Rick you’re still eating too many Swedish fish
..
But I enjoy them!
I know the Volvo drives are so reliable that you made a living repairing them and finding nice workarounds
like lapping the cones when they don’t grab anymore.
You may not be understanding the need for doing that...... plus, we don't lap a cone.
We lap the sliding sleeve's conical surface into it's respective gear cup.
The oiling groves can become contaminated with metallic residue.
The residue is removed from the oiling groves, and the surfaces are renewed via the lapping process.
By the way, this is done ONLY to the transmissions with the bronze sliding sleeves.
ok seriously the alpha needs no redesign for its intended purpose- lower hp entry level and low mid range boats 21 ft and less.
Understood!
Lots of very modern outboards still use this technology, like the Yamaha 50 hp 4 stroke on my brothers fishing boat. Absolutely beautiful piece of engineering and manufacturing.
Understood again.
There is no need to put a drive as beefy, costly, etc as a bravo or dual prop on your typical lake or bay bow rider .
People want it to be affordable and reliable which the alpha does
without wasting engineering and tooling dollars on a redesign.
See *** below.
A cone clutch also requires an engine mounted seater pump, which is in a lot of applications
no easier to change than splitting the drive.
If you are referring to a belt driven seawater pump, I would agree.
If we refer to the crankshaft seawater pump, I would disagree.
Hit something and destroy the drive a new OEM alpha is like $3200, a VP SX Or bravo I is $7 k ,
more for dual prop.
I assume that you meant; Duo Prop or BIII.
Not that the more expensive and beefy cone clutch drive don’t have their place Just not needed on a 135-300 hp typical runabout .
I would agree!
However, look at the issues with the SI, SA or ESA and the lower shift cable adjustment that the Dog Clutch drives brings with them.
