hibby

My friend eric and I went to the pond sun. and had a nice breeze with some decent ripple on the water. My first run was 49.6mph and my next two were 50.1mph 16480rpm. Erics first run was 49.4 and his next run with my prop 7016 4.10pitch 3 blade was 50.3mph 17100 rpm. Both have the same set-up m-5 kit in motor, stock pipe. The last video in dec I posted I only ran 48.6mph and the water was like glass, I never touched the carb settings since then and ran the same set-up strut wise, water conditions with these big boats is everything unless you have a fully modded motor and pipe and can get the lift you need, We have to run our strut as high as we can and with some positive trim to run those numbers. We are both totally impressed with what we have gotten out of that m-5 motor. Here are our two 50+mph videos. Hibby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obl5roVR8ps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffvRTPQ0u4A

advanced builder

hibby
,55-50 MPH guys, good looking run. kinda you'll cry like a baby ,without flotation. You take on water the deep six mph Man, them hulls have some room inside. .Best to work on them turns. No figure 8 . Sorry we get cabin fever. I wish I could run, we still frozen. I'm just old school on running. I always try to simulate race conditions distance, turning radius. If you don't run in a race , just a weekend runabout. just having fun.That's OK too. I did that for years until I decided I wanted to see what my hulls can do. I kinda like to go fast myself ,Running in a pack and add in dead boats in the water.Makes racing, racing. Heading into my 3rd year, IMPBA legal. I'm running against 20-30 year drivers. What really impressed me was there dedication to the hobby.
thanks for sharing you guy in shorts ? You all got winter down there.
Neil

forescott

My Feedback: (7)

Looking good! I just picked up a BJ55 off of flea bay and have been reading through lots of info on these for about a week now. I have many fast electric boats, but have only had a shockwavee 55 for a gas boat. I always liked the look of the blackjack and finally bought one. Was thinking of the same kit you have for the zenoah. M-5 engine mod. I already bought the aeromarine rudders, bonzi clutch, and an octura x472. Any other tips on the setup??

hibby

I had bonzi's clutch that they sell for the blackjack but once we started hitting speeds over 43mph the stock springs and shoes from the original clutch that you have to use with there clutch couldn't handle it and I went through numerous springs and shoes till I finally ditched the clutch and water pump and best thing I ever did. You will like that m-5 kit and for $100.00 its pretty cheap for 7-8mph gain, We were running around 41-42mph with the stock motor. We are still using the stock carb and pipe and have the aeromarine rudders as well. I have a X472 2 blade that was my best prop till I went to the 7016 4.10pitch 3 blade and that is an excellent prop for the blackjack, I think gizmo's has them for $62.00 I bought mine from chris at dasboata and was around $75.00. Overall I am real happy with my boat, it has been real reliable and just a fun boat to mess around with. Happy Boating Hibby !!

forescott

My Feedback: (7)

Thanks for the info. I'll be happy with 40mph for now. I can see how the clutch would cause issues with the increase of rpm. I was also thinking of swapping the stock carb out for the 813(I think it is?) when I do the m-5 mod. I hear that it has an accelerator pump that helps keep the motor running more smoothly when coming on and off the throttle. Also a set of zero drag seals might get me a couple hundred extra rpm.

advanced builder

If we did a poll on them zero drag seals, you may find more have gone back to the old seals ,Ya they leak ,some of them anyways be careful .or they were installed bad. A little buffing of the ports will give you a few MPH. As well as easier starting.

forescott

My Feedback: (7)

If there is issues with the seals, then I'll just stay away from them. Just seemed like a super easy mod for a little free rpm.

Dockman

Nice runs Hibby! forescott before I would go through all that I would send the motor off and get it fully modded for $200 or get a new RCMK or there are always good deals over on the dock for good used fully modded motors. I was never impressed with my m5 over my RCMK. If you are handy with a dremel go over to model gas boats and read the articles of how to mod your motor. I think with some very mild work your motor would be as good as the m5 and it saves you $100 to go towards a good pipe.

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

Yea, Eric sent me a pic of the GPS. Good run! I need to get out and run with you guys again.

pontiak51

My Feedback: (1)

What is the full name of the Garmin speed indicator you have? I would like to buy one. How much was it? Thanks Mike.

advanced builder

Yes it's the Garmen 4 trax they no longer make em . I found it easier and cheaper to get a Bushnell gun , http://www.radargunsales.com/Bushnel...Radar-Gun.html

wakeskater02

Very interesting. I actually just got my blackjack about a month ago. About the only thing stock on my engine is the block itself. Everything else is bonzi modded. Pipe, carb, manifold cover, boost bottles, pull start, etc... I am honestly looking for information, as I am starting to get in to this quite a bit. I have been wondering about the clutch assembly as I am thinking that i want to go direct drive. Most racers that I see (I go to Legg Lake in CA) all have there boats running direct drive. I have been around real race boats my entire life and know a good amount of the physics and mechanics for real boats is about the same for our RC boats.

My questions are... Currently I have a 3 blade prop on my BJ55, I was thinking about going with a 2 blade racing setup as I know that the 3rd blade adds a good amount of drag compared to the 2 blade. Obviously it won't be as efficient, but I am trying to squeeze the most out of my motor. Secondly, does anyone know about taking the clutch assembly off and connecting a collet directly to the crank? Has anyone ever done it before?

Here are a couple pictures of my BJ55...













If you have any information, please feel free to let me know!

Thanks!

hibby

To answer your first question, the blackjack 55 isn't really made to be a race boat, it cannot handle cornering very well at high speeds without flipping over. The prop issue, I have not noticed a big difference in loosing bottom end with the 3 blade versus the 2 blade, also the 3 blade will help lift that boat up faster then a 2 blade will. The top end and mph you will gain with the 3 blade compared to the 2 blade makes it a no brainer. To take out the bonzi clutch is a simple task, just unbolt the clutch, bolt on a collect to the crankshaft, and you will need to get a little longer flex shaft, other then that its pretty simple.

wakeskater02

So, your saying that the top end MPH is greater with the 3 blade or the 2 blade?  And in that instance, do you have any recommendations on props?  I think I am going to have to get an INSANE hydro... 

When we went to Legg Lake there were a bunch of INSANE boats there and a bunch of them were running Nitro Riggers.  Looked like speeds were in excess of 60mph+.  I don't need to go that fast, but I think that my BJ has some room to increase.

Dockman

My best prop was a 6717/3 400 from Dasboata.

amrharrymac

My Feedback: (2)

50+ that's sweet for such a big hull. I was a bit spectacle about the hull design being so high sided and seeing the squirrelly videos on utube but I picked one up from a guy at the local boat club last week. It was missing a lot of stuff but still in good shape.

My problem now, no pipe and no radio. Any suggestions for a pipe? Any left-over parts for sale?

There has to be a better deal than buying all the exhaust parts from HH and it needs everything exhaust from the head back.
Can't seem to find a used one on the forums or flea-bay?

Everything else is stock and I am using a stock Enforcer G26 that I got for a first edition WHH Stiletto v-hull project but found a flea-bay G23 for it instead.
Stock prop, stock clutch, just going to put around for now once I get a pipe and 2 of the same metal steering servos.

50+ is hot, I saw a utube of a BJ55 in orlando going 60+ but the description says he went with a fully modified ??? and a single rudder setup; it seems the guy must have a racing parts or business of some kind. It looks like it's running nitro the way it was booking-it. There are always a lot of guys from speedmaster at the pond running prototypes.

wakeskater02

Did you get that prop custom made?  I went on to there site and didn't see that they had it listed. 

Dockman

Do a search on here for your BJ55's! Peerpsi and I along with some others have tons of info on the BJ55.

wakeskater02

Nice!  Let's hear what you have to offer.  Anything and everything as I am getting my NAMBA membership in the next couple of days, i'll be ready to run on our local lakes here.

amrharrymac

My Feedback: (2)

Well, 2 steps closer to getting the BJ55 wet...

wakeskater02

Did you ever figure out how to take the clutch assembly off the crank?  That is what I am trying to figure out right now.  There has got to be a special tool of some sort.

amrharrymac

My Feedback: (2)

It's a tapered shaft. If it was me I would take everything off except the hub, remove the center bolt, heat it up with a heat gun (not a torch or propane) and bump it with a rubber mallet; it should pop off. If that doesn't work spray some PB Blaster on it and let it soak awhile and repeat. It not really specific to a BJ55 some you could also ask advice on other threads.

wakeskater02

Ahh, so it isn't threaded?  How does a collet go on there?  It uses a compression ring, correct?

amrharrymac

My Feedback: (2)

The first zenoah I got didn't have anything on the shaft and I went direct drive but I saw the shaft was tapered.

The second motor I got from WHH and it already has a clutch installed and the difference in unbelievable; the proboat clutch looks like a toy compared to the WHH clutch. I ordered a new proboat one but I am sending it back.. It is well worth any trouble to upgrade the stock clutch if you really want to have a clutch.

Where does it end???; All the proboat stuff looks so so cheap compared to the standard gas boat hardware. prop shaft, throttle cable and linkage, flex cable, motor mounts and rubber mounts, radio box, water hoses, water pump, cowl locks, you name it. It would be cheaper to buy a new boat than resurrect and upgrade one of these. I guess the only consolation is that once I get all the standard hardware I can transfer it into a decent hull.

amrharrymac

My Feedback: (2)

There is a direct drive adapter, a couple different kinds; one is just tapered on one end and has a threaded stud instead of a bolt and has a square hole in the other end. Then there are variations that clamp down on a round flex cable with a nut and the tapered end has a threaded stud. I used the first kind on my first boat.