What If?..........................
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Instigator
IMO, that's the answer. IMO, Merc wouldn't allow it.
BTW, I misspoke. Formula 150, not 100.
I had a guy funding an engine project early in and I liked what I saw.
The paradigm shift is, there will no longer be factories offering motors.
We only need somone to fab up a mid w/interchangeable tops (similar to Wayne Taylor's 16" Mids) and a gear case. On mids, I always meant to draw one up that was alum plate Allen screeed together.
On gear cases, I don't know. Run Mecs and the supply tap would likely be shut off.
I don't see the issue in doing a CNC program for your own housing.
Find a gear ratio that works for everyone and send it out for bid.
Lots of people cut gears.
Formula 150 was spawned in Region 10 to keep the old equipment on the water. SST classes became a joke..........sealed (software) "green" motors you couldn't even work on in your garage. "Stock" classes weren't really "stock" when dealers / distributors who raced could pick thru their business inventories to find dimensionally "perfect" parts. When the nationals at Kankakee came down to DQ''ing a guy in inspection for using f broken-in case-hardened water pump impellers, I decided I'd had enough. We should have had a "generic" SSM gearcase and mid-section (Wayne Taylor type) 20 years ago. This "production run" mentality was a lot of bull. Didn't help much when you had Merc and OMC employees on the APBA motor tech committees (conflict of interest? LOL). Anybody remember when Brian Daley won Havasu with a Yamaha powerhead, Merc mid and gearcase? It wasn't in writing anywhere, but the gossip society said that any of us with Merc racing accounts caught buying/selling to anybody trying to "adapt" other brand power would have our accounts red-flagged and cancelled. I sold all of my racing equipment for 10 cents / 1 dollar seven years ago and was happy to recover that much of my investment. Don't blame Merc and OMC entirely for what's happened. The APBA "safety" committee dreamed up these "what-if" scenerios what caused all of us to purchase hardened cockpits (which was a good thing), but then it didn't stop there, mirrors, collapsible nose and pickle forks, flood vents, radios, airbags, etc. If I were to do it all again? Old cheap tri-hulls with 4 cylinder ? 150 hp power, have fun, bump into each other and trade paint and not a lot of $$$ tied up in it.
