Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system

Posted By: Vic Roy
Date: Tuesday, 11 January 2005, at 6:42 p.m.

In Response To: Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system (bruce doan)

Bruce - about 5 or 6 years ago while at the Miami show I rode in a Carolina 28 with the supercharged Vulvas. The supercharger was there to give it some power at low to mid rpm, then it cut out and the turbo took over. Damn thing sounded like a jet plane spooling up. Just a dumb idea instead of going with more cubes and slowing the rpm down.

The thru-the-hull deal they just came out with is called a Z Drive in the commercial marine industry and has become pretty popular for big tugs and cruise ships. On the other hand, these vessels operate in deep, well defined waters and swing huge props, so the flotsam we encounter is nothing for them, and they seldom encounter the bottom like we mere rookies do now and then.

My next to worst guina pig deal with Vulva was when I spun out the hub on one of my duo props with the diesel install in the old B25 AJ. Maybe 25 hours and it was under warranty, but Vulva said it would be a month, yep a month, before they could get me a new prop and marlin season was on, so took it to my local Coonass prop guy. He looked at it, poked ti, put in a hyd. press, and turned to me and said "Uncle Vic, dem dumb-ass Swedes done GLUED this hub in". Glue had failed. Soooooo, in true Coonass fashion, we ran about a half dozen sheet rock screws in between the hub and the prop and went fishing till the Vulvas sent me a new one, which by then, the other 3 props had all spun out and been fixed with sheet rock screws. They finally sent me two sets that lasted a while, but like Bruce says, they are good of theory, but short on where the rubber meets the road. Did I mention belts? The twin V belts would last 20 hours then tear up. I shined up the pulleys, painted them, same thing.

I changed the one flat serpintine belt on my Cummins B's after 2,000 hours just because I felt guilty.

The recreational Z Drive is for those that are fat of wallet and short of brains.

UV

Messages In This Thread

New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Vic Roy -- Saturday, 8 January 2005, at 7:45 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Capt. Mike Holmes -- Saturday, 8 January 2005, at 8:20 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Jim Bailey -- Saturday, 8 January 2005, at 8:44 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
bruce -- Saturday, 8 January 2005, at 9:55 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Rawleigh -- Monday, 10 January 2005, at 1:36 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Capt. Dave Kosh -- Monday, 10 January 2005, at 3:48 p.m.

Re: New Volvo maybe not bonehead propulsion system
Chiles -- Monday, 10 January 2005, at 6:39 p.m.

Re: New Volvo maybe not bonehead propulsion system
CMP -- Tuesday, 11 January 2005, at 9:50 a.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
bruce doan -- Tuesday, 11 January 2005, at 3:25 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Vic Roy -- Tuesday, 11 January 2005, at 6:42 p.m.

Re: New Volvo bonehead propulsion system
Capt. Mike Holmes -- Tuesday, 11 January 2005, at 9:20 p.m.