Torque Shift variable pitch propellers.
Service parts for the
one that started it all. Used by more people on more
types of engines than any other variable pitch wheel.
"Award winning, patented design allows customizing for your boat's
specific characteristics."
BASSMASTER - "It's an
absolute head-snapper. Time to plane was just over two seconds - between a
half and a third of the time it takes most boats with standard wheels to get
them on top."
Torque Shift Service &
Tuning Parts
Mounting
Nuts & Washer - Our thin stainless steel nylon locking nuts were designed
to replace the cotter pin and castle nut on OMC shafts. Their low profile also
allows much easier installation of the Torque-Shift, other special exhaust
extension rings, spacers, etc. on Merc and OMC gearcases. Note: This special
nut and spring washer combination is REQUIRED on all Merc's running the
Torque-Shift.
(WARNING: ALWAYS use "Never Seez" or an equivalent
anti-galling compound for stainless threads!)
Our metric brass castle nut is shorter than the Yamaha & Suzuki stock nuts and
allows for use of a cotter pin with Torque-Shift.
Order Part #302-010 Merc and OMC (except cross-flow V-4's
3/4" -16 thread)
Order Part #302-112 Yamaha and Suzuki V-6's 18mm-1.5
Order Part #310-310 Torque-Shift Spring washer Part #
Description Price #302-010 Thin Stainless Ny-Loc Nut $9.99
#302-112 Thin Brass nut 18mm-1.5 $19.99
#310-310 Mounting Spring Washer $9.99
#363-210 5/16"-18 Pitch Limit Screws $11.99
#380-040 45 lb. Control Springs (set 4) $19.99 #533-532
Hole-Shot III/IV 13-32" Blade $149 #554-594 Guide Pin Bearing Set $49.99
#609-803 Diffuser/Synchronizer Ring 26" $49.99
#609-804 Diffuser/Synchronizer Ring 32" $49.99
#609-002 Replacement Drive Hub - Rubber $19.99 #950-903
Torque-Shift Multi-Tool $24.99
Propellers for
recreational boats, more specifically those for outboard motors and outboard
engines are covered by this page. It is a resource for those trying to select
a propeller as well for those researching the propeller industry. The page is
provided by
LAND & SEA
The
subject of this month's Shop Tour has got to be one of the all-time, best-kept
secrets of the marine industry. The good folks at Land & Sea Incorporated of
Hampstead, New Hampshire, have spent more than 21 years building their
outboard performance accessories business. Most recently, they have added
DYNOmite dynamometers to their extensive line of unique items.
This month's tour
will be of interest to boat dealers, performance mechanical shops and our
typically high-performance minded HOT BOAT readership alike, as the products
Land & Sea has designed are top-quality, state-of-the-art items at reasonable
prices.
Bob Bergeron has
always been performance minded: He has raced cars, snowmobiles and motorcycles
all his life. In the early'70s, he found a need for performance parts for
outboards, as most of the outboard motor manufacturers did absolutely nothing
in the way of offering a performance package.
By the mid-70s, Bob
was running outboards at 8,000- to 10,000 rpm. He was told that the red line
on such outboards was in the area of 6,800 rpm, and that anything higher was
not going to be reliable. (Now, 20 years later, we see high-performance
Mercurys running in the area of 9,000 rpm all day long!) In those days, he
made special rings, pistons and rod bolts, taking 200 hp motors to
approximately 300 hp, while enjoying reliability and longevity.
While conducting
this interview with HOT BOAT, an unusual sight just outside Bob's office
caught my eye. It was a turbocharged outboard, and it was extremely beautiful.
Bob told us that although he had done a lot of turbocharging work with
outboards in past years, at the present, Land & Sea does not provide any
turbocharging for outboards. Even so, Bob drives a twin-turbocharged Corvette,
owns a 300-hp-turbocharged snowmobile and tests his products in a 370-pound
outboard hull running over 400 hp, of outboard motor.
Today, Land & Sea
is one of the world's leading manufacturers of outboard performance
accessories with a focus on reliability and performance.
Some major examples
of this are the hydroelectric transom, Torque Shift props, Stern Jack
setback/dash jack for stern drives and its new line of marine-engine
dynamometers for outboards and inboard applications, including automotive
engines. We'll get back into each of these shortly.
The company also
produces dual-plug, high-compression heads; exhaust plates; high-performance
reeds; velocity stacks; a full line of racing gauges; custom nose cones; trim
buttons; rigid motor mounts and lots more.
If you're building
an outboard, Land & Sea will perform, the machine work on its CNC machines,
including boring and sleeving services by experienced operators, assuring
precision work every time.
Many of Land &
Sea's innovations have revolutionized the, marine industry. Most of them
require no engine modifications whatsoever in order to gain speed and cut
elapsed times. The Torque Shift propeller is the only outboard- and
stern-drive propeller in the world that shifts pitch automatically and
gradually from the low pitch necessary for a great holeshot and: strong
acceleration to the optimum high pitch for the best top-end speed.'
You can use Torque
Shift as a direct replacement for existing propellers. The typical result is a
30% to 50% improvement in planing time, and 20% to 40% improvement in
zero-to-30-mph times. The top end is comparable to that achieved with the
prior fixed-pitch prop.
With Torque Shift
installed, the driver of a boat can go at full throttle to get onto plane.
When the Torque Shift senses a high-load4ow-rpm condition, it downshifts to an
11 -inch low-pitch setting. This launches the boat onto plane. Normally, a
low-pitch prop like this would overrev, but the Torque Shift regulates the
engine's rpm by progressively upshifting until the correct pitch for the best
top speed is reached. The prop will stay at a high pitch for economical
cruising, but hit the throttle, and it will again downshift for maximum
acceleration. It's just like having a transmission in the boat!
Its design features
stainless steel blades that are held in a low-pitch setting by return springs.
As power is applied, the torque of the engine is translated into water
pressure on the blades, which creates the downshifting force. The upshifting
force is a component of centrifugal force working through the guide pins and
cams. Different cams can be used to change the rpm shifting range of any given
boat. These propellers can be extremely useful in all types of boating from
water-skiing to fishing, and the reported low-end response by many, including
our magazine, is unbelievable.
Another important
Land & Sea product is the Hydro-Electric Transom, which lets you optimize
engine height at the touch of a switch, even underway at full speed. Over the
past 15 years, Land & Sea has made a unit for almost every engine available
today, including the new model 600, which enables the largest V-8s to move up
and down more than 4-1/2 inches. The 600 also incorporates a patented "Torque
Lock" slide-rail design, made from solid billet aluminum. It actually uses the
engine's forward thrust and weight to prevent the wobble problem typical in
the simple (tongue and groove) slide designs.
This clever design
holds the outboard rock-steady at full power. Only the model 600's one-piece
rail system eliminates all bolts, rivets, welds or castings that eventually
become one in other transom units. All of the hydraulics are mounted inside
the slide-rail assembly to keep them out of sight; however, you still have
access to them without removing the engine from the boat. The unit comes
completely assembled and with all heavy-duty, stainless steel mounting
hardware, including vibration resistant, nylon-locking stainless nuts, a
plug-in wiring harness and switch assembly.
Another major
contribution L&S has made to the industry is the Stern Jack. This hot little
item increases acceleration, boosts top end speed and improves the handling of
most stem-drive performance boats. As Bob explained, "Boats that use positive
trim for best top speed will respond especially well to the added setback and
the higher trimmed out propeller height of the Stern Jack. We honestly believe
that the Stern Jack eliminates the need to compromise between mounting the
outdrive low for best acceleration and high for best top speed. Now boat
owners can enjoy the best of both worlds."
With the Stern
Jack, the additional setback reduces the amount of trim required to achieve
optimum bow lift. With less prop thrust used to carry the bow, more is
available for forward thrust and improved top speed. Land & Sea is so
confident of the Stem Jacks ability to deliver a 10% increase in speed that
the company offers a complete money-back guarantee on every one sold. If the
product does not deliver an increase in top-end mph of at least 10%, the buyer
may return the product for a full, no-questions-asked refund within 30 days of
the purchase.
The Stern Jack can
be installed by anyone who knows how to remove an outdrive. The kit includes
trim piston-rod extensions and all the parts needed to complete the
installation, depending on the configuration of the boat on which it will be
installed.
Now, as if all this
isn't enough, Land & Sea also offers the DYNOmite-brand marine-engine
dynamometer, a fully equipped unit that allows both dealers and individual
boat owners to perform sophisticated testing of large outboard and stern-drive
engines. Because the dyno's high-capacity water-absorption brake mounts
directly on the propshaft, there is no need to remove the engine.
A patented
electronic-torque arm supplies the propshaft torque info to the data
acquisition computer, which is included with the dyno. The computer records
both torque and rpm data readings at a rate of 200 readings per second. The
test results can be reviewed on the integral LCD in several user-selectable
formats, or they can be printed out on an optional printer. Power readings can
even be corrected automatically to reflect the effects of the atmospheric
conditions.
You can also order
DYNO-MAX 2000 software to fully integrate the PC with the unit. The software
displays several real-time and playback consoles, and includes powerful
graphic overlaying and informational database features. The DYNO-MAX requires
no programming expertise on the part of the user, and it can produce
professional color plots of a tested engine's torque- and
horsepower-versus-rpm curves.
It is mobile and
easy enough for one mechanic to use to identify problems quickly without
undergoing the risks and expense of on-water testing. Even mechanics with no
dyno experience whatsoever can quickly learn to perform tests as well as
seasoned professionals.
Bob Bergeron points
out that the dynos are made completely of billet material and utilize
aero-equip lines. A small unit can be purchased for as low as $5,495 (the
basic outboard configuration). You can then graduate to the inboard/outboard
and engine dyno combos that will handle up to 1,200 horsepower. With minimal
hookups, he says, a laptop printout providing GPS-, rpm and mph information
can be transmitted wirelessly to the pits from any race boat or transmitting
unit of the user's selection.
Our tour of Land &
Sea was extremely interesting-almost overwhelming, considering the number of
items it makes for performance accessories. For any additional information or
a catalog, be sure to write to Land & Sea at P.O. Box 96, North Salem, NH
03073, or call (603) 329-5645.
(Figure #1)
This portable "dyno" has a handheld computer that electronically measures
torque and horsepower, then stores it for printing out.
(Figure #2) The
main loading device of the dyno is called a "brake." Here is a look at the
rotor area, CNC-manufactured from high-quality metals.