Thread:

Going Fast.....Breaking Parts!

That was a pretty quick climb from 60 to 110 I thought I was watching a tach not a speedo.

Originally Posted by 26 Redline

Hey Kap, Where are your whoops photos.

We know you have torn a few things up

Hello Redline:

This is an interesting thread with quite a few variables that come into play on the what, why, and how.

As for photos I usually am not thinking about taking photos of parts gone bad---I believe most people want to lose those thoughts from their minds rather than re-live them.

Yes! you know I have grenaded a few things but not my beautiful blue motor. The reason things go bad usually is because when we are in pursuit of speed or handling from our boats those design margins are exceeded hence the real life version of trial and error. In the boating sphere that means get your wallet out and the constant search for the better part or item ie... [aftermarket/custom] whatever it takes to solve the current weak link.

I was reading the November 2008 edition of "Performance Boat Magazine" printed version and the interview with Mr. Fred Kiekhaefer and he hit the nail right on the head when he responded to one of the questions by the interviewor it directly relates to this threads premise.

" A weak link is only weak when the tasks asked of it are beyond it's design specifications"---excerpt from PB magazine.

That is a great summation. I was on the water this weekend and I observed what happens to a hull when it comes down stern low with the bow up high and smacking down coming off of a swell. [Not my boat]---The hull cracked--- striated the gel coat real bad almost 3 feet of it and the rub rail came off completely not to mention a big piece of the gelcoat came out like a puzzle piece. I was not thinking of photos trust me and the boat was not designed to be operated in that manner.

As for photos most marine shops, crew chiefs, and manufacturers sponsoring boats in various classes could provide a ton of material. I would bet they could fill this site up with all the stuff gone bad it would be great to hear from them and would be very enlightening for all concerned.

KAP

P.S. Gary alone has probably a pick up truck full of stuff he killed in the pursuit of speed.

You know, I had hoped this thread would open up more than it has, but like I said, "breaking parts and talking about it is taboo", It has been taboo for years,,,,,,,and It happens all the time, to the best of them. When I first started building engines for stern drives, I tried to save money by building engines with "oversees" parts in them. They were much cheaper to build, but when you really started to make power, they scattered every time. Since then, I refuse to use those parts and I have not had anything major break "motor related", except a belt or two here and there, or maybe rare lifter or valve issue(pretty rare but it has happened). As a builder, I could easily fill up the bed of a truck with broken parts from the last 18 years(just like KAP said)because the odds are just too high, due to the amount of parts I am dealing with on a daily basis, even as small as a broken valve cover stud(They like to break)................
As a boater, I couldnt fill up a cereal bowl with broken parts, because I run my boat to the limit that I know its capeable of. I rarely break things at this point in my life due to my service intervals and because I don't feel the need to beat up my boat.

These forums are a great avenue for consumer education and to allow "gear heads" to interact professionally. I say, If you have pics and video's, post them,,,,,,,,,,,,,its interesting when stuff breaks!

I don't have any pictures but I do have a story. Last February I was by myself doing some prop testing late in the day on Havasu. I was about 3 miles south of Copper Canyon on my way back to the marina about 45 min before dark. I lost a tooth in the upper gear set that bound up and then snapped my input shaft about 3" out of the back of the motor. I had to paddle for about an hour to get into a cove. There was no boat traffic in Feb. Holy crap it gets dark on that lake. No cell signal and surrounded by burros. Good thing the wife sent Sea Tow even if it was 3 hrs later.

Originally Posted by DEMOMAN

I don't have any pictures but I do have a story. Last February I was by myself doing some prop testing late in the day on Havasu. I was about 3 miles south of Copper Canyon on my way back to the marina about 45 min before dark. I lost a tooth in the upper gear set that bound up and then snapped my input shaft about 3" out of the back of the motor. I had to paddle for about an hour to get into a cove. There was no boat traffic in Feb. Holy crap it gets dark on that lake. No cell signal and surrounded by burros. Good thing the wife sent Sea Tow even if it was 3 hrs later.

WOW...You left out some of the best parts of that story. Come on fill everybody in on exactly what happened once at the cove.

Well this didn't come in the quest for more speed, actually happened while cruising, but nonetheless its definitely broken:
#2 Rod is the broken one. #1 Rod took a beating as well.