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The Best Reduction Unit

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COLD

Well-known member
O.K. Lets bring this one up again. Waterthunder had a lot to say and I bought into it. Belt or gear, I like the gear as It can counter some torque roll. What is your preference, prefered ratios for big block and small block. What are your favorite brands, Waterthunder said they are all incredibly reliable and prices seem to be about the same! I like the idea of long belt but I think I would want to spin the prop the oposite direction of the motor and Franklin posts a max of 400 hp. We were running some 4" toothed belt at work, (about 40" between shafts) and it's pretty exciting when they start slipping!. What do you guys like?
 
I cant address the gear drives, I know nothing of them, however I can address the Franklin type belt drives. In the Seismic research business, we had a fleet of 37 airboats. around 30 were 16-18 footers, GM 454-425 Hp emgines with the big drive unit. Running anything from plain wood stick to warp drives. The other 6-7 were ZZ-? 350 SBCs on 15 footers. These boats ran 12 hour days, 6 days a week, with some real idiot, ego driven workers. Generally the boats were loaded with a ton of cable and a driver plus 1-2 laborers. 47 Gallon gas tanks, and a 25 gallon sprayer plus 2-5 gallon gas cans.

In around 3 years I was there I never had a unit go bad, but shop wise I think I kinow of 3-4 big-end main bearings that were changed out and maybe a dozen belts. Engines blow more frequently than these drive units, and all our engines were factory new crate motors.

We had a couple of 502/502 engines with the same big drive and 3 bladed sensenich composites and never had a problem wiht them.

We had 5 28-35 foot multi engines boats with the BBC in them and I never saw one out of service for engines or drives.

For reliability they approach strait drives with the only caviet being keep em greased and monitor the belt tension.

Anyway, you figure the hours on a work boat compared to a sport/pleasure boat and I am just all kinds of impressed with the belt drives. The 3 years I was with them hour-wise was like about 10-15 years of pleasure boat use and that many boats with really LOW maintenance and damned near no failures. Absolutely incredibly reliable.

Anyway that my first hand experience with them.

Scotty
 
So you like them then! Is that the long belt one with the engine mounted low? I read on here that torque roll is worse with them and someone else said you just have to get used to it. I still like the idea of engine mounted low but I could get over that! 8)
 
Cold,

My franklin long belt did have quite a torque roll before the counter rotator. It's my 1st boat though so I didn't really have anything to compare it to as far as expierence. Watch the next few months as I think I've seen info that someone else was gonna start manufacturing "new-generation" belt drive!

Basketcase
 
I definately like tham, but I can't say I like them more or less than a geared redrive. Never touched one of them. As for torque roll, it is proportional to the HP & Torque you are imparting to the air, and maybe the width and shape of the hull, no different with drirect drive. It does stand to reason that a counter rotating prop will roll somewhat less than one that rotates in the same direction as the engine though.

All of ours were not the long belt models. Looking at the boats we ran, I would have to say that the work boats set up the way they were are definatley not for the beginner. Put the same setup in a smaller, lighter sport boat with a less experienced operator and unless he really pays close attention and has friends to teach him airboat operation, he is cruising on the edge of danger. It's an incredibly heavy setup with a BB and a Franklin with 50 gallons of gas in the back and rear seating too, not well ballanced, it will bite your head off in a heartbeat. People have been killed in those workboats cutting up and acting like they were in a sport boat. I guess the key is ballance no matter what configuration you run with the heavy automotive engines ballance is the only thing that makes them work safely. Ballance, ballance, ballance the things.
 
I like the advantages of the gear to gear box and plan to use the Rotator gear box on my project. Does anyone know if anybody has used a Rotator gear box on a big block ford.
 
http://www.Airboatdrives.com have thier counter rotator on thier website now. I don't think I have ever noticed it there before. So it looks like it is available seperatly. They mention the 460. I don't recall ever seeing any gear drives or Belts for Fords other than "Airboatdrives" long belt but my mind could just be fuzzy. I guess that is one big advantage the G.M. products have. Makes life easy when you can just bolt the starter on the block. Looks like the upper planetary has a fixed ratio with front prop turning slower than rear and final ratio done with pulleys. Two different propeller RPM's, That should open up some interesting Prop selection discussion!
 
So was I, I can't find a site though. Anyone else know if they have one or who sells it?
 
It is great to see many interests in gear reductions and increasing there efficiency for airboating. I have noticed from time to time the topic of gear reduction efficiency arises, we are constantly striving to increase the efficiency of gear reductions for increased power and performance. We now offer a standard 1000hp rated gear reduction. All gear reductions manufactured by us will be rated at this performance level unless otherwise noted. Thanks again.
Jay @ Panther Airboats
 
I am running a gear box on my airboat and would never run a belt drive now that I have the gear drive it provides instant throtle response weighs far less than the franklin belt drive and having the prop turn the oposite direction of the engine definetly takes out torque roll. The next boat will be a couter rotator gear drive if the buget alows it. I am very impressed with the work that Panther is putting into thier new reduction units.
 
The Counter Rotator is quite an impressive design and changes are constantly being made to it faster than you can imagine. The Counter Rotator is not ready for release do to these constant changes. The Counter Rotator is tested on a daily basis at our testing grounds. The first Counter Rotator is still fully operational with approximately 9600hrs on it.
Jay @ Panther Airboats
 
Jay, I'm impressed with your product. Saw it first in the classic calalog I downloaded. What gear ratio would you recomend for a mild and probably eventually strong 454? I have to be concerned with noise as If I go upriver I have quite a bit of city to go through.
Thanks,
 
Hi Jay !

Im impressed with the words I'm seeing about it. I have a couple questions though. I see the reference to 1K HP, but nothing about input torque or RPM limits. Is this information available?

In deciding which will work best on my boat I also need to figure in the weight of the unit. Is there a weight figure yet?

Who is your ME (mechanical engineer), can we contact him and talk with him about these reduction units?

I love it when a product is developed not just thrown together ! Developement makes the difference in a product that works and a product that works REALLY WELL ! Looks to me like your on the right track.

Scotty
 
Jay

If you ever want to test your CR in some harsh Canadian winters I'd be will to put one on my boat, just to help you out on your R&D. HAHAHA

Swampdonkey
 
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