blackhawk conversion

[michael belisle]

i am seriously wanting to install a blackhawk drive on my 05 22c 496 h/0 i know most would say external steering is a must i am willing to do so but what else can i expect thanks in advance mike.:confused:

[mrfixxall]

i am seriously wanting to install a blackhawk drive on my 05 22c 496 h/0 i know most would say external steering is a must i am willing to do so but what else can i expect thanks in advance mike.:confused:


here you go! brand new one for 3k :)

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/1578792181.html

[VetteLT193]

that is a deal. Wish I had the funds to round up a pair of them for the ZXO :popcorn:

[MDonziM]

i am seriously wanting to install a blackhawk drive on my 05 22c 496 h/0 i know most would say external steering is a must i am willing to do so but what else can i expect thanks in advance mike.:confused:

There are handling pros and cons with a bh vs a bravo depending on how you use your boat and type of water conditions etc. With stock power I wouldnt bother. There are benefits at high speeds (stability) but much more so with bigger power. What are you trying to achieve?

[mrfixxall]

that is a deal. Wish I had the funds to round up a pair of them for the ZXO :popcorn:

their use to be a scarab (it sunk) where i boat,twin 502's with BH drives on it,,clocked out over 80 mph..

[Mr X]

A couple still in the box

[fegettes]

A couple still in the box


Are they for sale? I would be interested in one of them.

Steve

[Pismo]

i am seriously wanting to install a blackhawk drive on my 05 22c 496 h/0 i know most would say external steering is a must i am willing to do so but what else can i expect thanks in advance mike.:confused:

The hull of the 90s Classic Blackhawk model is different than an '05. I wonder how it would perform on a standard 22 hull? I am sure someone knows.

[VetteLT193]

MOP did it on his and he seems to share positive results. BUT... his X is higher from the factory.

[thriller]

Buy one...Bolt it on and try it...If it doesn't work out I will but it from you or Steve will..I have lots of props you can try....Would have to be a 1:50 ratio if I was to buy it...
Good Luck..Mike

[MOP]

I loved the drive, handling is supreme. I know some BH guys went to hydraulic but I am not sure why, with the counter rotating props the pull is neutral. At any speed it will track straight hands off! The BH puts far less strain on the transom assy, being shorter it has a lot less leverage. If I had a few more ponies it would still be on mine,the few that I spoke with that had then behind BB's in 22 said 4 mph gain. The big problem is getting air and blowing the upper gears, it is easy to pull the props clear of the water. The dual props have a lot more bite grabbing hard on reentry. Not sure how well it will work with a low X, the case its self causes stern lift as does the dual props can't hurt to try!

Phil

[Phil S]

Expertise....defined....IMHO.

[undertaker]

Itillfli put one on his 22 classic, he has big horsepower though, he likes it very much.....shoot him a PM he is very knowledge guy to talk to....good luck..

Undertaker:)

[yeller]

Mike, do you have a spare now? I'd love to give one a try on my boat to see if it helps handling.

[LITTLE MAX]

The big problem is getting air and blowing the upper gears, it is easy to pull the props clear of the water. The dual props have a lot more bite grabbing hard on reentry.

PhilPhil you are correct about the upper gears. I would not look to buy a new B/H because if you are going to put some real power in front of it you are going to have to put all new XR gears in the upper and lower the only gear that is used from the B/H is the prop shaft. This is what I had to do with the B/H on my 20' cigarette with some big power.

Just something to think about with the Black hawk drive.

Rick (Lil Max)

[Walt. H.]

Little Max
OMG!
I really love what you've shown there in those pic's!
WoW!

[VetteLT193]

Phil you are correct about the upper gears. I would not look to buy a new B/H because if you are going to put some real power in front of it you are going to have to put all new XR gears in the upper and lower the only gear that is used from the B/H is the prop shaft. This is what I had to do with the B/H on my 20' cigarette with some big power.

Just something to think about with the Black hawk drive.

Rick (Lil Max)

Didn't you have a shorty on there before? what was the difference between the shorty and BH?

[Pismo]

Gheez, over 100 in a 20 footer..Yikes!

[LITTLE MAX]

Didn't you have a shorty on there before? what was the difference between the shorty and BH? Yes had a shorty and merc 496 in it before.
Night and Day the B/H has a lot more stable ride at high speed.

Rick Lil max

[silverghost]

I could never understand why Merc. discontinued this great drive. I drove a demo boat once with it and thought it was spectacular ! Strern-lift & boat stability was super.
I wanted to replace a TRS powered boat.
I was then told that Merc had stopped building the drive so I did not buy the new boat because I thought replacement parts & props would be a future issue. This is in fact the case today!
I kept the TRS powered boat until two years ago. Sorry I sold it.
Almost gave it away.
The TRS in my opinion was the best & and most reliable high HP drive Merc ever built ! You could not break them.
As for the Blackhawk
Merc should have kept it around much longer.
I was gone in a flash.
How long did Mercruiser build this drive? I don't think very long ?

[VetteLT193]

seems like 1996 was the 'big' blackhawk year. I seem to remember a few boats at the Lauderdale show that were featured. I think there was Donzi, Cig 20, Fountain 24 CS, Scarab 29... possibly others.

I'd have to take an educated guess the BH production went from 1995-1997.

[michael belisle]

thanks guys i have been out of town i did buy a drive from a guy in michigan brand new 1.50 ratio now i need some props.mop if i read your post right you dont think hyd steering was ness what props were you running.any suggestions on where i should start.i would rather not drill holes in my boat for steering if you dont think it would be needed.i am only trying to get a few more mph out of it and better handling at higher speeds.i had a another 22c before this one and know how that hull like to get air w/o trying.i dont drive hard but with the right conditions like to top it out now and then.rick what a nice cig.any more suggestions i would love to hear them thanks.

[MDonziM]

Phil you are correct about the upper gears. I would not look to buy a new B/H because if you are going to put some real power in front of it you are going to have to put all new XR gears in the upper and lower the only gear that is used from the B/H is the prop shaft. This is what I had to do with the B/H on my 20' cigarette with some big power.

Just something to think about with the Black hawk drive.

Rick (Lil Max)

Lil Maximus came out great. I saw her last summer at falcon before you did the paint/interior. Curious, did you use the 1.5 or 1.65 gears? and 31" prop?

Marshall

[thriller]

You can still get props for this drive. Hoss props were the original manufactures and they can still make you a set for $$
Google, "Hoss Props"...:wink:

[MOP]

thanks guys i have been out of town i did buy a drive from a guy in michigan brand new 1.50 ratio now i need some props.mop if i read your post right you dont think hyd steering was ness what props were you running.any suggestions on where i should start.i would rather not drill holes in my boat for steering if you dont think it would be needed.i am only trying to get a few more mph out of it and better handling at higher speeds.i had a another 22c before this one and know how that hull like to get air w/o trying.i dont drive hard but with the right conditions like to top it out now and then.rick what a nice cig.any more suggestions i would love to hear them thanks.

Just bolt it on and give it a few hours of break in time, with the dou prop hydraulic steering is not near a critical as a single prop drive. They are a hands off the wheel drive as one props rotation cancels out the others, if you are happy and works well for you then consider steering. I put nearly 1,500 miles on mine (taken from the GPS log) I never felt one ounce of a handling issue, the boat always felt like it was on rails. The drive needs BB torque to show you what it can do, the only caveat is get off the gas when it gets choppy other then that it is a fabulous drive. I get to chat with the owner of Hustler Boats off and on at my ramp where they launch for all testing, he also loves the BH and would like to see it revived. To him the BH and the A drive are the only ones that get the most out of an engine package.

[michael belisle]

thanks thriller i will give them a call a did a little research today and someone posted a article on scream and fly from gary eisenburg the orig blackhawk guy on got some good info he stated that the rear prop should be 2 pitch more than the frt i think i will start at 28 on the frt and go 30 0n the rear and give it a whirl i also think i will have jamie at lakeside install a whipple in the near future and see how it goes anyone out there have props this pitch or maybe 29 or 31 thank you all for any insight or suggestions mike.

[LITTLE MAX]

Lil Maximus came out great. I saw her last summer at falcon before you did the paint/interior. Curious, did you use the 1.5 or 1.65 gears? and 31" prop?
Marshall falcon put on the B/H Drive & put my new motor in for me LIP SHIP is the one that did the boat in 2007
As for the gear 1.5 with 31 prop
Rick Lil Max

[MDonziM]

falcon put on the B/H Drive & put my new motor in for me LIP SHIP is the one that did the boat in 2007
As for the gear 1.5 with 31 prop
Rick Lil Max

Looks really great, have you gone head to head vs. Tommy's?

[michael belisle]

thanks mop i should have the drive this week the guy i got it from is setting me up with some props thanks for your expertise am looking foward to trying it i will post when i try it still about 1 month of winter here in maine but again thanks to everyone on this site i am hooked on the registery mike.