Howard RC what kinda HP and speed?

[73hondo]

any howard guys... what kinda speed and HP to they like?? not sure if all the bottoms are the same but looking at late 80's models.

 

[420HOA]

'86, Blown 531, 8lbs boost, 950 HP pump gas, C500 29's, 3 blade pushes around 85 - 95 mph depending on weight ( people / fuel load )
Hope this helps :thumbsup

 

[73hondo]

man thats a beautiful boat, so depending on set up 1000 ponies should get you to the century mark... does it handle fairly well at those speeds... I have own some fast flats just wodering if they are a hand full??

 

[78 Continental]

VD Cruiser on here has a Howard with a high HP Blower motor who has been over the century mark. I think he relocated and put a shallower strut in it. Maybe he will see this thread.

 

[420HOA]

man thats a beautiful boat, so depending on set up 1000 ponies should get you to the century mark... does it handle fairly well at those speeds... I have own some fast flats just wodering if they are a hand full??

I would bet it would get to the century mark with a 2 blade, I have yet to run it real hard its the Family V-drive. I'll be runnin it soon with a new 2" Lightning exhaust, its currently 1 7/8". :thumbsup

 

[vdcruiser]

My 1983 Howard has been as fast as 110 on radar. Thats the very best with good cool air, just me in the boat and about 20gals. of gas and with a 2 blade. It does have a full interior though. As mentioned I have changed the strut angle to 7.5 degrees and moved it forward 7" and worked on the bottom. The engine is a 548 ci with Canfield heads and a 10:71 blower with Super Chiller and 12 lbs of boost. I run 48 % gears in the Casale and the prop is a 2 blade 11 3/4 X 16 Menkens. Engine turns about 6300 rpm's Those speeds were reached with pump gas and a flat tappet cam. I have since changed to a roller cam, but don't think it is any faster,maybe quicker. I also have the 1 7/8 id lightning headers. The engine is not a professionally built engine. I put it together myself and it was together for 8/9 years before I freshened it up last year.
Oh, with the changes I have made it handles very well. I wouldn't want to run it through any nasty water at that speed though. It carries the nose sorta like a flat bottom, with the turn fin about half in the water.
420HOA I would like to know if yours runs any better with the larger headers. I didn't want to spend the extra money for them not knowing if they would help.
2 blade is 5/6 mph faster on mine.

 

[420HOA]

My 1983 Howard has been as fast as 110 on radar. Thats the very best with good cool air, just me in the boat and about 20gals. of gas and with a 2 blade. It does have a full interior though. As mentioned I have changed the strut angle to 7.5 degrees and moved it forward 7" and worked on the bottom. The engine is a 548 ci with Canfield heads and a 10:71 blower with Super Chiller and 12 lbs of boost. I run 48 % gears in the Casale and the prop is a 2 blade 11 3/4 X 16 Menkens. Engine turns about 6300 rpm's Those speeds were reached with pump gas and a flat tappet cam. I have since changed to a roller cam, but don't think it is any faster,maybe quicker. I also have the 1 7/8 id lightning headers. The engine is not a professionally built engine. I put it together myself and it was together for 8/9 years before I freshened it up last year.
Oh, with the changes I have made it handles very well. I wouldn't want to run it through any nasty water at that speed though. It carries the nose sorta like a flat bottom, with the turn fin about half in the water.
420HOA I would like to know if yours runs any better with the larger headers. I didn't want to spend the extra money for them not knowing if they would help.
2 blade is 5/6 mph faster on mine.

:thumbsup Like you said "Quicker" I made alot of changes last winter, adjusted the plates, shorten the new shaft by 5/8", inlayed a new SS blast plate, changed the rudder from "trailing / cruiser to one like my Schiada and put in the 1 7/8" "USED" Lightning headers. The bow used to hunt at 50-60mph, now it attacks in a straight line and tourqes hard and runs the 29's hard thru the gears, the 2" breathers tubes will only complicate the equation.

 

[73hondo]

thanks for the info guys that what I was wanting to hear

 

[vdcruiser]

Just so you'll know 73hondo, my boat went about 94/95, and was a handful, with the same engine before I made the changes to the bottom and changed the strut.

 

[73hondo]

good to know the boat I am looking at had about a 950hp twin turbo deal in it prior so I am hoping most of the set up work has been done already.

 

[vdcruiser]

Check the strut angle and location. The rear end of the strut barrel is 23.5" from the transom on mine. The new strut was also made so that the tip of the prop blade is about 5/8" from the bottom. The v-drive is just about under the edge of the dash.

 

[420HOA]

Nice looking Howard :thumbsup

 

[AzGeo]

Check the strut angle and location. The rear end of the strut barrel is 23.5" from the transom on mine. The new strut was also made so that the tip of the prop blade is about 5/8" from the bottom. The v-drive is just about under the edge of the dash.

What kind of 'TOP SECRET" bottom work did you do ? Have you extended the strakes to lift the tail yet ?

 

[vdcruiser]

No George, I haven't lengthened the strakes yet. I haven't felt like taking everything out and turning the boat over. One of the first things I did was grind on the cav. plate recess to remove the built in hook. The recess was not deep enough right under the transom. A straight edge would contact the plate right under the transom and then again about 2' forward. I had to remove about 1/16", mostly right at the back edge. Then I flattened the bottom using some fairing compound and a long sanding block up about 3.5 to 4 feet from the transom. The surface was irregular, high and low spots. This boat actually has some rocker in the bottom now. I had wanted to talk to someone that had lengthened the strakes on one of these boats to see what difference it made.