them!!! I think the lower units are the weak spot in the entire high-perf 2.5 legacy. Seems to me the factory should have had an over the counter, bullet proof, fast case that didn't take a witch doctor to get right. If you look closely at any of the cases the quality control on the castings is atrocious with bumps and bulges that are not consistent case to case. Fastest, best handling on a light Allison is an XR6, coned. Kiss it and your azz every time you take it out cause it is going to break sooner than later. Early 200, the current ones seem to be junk, CLE internals and a good cone seems to be best all around.

 

[Lotus 50]

I ran XR4/6 with Bob's nosecones for 10 years with a lightly modified 150XR4 and now have a Hydromotive coned CLE. The small case was a lot easier to drive in the 70's, especially with the engine low. Once into the 80's the coned CLE drives like a dream.

 

[garyroholt]

I have had coned 200, Coned CLE, and sporty.
Sporty slowest of all. 200 best performer but didn't hold up well hub spun, drive shaft bearing failures. Coned CLE slower than 200, CLE skeg broke caused 90 mph bat turn. All done with CLE.
Sporty no failures but slower, With some modifications easy to drive.

 

[hirk]

Obviously the power your running and engine height play a role in the life of a 200 case. They hold up pretty well to everyday lake running from what I gather.

 

[Lotus 50]

I broke 3 XR4/6 cases with a lightly modified 150 over 20 years. I ran 2" low most of the time to protect the cases. I can see how they wouldn't last long with big power run high.

 

[garyroholt]

Obviously the power your running and engine height play a role in the life of a 200 case. They hold up pretty well to everyday lake running from what I gather.

Yes I agree, lots of stress when you run a surfacing prop especially a higher pitch prop.
My error in first post it was the bearing carrier would spin and the one propshaft bearing that didn't hold up to the stress on the 200 gearcase. ( not driveshaft and bearing) The bearing carrier on my 200 case had one key holding it in place behind the bearing carrier retaining ring and locking ring. I remember seeing a few other 200 gear cases after words... some had drilled a hole from the outside of the case to tap a screw into the bearing carrier to try and stop it from spinning

My use was for everyday lake running, mostly fishing, no doubt there is a difference in one persons definition everyday lake running and someone elses.