Water Volumes

Water Volumn Needed to Cool a Drive - In our previous postings, and as always, we provided a disclaimer of credibility for manufacturers that quote their own test results. After numerous emails from skeptical boaters, we decided to take another look at the Just Wicked Marine’s data. We are also responding to the posting of their Drive Oil Temperature data that we assumed would never come. Well it did, so let’s take another look at all of their data. . First, understand that we DID NOT replicate their testing, so we can not emphatically challenge their results. That being said, we went about analyzing their data by comparing it to test results from more reliable sources. This is our synopsis: Hot Boat Magazine published the results of three series of drive showers tests. Two were regarding driveshowers with 45 degree pick-up ports. In the first series of testing, they found that the shower reduced the drive oil operating temperature by 31 degrees. Those findings were repeated in the second set of testing, except this time they trimmed the drive further out past “0” (perpendicular to the water), and found that the 45 degree pick-up ports began to fail. But, at trim angles less than “0”, they were able to repeat the findings of the first test. So it’s safe to assume that similar testing done on a 45 degree pick-up port system, would also repeat those finding. Just Wicked Marine's test results did not replicate these findings, and we find that to be very discomforting. - In our earlier posting, we made mention to their data regarding the 80 degree pick-up port and how poorly it performed compared to the other systems. We are now retracting those comments. Instead of pointing out how poorly the 80 degree pick-up port did, that observation should have made us question the data. We also considered this as a case in point: Physics would suggest that the scoop like effect that the 80 degree port offers would produce water volumns similar to their system. Yet their data suggests that the scoop style system was significantly less effective. . Another case in point: Physics would also suggest that the 80 degree pick-up port system is a substantial improvement over the 45 degree port system, yet their data shows it to be vastly inferior. . So, we are now asking you, the consumer: from a purely logical standpoint, does this test data make any sense to you? Another question you should be asking is: how can anyone back up something that they themselves are claiming? How about if they swear to it, or really swear to it, or get other “interested parties” (people that will also benefit), together, so that you can have a whole bunch of people really swearing to it. We need to see test data from an unbiased sourse. - Updated 03/2007: . Prior to this update, this page contained test data from the Just Wicked Marine site. Because we now feel less than confident in that data, we are no longer referencing it. . There are a number of drive coolers containing a variety of pick-up port systems on the market today. At this point, the drawbacks of using a 45 Degree Pick-up Port are pretty well known, and most manufacturers have stopped using them. . Once you remove the 45 degree Pick-up Port system from the list, your left with three main systems: the "90 Degree" system (Simrek), the "80 Degree" system (ice cream scoop or similiar design), and the "45 Degree Deflection" system (Just Wicked Marine). One of the discoveries that we made while analyzing the Just Wicked Marine data, is that once you removing all the hype, all three systems should perform about the same. Logic, Physics and C.A.D. helped lead us to that conclusion. . There may be a minimal difference between them, but a slick salesman can still make a small difference sound big by using a percentage comparison. A 20% increase sounds like a lot, but actually it could be the difference between 10 and 12 for example. Be wary of percentage comparisons designed to mislead you, especially on a number that is a poor indicator of the overall efficiency of a system. In the case of a drive cooler, first make sure that the data is not tainted, than look at the reduction of drive oil operating temperature in degrees. Water flow is important, but it’s far from a true indicator of efficiency, and percentages of water flow will be especially misleding. - Is your shower getting plugged up with debris? . Unfortunately the only way to see if your drive cooler is still working is by visual inspection. We do not recommend that you hang over the back of your boat while it is underway, to see if it is still working. Have another boater follow behind you to do any visual inspections. - All these pick-up port systems in the “real world”: . We wanted to point out that both the 80 degree and the 45 deg deflection system do nothing to filter out the debris that is normally found in the water. The more a pick-up port has a “scoop like effect”, the more debris it will pick up. In an attempt to create a "fan spray", some of today's systems are using smaller or sloted dump ports. This will help to promote the shower plugging up with debris like twigs, sea weed, zebra muscles (in fresh water), etc. The diameter of the outgoing port has got to be equal to or larger than the incoming port, or the system will plug up quickly. . One of the big advantage to Simrek's 90 Degree design is the use of a small pin to divide the tube in half and act like to filter to keep debris from entering the system. Any object that can get past the pin can get out the dump ports. . We found it suspicious yet humorous, that soon after we pointed out that one of the benefits of the Simrek’s system is it’s built in debris filters, Just Wicked Marine is now claiming to have: “1 anti clog port at the top to prevent the fan spray ports from clogging up with debris.” We haven’t seen this system yet but we are wondering how this could possibly work. If you don’t block the debris from entering the system, how can it be filtered out after it passes through the dump ports? Something doesn't make any sense. If this is not just another gimmick, maybe they will provide some details on their site. If it does indeed work, we will correct our post and acknowledge it as a benefit to their system. That being said; Just Wicked Marine should stop using their website to misleading the customer with tactics like placing a caption under the picture of Simrek's Halo that reads; Where's the water on the top?". The function of a drive shower is to cool the oil inside the drive, not the outside of the casing. They are also taking up plenty of space on our "False Claims Page".