RedDog382

I media blasted my shafts, painted them with engine enamel, installed new universals, and then had them balanced when I first rigged the boat.

Note the white line on the top of the shaft in the center pic post #5. This is to align the two sections on the spline when re-installing the motors.

I will be turning around 5700-5800 rpm with labbed props and wanted to lessen the likelihood of driveshaft failure.

FormulaM2Formula

Hi Chris,
Thanks again. I'm going to have to think this over a little before I start cutting. I'm thinking I should just pull the drives to do all of this.
Thanks,
Garrett

FormulaM2Formula

Hi Chris,

That's a good idea as well. Do your shafts have any angle to them now or are they straight? My boat has the shafts straight but they would have a pretty good angle if I raised them two holes. I'd almost bet money that Formula installed the boxes in the middle hole with the shafts straight so that moving them up or down 1 notch wouldn't introduce any big angle. If I put some shorties on my boat, I'd solve the height problem, but I don't know if there are other disadvantages that I don't know about to cause me problems.

BTW, what is the gizmo on the keel of your boat with the hose looking thing on it?

Thanks,
Garrett

RedDog382

The gizmo is a pitot tube pickup for Gaffrig (Livorsi) liquid-filled speedometer. The nosecones on my drives eliminate the drive speedo pickup hole.

My shafts are straight. I think my engines may be mounted higher, but you would have to check with Formula TAG (Techincal Assistance Group) to be sure.

To solve your extension box problem "the right way", you would have to pull your drives, motors, and transom plates. After modifying the inner transom plate, you would have to have them refinished (stripped/powdercoated). You would then have to raise the engines and maybe re-drill the transom mounting holes.

The shorties may be an easy fix, but trying to sell your boat in the future would be more difficult and require disclosure on your part, meaning you would have to tell the potential buyer that the Stellings were not "factory installed".

I'm wondering if you could talk Formula or a Formula dealer into doing the modifications, making it factory/dealer installed.

FormulaM2Formula

Hi Chris,

I agree that pulling the motors is the only way to make it "factory stock". I'm not sure I'm willing to incur the expense to go down that path. I think I'd rather have the shorties than to have the transom filled in and re-drilled and cut. I won't however do anything that will cause another problem to develop. So I will have to figure out how to solve the plate problem w/o causing a potential corrosion issue.

I'm already going to have to tell any buyer that the boxes aren't factory. I figure I'd have to tell that even if I had it complete reset to factory specs. I want to get the boat to as good or better than factory performance and I'll be happy. I'm not sure if it is too far off, but I think it would be better if the drives were higher.

Garrett

RedDog382

I think you are correct on the above points. Shorties are a piece of cake to change and definately a simpler solution in a lot of ways. I have no doubt you will see some gains doing this. Your lowers are probably worth something to someone out there, too.

Still pi$$e$ me off National Marine would screw Corey the way they did!

So hard to find people to do work the right way anymore.

FormulaM2Formula

Hi Chris,

Yes, I agree. Probably why they aren't around anymore. I always wonder if dealers that mess stuff up like this just don't know any better, or if they actually

I did some research before buying the boat, (but maybe not enough) to realize that I was likely going to have to fix it one way or another. Actually, I don't have to fix it, since it peforms fine now. But, if I think it can be better, I want it better assuming cost isn't astronomical.

My big problem now is trying to figure out whether to try BMAX lowers or IMCO. BMAX has a 1 year warranty, IMCO has none. I don't like the "look" of the anti-cavitation plate on the BMAX, but I honestly have no idea whether it is really an issue or not.

Garrett

RedDog382

I think National Marine knew exactly what they were doing when they misrepresented the boat to Corey. I wish I would have had the time to go look at it for him here in Ohio before the deal was completed.

You might want to check with the guys at Max Machine in Lake Havasu, AZ about shorty drives. I am running their drive upgrades on mine and have been satisfied so far ...

http://www.maxmachineworx.com/lowerHousing.htm

FormulaM2Formula

Hey, thanks. I'll talk to them too. Since I'm in AZ, would be nice to work with some local guys.
Garrett