What lower drive is this??

[Gerk]

So I am looking at the Volvo Drive and water jet sheet of all of the drives and I am not seeing this lower unit on there.
It has the cone, but I really don't think it is a speedmaster.

I am not seeing an illustration of this lower end.

Thanks

20150421_104646_resized.jpg

[Morgan's Cloud]

It's a 280 that someone's put an aftermarket cone kit on by the look of it .

[mattyboy]

+1 280 or 90 lower with a hydromotive nosecone added

[Gerk]

Is that a bad thing or a good thing?
How does one even go about adding a cone?

I bought another Donzi 18 and it came with a regular 280 setup and this lower end.

I had never seen one like that.

[smidgen too]

I bought this set of Volvo's for one my boat projects, the nose cones look cool but the performance gains my not be much.

[mattyboy]

agree with what Smidgen said I had one and got about a mph or two but mine covered the water pick up . they need to be installed dead on balls perfect or they can cause problems. If there is any play or slop in the steering the nose cone is going to magnify it.
if your plans are for flat out speed and want 70 plus as your mph mark go to a modern power plant if the original performance envelope of mid 50s to low 60s and reliability go for the Volvo AQ.

they stopped making the nose cones so if you want one you will need to find one on the secondary market

[boatnut]

In the early 70's I rode in an 18 at the Donzi factory and it had a sbc and a Volvo speedmaster lower unit. I guess this was just prior to the TRS drive taking Volvo out of the equation for performance. It was fast (I think close to 80) and was going to be shipped to Italy. Assuming one had or could get a speedmaster. Are there any downsides (handling etc.)? Are props available? Are there different gear ratios? I need not ask about parts availability .

[Morgan's Cloud]

In the early 70's I rode in an 18 at the Donzi factory and it had a sbc and a Volvo speedmaster lower unit. I guess this was just prior to the TRS drive taking Volvo out of the equation for performance. It was fast (I think close to 80) and was going to be shipped to Italy. Assuming one had or could get a speedmaster. Are there any downsides (handling etc.)? Are props available? Are there different gear ratios? I need not ask about parts availability .

Don't know about handling down sides , and we all know about parts availability , but I think I've read from a few people who have run them that the lowers have a penchant for blowing up .

[mattyboy]

The volvo E Drive shorty speedmaster. They ran merc racing props Mazco also made props but a different spline than a Standard AQ .They had a very slim profile which means the gears were slim as well making them weak, parts are almost non existent, cases can be found but expensive, the gears shafts and other parts good luck. We had a club member who was an engineer tool his own gears he made a couple sets for his use he thought he would need them down the road. It was a good 7-10 mph pick up on a Volvo classic and usually handled better than the standard AQ lower

[Ralph Savarese]

Hydraulic steering on mine ans a Solas 23 5200 rpm I am seeing the edge of 70 with my aq280 no cone
Ralph

[mattyboy]

you'd be mid 70s with an edrive

[mattyboy]

I am trying to find the video of Brian's x18 with the edrive and stout SBC, last I remember he was still tuning but he was running high's 70s

[boatnut]

Hydraulic steering on mine ans a Solas 23 5200 rpm I am seeing the edge of 70 with my aq280 no cone
Ralph

I have lots of experience using 250/270/280 stock drives including racing offshore production in the early 70's. With the props we had available (Volvo, Michigan, OJ/Johnson, etc) the volvo lower units seemed to work well as governor and pretty much limited the speed to the range between 55 and 60 -- seldom 60. We were running two CC marined Z28 sbc's that produced a solid 300 hp each with a 24' Magnum hull and 57 was about all we could get (salt water). Fortunately our competition had the same limitation (until the TRS surfaced) so we won lots of races. The E lower units were not legal in production but they would add about 10+mph with the same engines in modified classes. Similar experience with single engine Donzi boats. These props ran out of water in that speed range. So obviously the solas props and work done by Grizzley resulted in significant gains. We will soon be putting our 18 back together with a 250 stock lower unit. Are any of these Solas-type props still available, new, used?? Thanks, Ed

[mattyboy]

I have lots of experience using 250/270/280 stock drives including racing offshore production in the early 70's. With the props we had available (Volvo, Michigan, OJ/Johnson, etc) the volvo lower units seemed to work well as governor and pretty much limited the speed to the range between 55 and 60 -- seldom 60. We were running two CC marined Z28 sbc's that produced a solid 300 hp each with a 24' Magnum hull and 57 was about all we could get (salt water). Fortunately our competition had the same limitation (until the TRS surfaced) so we won lots of races. The E lower units were not legal in production but they would add about 10+mph with the same engines in modified classes. Similar experience with single engine Donzi boats. These props ran out of water in that speed range. So obviously the solas props and work done by Grizzley resulted in significant gains. We will soon be putting our 18 back together with a 250 stock lower unit. Are any of these Solas-type props still available, new, used?? Thanks, Ed

yes on ebay or from any solas dealer you are looking for the Titan for the VP AQ they make the Titan for other drives and motors. Looks like the prices have come down were up around 400

http://www.getaprop.com/content-prod...ler_volvo.html

rule of thumb given to me by Big Grizz that was for the props he designed which acted 1-2 inches bigger in pitch now they are more like 1 inch in pitch bigger as mass production props from Solas.

less than 300 HP = 19
300-350 ish =21
350+ =23

my 16 ran a solid 60 with 310 hp day in day out with a 21 solas at 4900-5000 rpm on 1.6 gears
the Hornet runs right to 50 with stock sbf hp with a 19 solas at 4800 on 1.6 gears

[Gerk]

So one of these Solas props will give significant gains on an unmodified 270 or 280?

I could be into that.

My buddys '77 with sbc 350 and stock 270 runs a cupped 14x19 and it is good for Tahoe altitude. Could be a 14x21 but not 100%
He would like more speed if possible.

If it is good, I will buy one too