Reply With QuoteWhat is you're intentions for this boat?, what rpm's do you plan on running?, obviously you aren't goin to race this boat!..
I am building a 350 chevy for my Crackerbox. I am running mechanical fuel injection, water injected headers, and Brodix heads. I'm looking at a Lunati hydraulic roller with the following specs: 2000-6400 rpm
duration @.050 Intake lift
298' 227' .478
286' 234' .480
Looking to run 8.5-9.5:1 compression
Boat is a bobtail drive, would this be a reasonable cam for this motor? I've built a few car motors, but none for a boat. Any comments are appreciated. Any guesses at approximate HP?Infomaniac?
Thanks
What is you're intentions for this boat?, what rpm's do you plan on running?, obviously you aren't goin to race this boat!..
Topgun,
Tell us a little more about your boat... What kind of hull is it? As GoFast said, it's not a racer so I'm assuming it's a laker... Crackers are direct drive so you need to spin 'em to go fast. We run the race boats at 8,000 - 9,000 rpm, but we run 16 to 1 compression with 118 octane. We are limited to 314 CI., but the fast guys make over 600hp.
If your going to turn 6400 max I would recommend an 11" 15 pitch 3 blade. The neat thing about direct drive is that it will accelerate very hard. You will probably only get about 65mph with the motor and rpm you plan to run but it will get there in a hurry!
One last question... Why run water-injected headers?
Are there noise restrictions in your area? Are the headers through the side style or above the deck? If they are above the deck it won't be fun to ride in:frown:
S&S
Thanks for the replys,
It's a Glen-L Crackerbox I am building from plans. Found out after I bought them that the hull is not APBA approved (just going to raise hell on the lakes with this one). I'm going to run some rewarder thru-transom headers reversed (already talked to them, they say it is doable. Water injection will have a couple of purposes, first to keep the headers cool (they'll be right in front of your legs), second I'm moving back to NH and the noise nazi's are out in force up there (I'm going to run either a rexmar shutoff or water forced through a pick-up off the cavitation plates) they all have decibel meters with them on bigger lakes. I like the thought of 3' dual exhaust coming out of the transom. I want to run on pump gas and have it be reasonably reliable, hence leaning towards a modest compression ratio. I built a strong lower end, but haven't picked a cam or pistons yet. Going to run dual MSD's and dual coils to have a back-up. I'm open to suggestions on a cam and rpm range and compression ratio. Motor will be balanced, but I don't know what kind of rev's I can turn with a marine motor and have it last. Strut will be located 5" from transom. Hull weighs about 600lbs without motor. I'd love to see 80+, but don't know if it is doable (what would I need to do to get there. I am open to suggestions. Also have the APBA offsets if anyone wants a copy.
Thanks for the help
Stabber,
Long time...how you doing? Hows the Beezer comming along.
I was just wondering why the old Glen L crackers aren't allowed to run in races? I know years ago they were, what changed? I thought this class was, except for some of the old 3 point outboards, the oldest, unchanged class left? Just wondering, for no paticular reason...................
I know there's that team Doeige (sp?) outa the south bay here in so cal that runs a new/old wood Patterson. I think they've been doing pretty well too? I guess if your going to build a wood cracker, you can't get any better than a Patterson. I've got a great article of the 2 patterson brothers from '56 when they were running an adjustable prop shaft in their boat, Hot Cinders. They shattered the record but the boat was banned shortly thereafter. The monkey would crank the gear up or down on the straights, had to be a hand full to drive.
Topgun,
you gonna post some pics of your cracker? Pretty cool when I hear of someone undertaking a project like this. I've had a set of their plans for almost 20 years and haven't done it yet. I wanted to duplicate the boat my dad had when I was a kid, an outboard flattie. It wasn't a Glen L kit, but I found a boat of theirs that's so close, it hurts. I've changed the blueprints to match the pics I have of Dads boat, but I still haven't got around to it.
Glen L's very close to my house and I go there a few times a year to look at all their photo albums of boats that guys have built throught the years. Cool stuff.
Shit, 20 years.....................
Hey Old Rigger,
I was just asking 058 about you! He was at Pleasanton to watch the Crackers race last weekend. Unfortunately, we lost our motor in the first race :frown: We were suppose to run Bakersfield this weekend but stayed home. We will be in Parker over Thanksgiving... I know the Doidge's very well. P-21 "Gramps Cracker"... They won everything in Burley this year. Dan flipped in Pleasanton last year and hurt his shoulder real bad. He finally had to get it operated on after Long Beach so he's out 'till next season. Did you go to Long Beach? We didn't run our boat but I was wrenching on the P-96, "California Girls".
I would love to get a copy of the article on the Patterson's. Tom and Bob are really nice people. It was like meeting a couple of legends when I finally met them last year. Actually, I rode in Tom's boat, 44P, "Sparkler" in San Diego. We took 2nd overall for the weekend. It was awesome racing with the unlimiteds in front of 120,000 people!
"Hot Cinders" is still around. Actually, it's the second one built in the 60's. It raced a few times this year. Bob Overcash owns it. This is the hull that Tom pulled the molds from to make the glass Pattersons.
I'm not sure why you can't race a Glen-L Cracker. I saw on their website a picture of one racing, P-58... It looks like a very old picture. As Topgun mentioned, there are dimensional "offsets" the hull must meet in the APBA rule book. As far as I know, these have not changed since the class began in the 30's.
Since I have moved and building a new shop, the Beezer is still in storage. The racing this year has also limited my time but I wouldn't have passed up that opportunity for anything. Hopefully, this winter she'll get done...
Hope you have been well. Maybe we'll finally meet in person some day...
S&S
That was the best thread I have read on here in a long time. M y father in laws(He's 83) first boat was an old Glenn L cracker in the late 50's and I could listen to his stories for hours and do.
Lets see pictures...v-drive
Hey guys,
I'll post a few pics soon. Right now the skeleton of a hull is up on the building form. Stringers, frames, supports, now working on fitting the chines and sheers. when I have some sheathing on the hull I'll post a few pics here. Deck is going to be ribbon striped sapele mahogany plywood, and the whole boat will be glassed over (can't wait till I'm there).
Still looking for cam selection help.
John H.
"I would love to get a copy of the article on the Patterson's. Tom and Bob are really nice people. It was like meeting a couple of legends when I finally met them last year. Actually, I rode in Tom's boat, 44P, "Sparkler" in San Diego. We took 2nd overall for the weekend. It was awesome racing with the unlimiteds in front of 120,000 people!"
Stabber,
shoot me your address in a PM and I'll copy the article and mail it off. It's in an old magazine called "Speed and Spray".
Congrats on the finsish in San Diego, that had to be a rush not only getting a 2nd, but doing it in front of a good crowd. It's hard to realize just how many people use to attend all the boat races. You look at pics of Marine Stadium from the 60s, and it's be standing room only, what maybe 30,000 people? We use to ride our bikes down there, chain them to the fence and walk down to the east end of the north side and behind a big clump of bush's was a hole cut in the fence. We'd sneak in, but looking back, we weren't smart enough to just ride our bikes in, I think kids were free. We thought we were really getting away with something!!!
It's all homes there now on that side, no more oil derricks, well maybe a few here and there.
For a few years in the mid '70s at the river in Parker, there was an old cracker, 'Orange Crate' sitting alongside of house right on the river. It was for sale too. I was about 20 or so and I wanted that boat real bad. Never got it though.
v-drive,
does your father in law still have any pics of his old cracker? That generation, the post WWII guys, was without doubt, the hands on, do it yourself guys. I love looking at old mags from that era, there full if plans to build anything. Furniture, patios, backyard BBQs, boats. If they couldn't buy it, **** it, they built it. They had the right frame of mind, they DID save the world afterall.
Old Rigger, I know there some old pics somewhere, I will ask my Mother in law. He called it "Zoom" after the hot cerial. He came up with the name one night after working feverishly on it to control a water leak He couldn't stop but the zoom could. Hence a name was born.
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