PDA

View Full Version : Alpha nose cone?



hdsadey
04-13-2010, 03:00 PM
Anybody know where I can find an Alpha nose cone kit, do they make such a thing? Can find TRS, Bravo, and O/B kits all day long. If not is it possible to take one of the other kits and make it fit?

VetteLT193
04-13-2010, 03:25 PM
Bob's makes one. http://www.bobsmachine.com/

I had one, wouldn't recommend it in most cases. To get it truly right is a PITA. It did look cool and the drive holds the water better. Might have gained a MPH or 2. Even in a perfect world of speed gains I wouldn't go that route again because of the way they are glued on, etc.

Maybe I'd do it if I had it professionally done.

Mackfly
04-13-2010, 03:28 PM
Bob's Machine - Make cones for all of the outboard racers.

hdsadey
04-13-2010, 04:50 PM
how thick is the material on the nose cone? is it thick enough to Tig weld on? I have the capability to tig it on. did my own skeg replacement.

Cuda
04-13-2010, 07:15 PM
A nose cone doesn't make any difference under 75 mph.
Bob's makes them.

mrfixxall
04-13-2010, 07:19 PM
Bob's Machine - Make cones for all of the outboard racers.


the trick to installing a nose cone is to fill it all the way with epoxy so no water gets in their and if it freezes it wont crack off..

Planetwarmer
04-14-2010, 12:42 AM
A nose cone doesn't make any difference under 75 mph.
Bob's makes them.
So if I install one, my boat wont automatically run 75? It already runs 63 or so!

hdsadey
04-14-2010, 08:53 AM
Well i live in Florida so the freezing thing is very unlikely lol. So y'all are tellin me that is does absolutely no good under 75 mph. I figured I'd pick up a few ticks on the speedo with one and since I have the lower unit broken down and going to get fresh coat of Orange Imron I figured it was the perfect time to do such an upgrade if I so choose. Plus it can't help but to really look cool!!!!

VetteLT193
04-14-2010, 09:25 AM
I live in FL too and it looked like crap when the stuff fell off.

I am no welder but it is pretty thick and you should be able to weld it on. the way they work though is they are wider than the part of the drive they attach to in thickness. the indention needs to be filled in after the fact. So, even if you weld it on you will have to blend the cone in to the rest of the drive. that is what fell off of mine.

I had the low water pickup. It worked well under speed. not so good at idle.

They hold the water better. hard to describe the feeling difference. like others said if you expect speed it will be minimal at best.

here is mine after the fairing compound fell off. you can see how thick the nosecone is next to the drive though.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=45311&d=1240687594

the top of the pic is the front of the nose cone. the peanut buttery stuff in the middle of the pic is the epoxy that holds the nose cone in place. so that difference in height is what you have to blend back in.

mrfixxall
04-14-2010, 09:43 AM
the number is after 60 mph they start to make a diferance..

Conquistador_del_mar
04-14-2010, 11:46 AM
Well i live in Florida so the freezing thing is very unlikely lol. So y'all are tellin me that is does absolutely no good under 75 mph. I figured I'd pick up a few ticks on the speedo with one and since I have the lower unit broken down and going to get fresh coat of Orange Imron I figured it was the perfect time to do such an upgrade if I so choose. Plus it can't help but to really look cool!!!!

I wrote a fairly long response yesterday, but it did not go through and was lost. I have installed at least 30 nose cones over the years, and I really believe in them. The old rule of thumb was over 65MPH they come into play - I don't know the current consensus. Be sure to grind the area where it will affix with something like 36 grit for good bite. Clean the area before using the epoxy. Be sure to get the nose cone perfectly aligned before leaving it to set up. You might have to die grind a little of the hole or cone to get it to set right before using the epoxy. I always used a small hose on a long bolt screwed into the drain hole to keep the drain hole clear of the filler material. You can use an underwater putty like Evercoat sells for the fairing of the nose cone. It is the filling and sanding to perfection that takes most of your time. A straight line air file sander works fairly well along with using straight line stick on paper on a curved styrofoam piece to sand the recessed areas. For reference, I picked up at least 2-3MPH on my 36' Cigarette (testing still not complete) by installing nose cones on the TRS drives. The nose cone and fairing materials will not fall off if you do it right. Here is a picture of the nose cones I installed on the TRS drives last year. Bill

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showpost.php?p=537237&postcount=68

hdsadey
04-14-2010, 01:11 PM
OK so back to the original question! Which model of nose cone will best fit an alpha drive since they don't specifically sell an alpha drive kit. As for above 65 I think I may be able to get there, puttin together a 4 bolt main Vortec roller motor for it. Should be around 320 hp with the GM performance cam going in it.

VetteLT193
04-14-2010, 02:42 PM
OK so back to the original question! Which model of nose cone will best fit an alpha drive since they don't specifically sell an alpha drive kit. As for above 65 I think I may be able to get there, puttin together a 4 bolt main Vortec roller motor for it. Should be around 320 hp with the GM performance cam going in it.

Call Bob's. they will tell you. I think Alpha gets lumped into the outboard stuff because it is the same shape.

hdsadey
04-14-2010, 03:04 PM
10 roger! I appreciate the help.

MOP
04-14-2010, 03:13 PM
THe Alpha and the large gear case outboards take the same cone, you should see a little improvement in speed and handling. I have found that the type that extend the forward vertical edge of the gear case seem to do the best.

Cuda
04-14-2010, 03:39 PM
Nope, I don't think they make one whit of difference as far as speed goes, and I live in Florida too. I sold Vette the one he had. It originally came from Ohio, and didn't have a water pump whatsoever. It came from a two outdrive small block where the guy had a seawater pump on it. It looked like I could have backed up and crapped a better job of putting the nosecone on. I sanded and filled over and over before Vette bought it. I had to buy the SS hose and put a water impeller in it.

Conquistador_del_mar
05-01-2010, 01:29 AM
Anybody know where I can find an Alpha nose cone kit, do they make such a thing? Can find TRS, Bravo, and O/B kits all day long. If not is it possible to take one of the other kits and make it fit?

You probably already found a nose cone for the Alpha drive, but here is one I just ran across on ebay. Bill

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOSE-CONE-ALPHA-ONE-DRIVE-HYDROMOTIVE-ENGINEERING-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c5439648dQQitemZ19039 1608461QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

Cuda
05-01-2010, 06:39 AM
The difference will be in the handling. I had a 330 horse 355 in front of that drive, and it didn't get me above 70 in a Minx. As far as cooling, I don't know why it would work better at low speed than idle. I think it would have more to do with how fast the water pump is turning instead of the drive pick ups. The water pick ups are on the bottom side of the nose cone. You will also need a hose to run from the cone to the bottom of the drive to route the water to the engine. All in all, it isn't worth the trouble.

MOP
05-01-2010, 07:55 AM
I think nose cones are misunderstood by many, anytime you make something more hydrodynamic it passes through water with less resistance. Overall performance is enhanced, but the real difference is at higher speeds where the hose cone helps to reduce blow out allowing higher speeds.

Cuda
05-01-2010, 08:11 AM
I think nose cones are misunderstood by many, anytime you make something more hydrodynamic it passes through water with less resistance. Overall performance is enhanced, but the real difference is at higher speeds where the hose cone helps to reduce blow out allowing higher speeds.
In other words it would not be worth the trouble on 99% of our boats.

MOP
05-01-2010, 08:20 AM
Sure it would as you stated improved handling, IMO that and the better efficiency adds up to worth the effort! Next time you are doing 45-50 put your fist in the wind then open your hand and point your finger tips into the wind which has less resistance?????

hdsadey
05-01-2010, 08:38 AM
every little bit helps, at least thats my experience in life, plus it looks cooooool!!!!!!!!

Cuda
05-01-2010, 09:28 AM
every little bit helps, at least thats my experience in life, plus it looks cooooool!!!!!!!!
It's a lot of work for very little return.

Cuda
05-01-2010, 09:30 AM
Sure it would as you stated improved handling, IMO that and the better efficiency adds up to worth the effort! Next time you are doing 45-50 put your fist in the wind then open your hand and point your finger tips into the wind which has less resistance?????
By the same token, open your hand at 10 mph vs 70 mph. Which one do you think would make the most difference?

hdsadey
05-01-2010, 11:32 AM
well i'm totally rebuilding this boat from ground up since i bought it as a recovered theft. no power or outdrive when i got it. i'm rebuilding the whole outdrive that i got as we speak, guts ripped out, painting it chevy orange. so to put a nose cone on is no problem since this is the perfect time, plus i got a Miller Syncrowave 250 watercooled tig to weld it on with.

hdsadey
05-27-2010, 08:16 AM
So I'm almost done with the install of the nose cone! Don't believe I'm gonna have any adhesion issue! Used All-Metal as a filler since it has fine aluminum in it. It's almost ready to paint just have to reinstall prop shaft carrier.