cav plate material question

[gunslinger]

Awhile back someone posted a pic of a badass flat with some good looking cave plate hardware. I think the turnbuckles might have been aluminum, purple, polished, possibly some black anodize in there as well. Is aluminum strong enough for the turnbuckles in a lake racer application? If so what series aluminum? What about the mounting hardware that supports the main bar the turnbuckles mount to. Sorry I dont know the proper name for them, those rounded blocks that bolt to the transom on top of the aluminum plate. Could those be fabricated from aluminum? My hondo is taken apart now and some machinist friends are currently fabricating various parts. These guys are good and I will post pics. I would like to use the same material so anodizing color is consistant. Any opinions appreciated.

[Lookin for Liquid]

Turnbuckles and Transom bearings are just fine out of aluminum and will be out of 6061-T6 if obtained from Rex or Bergeron. We have made the main shaft out of both aluminum and stainless with better luck on the stainless as the aluminum will have some twist deflection and will tend to break at the key slot for the down arm.

[gunslinger]

Liquid- thanks for the reply. Anyone have that picture of the flat I described?

[AZKC]

Gofastracer's drive maybe, I think the cavitation stuff has purple pieces on it. Seen pics just can't find them.
KC

[superdave013]

gunslinger, now that you have it all apart and are going there. Make sure you have a transom bearing in the center as well. My hondo and most others I've seen didn't have one there. My main shaft bent in that area.
Also you will need some kind of bushing in the transom bearings. Derlin seems to work good.
I'm doing the same thing to my boat right now. When I had the boat re gelcoated they filled in all the holes for the thru transom exhaust (3 sets of them :rolleyes: ) and where all the bulk head fittings were. I wish they would have gotten the transom close to straight. I didn't check it untill the bearings were made and anodized. Now I have to cut the center one down as far as I can and shim some of the others. Would have been much cleaner to just make all of them the correct lenght from the start.
Yours is most likely straight but you should take a look at it anyway.

[Hemiroid]

Ron Grose Racing caries all that nice hardware!
Transom Blocks, Turn Buckles, Shafts, Stearing Quadrents, ETC,,,,,,,,,,,,
488 E.KETTLEMAN LANE
LODI, CALIFORNIA
(209) 368-2571 Fax (209) 367-7994

[ssmike]

Hemiroid:
Ron Grose Racing caries all that nice hardware!
Transom Blocks, Turn Buckles, Shafts, Stearing Quadrents, ETC,,,,,,,,,,,,
488 E.KETTLEMAN LANE
LODI, CALIFORNIA
(209) 368-2571 Fax (209) 367-7994 Mullet - Whats up???

[gunslinger]

Superdave- Thanks for the info. My hondo needs the center bearing. As far as the transom shaft being bent, it has'nt happened. This boat has spent alot of time just parked in the garage before I purshased it last year. I wont be buying any hardware. Im lucky enough to know people willing to make custom parts. I will post pics of every thing fabricated. My boat will have hardware the machinist will sell at a later time. The transformation of the hondo started today. Will have some pics latter this week.