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  1. #1
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    SHO/Sportmaster Hybrid

    I'm getting a little excited to experience the results of my project so I'll share a few things about it for some feedback from some of you that may have been down this road already.

    I bought a new '15 200 Yamaha SHO and a brand new take off 1.62 sportmaster gearcase. Both are on their way to HydroTec for Wayne to join the two together which sounds pretty straight forward and the two pieces look to be factory assembled as no adaptors have to be used for the process. He's also installing solid engine mounts while it's there. The ecu will be flashed to the off-shore programming. I think most of you know what that means. What I did not know until very recently was that the 200, 225 & 250 SHO's are exactly the same, mechanically. Sure is a big price swing when you compare them............

    I've read about every SHO thread on here so I'm well aware of previous issues with the SHO and I know very well that "hey"! I just shot my warranty to hell but that's my decision and mine to live with. Also, I'll never fish a professional tourney that'll ever give a hoot about what's actually under the cowl of my engine unless Skewby has new rules for this year's Rally

    I was excited to hear Wayne tell me a sportmaster gearcase was not that big of deal to install on the SHO as I've always liked the look of that gearcase and we all know it's a proven performer on the back of an Allison.

    A goofy idea is to stick a 400R on my boat but in reality, that's just too much weight to hang off the rear of a bass boat. A naturally aspirated, quiet, lightweight and smooth running four stroke is the future sooner or later and I've always been a fan of the four stroke movement in off-road motorcycles. A 300 Mercury may be faster but that's not at all what my goal is for my boat even though there is a plan to have a very experienced driver hang it out just so I'll know.
    I love to try new and different things from the norm so this should keep me busy for a while and if anyone cares, I'll post what works and what doesn't. See you all at the rally

  2. Member mittenbass's Avatar
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    #2
    I don't have any experience with Yamahas, but this sounds very interesting. I definitely want to hear how the project goes . A friend of mine has a 21xdc bullet with a 250 vmax that was just rebuilt by Hydrotec. They definitely know their stuff
    Brad Luchsinger

    2003 Allison XB-21 BasSport 2+2
    2004 Mercury Racing 250XS


    1998 Xpress X70
    1998 Yamaha Vmax 150 TRP

    2002 Triton 200XP

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    #3
    Should be fun my friend. And I applaud you for stepping outside the box

  4. Member mittenbass's Avatar
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    #4
    It would be interesting to know if the Sportmaster is lighter or heavier than the hpdi unit. It would be nice if you saved a few pounds and then you would have a sub 500 lbs motor. Have you thought about shortening the mid to 15 or 16 in?
    Brad Luchsinger

    2003 Allison XB-21 BasSport 2+2
    2004 Mercury Racing 250XS


    1998 Xpress X70
    1998 Yamaha Vmax 150 TRP

    2002 Triton 200XP

  5. Member
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    #5
    I am hoping to follow you down this path in a year or two, especially if it goes bad ass. We don't have a performace merc dealer and hydrotec is only 5.5 hours from my home

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    #6
    Never thought of weighing the two for comparison or considered a shortened mid but both sound good.

    I don't have time to seek out pursuing a 15" mid as the rally is going to be on us shortly but it may be something I look into over the winter.

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    #7
    Nick Hughs on here has done all this to his SHO XB21 set up. ECU flash makes good improvements but I dont think you can install a SM case on a SHO without the adaptor plate that Hydro Tec makes.

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    #8
    I don't think you will be able to run Yammie blades as the lower unit mod/prop shaft takes merc blades.
    SHO is a strong motor.

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by hooken203 View Post
    Nick Hughs on here has done all this to his SHO XB21 set up. ECU flash makes good improvements but I dont think you can install a SM case on a SHO without the adaptor plate that Hydro Tec makes.
    I'm pretty sure Wayne said one bolts directly to the other on the SHO engine as the price is way cheaper than mounting a sportmaster to an HPDI engine. Nick said his looks factory assembled.

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by JDM View Post
    I don't think you will be able to run Yammie blades as the lower unit mod/prop shaft takes merc blades.
    SHO is a strong motor.
    Correct on the props. Wayne's Yamaha gearcase mod uses Mercury large shaft props.
    I'm using a Mercury Sportmaster gearcase mostly for the 1.62 gearing. Nick also uses 1.62 gearing in his boat and hopefully he corrects me if I'm wrong, as we discussed a lot in a very little time but I think he said he spins a 27" prop to 86 mph at 5900 rpms.......with a 7,000 rpm limiter, I plan to start with a 26" prop to free the motor up a little and have a killer hole-shot.

    Last year at the Rally, Grant was running a stock 225 SHO (engine tuning), stock 1.75 gears using a 28" ProMax with twin power poles and his boat had an amazing hole-shot.
    Last edited by scj; 05-09-2015 at 09:48 AM.

  11. Member
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    #11
    Any idea on setback that grant was using? Very interested in the results of the project. 1.75 gears will be good for a guy like me. Would like to stay sub 90 with killer torque out of the hole

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    #12
    I'm pretty sure it's the exact set back he uses on all newer Allison's; 8 1/2"

  13. Member
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    #13
    Hope you have it for the rally I'll be excited to see it run. I have an extensively tweak stiff 25 you may want to try at the rally. With my 200 it's a topend wheel...it's been cut for an Allison sent back to have the barrel trimmed and sent back again for more aggressive special cupping so it doesn't blow out on hole shot...

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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by mittenbass View Post
    It would be interesting to know if the Sportmaster is lighter or heavier than the hpdi unit. It would be nice if you saved a few pounds and then you would have a sub 500 lbs motor. Have you thought about shortening the mid to 15 or 16 in?
    I'm trying to get a lithium cranking battery to drop 50 pounds out of the back of the boat. Seems like the place the Allison's use is running several weeks behind on orders though.........

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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by xb03fs View Post
    Hope you have it for the rally I'll be excited to see it run. I have an extensively tweak stiff 25 you may want to try at the rally. With my 200 it's a topend wheel...it's been cut for an Allison sent back to have the barrel trimmed and sent back again for more aggressive special cupping so it doesn't blow out on hole shot...
    Unless all the wheels fall off the wagon, I should have it back by the end of May to the first week in June.

    Hopefully I'll have time to test and perform the break in prior to the rally.

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    #16
    I have a 2 SHO lower units in my garage and a mercury lower unit and I can assure you that a SM gear case will not just bolt onto the SHO without the adapter. I have ran a 250 SHO on a XB21 with 2 powerpoles a 28 Bravo and a 28 XOB holeshot is far from impressive. A 26 Bravo XS was very good but on the limiter on the top end. 1.75 gears in a SHO lower unit with the Hydro Tec mods.

  17. Member mgeod's Avatar
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    #17
    Sounds good , I like the idea of a sporty . My lower is a HPDI and has had all the mods done to it . I would prefer a sporty with 1:62, heck I would prefer a Merc altogether lol . Although this Hammer is starting to grow on me. Going to pull low pressure pumps tomorrow , I have one leaking . That is a pain with these OX66 motors

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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by hooken203 View Post
    I have a 2 SHO lower units in my garage and a mercury lower unit and I can assure you that a SM gear case will not just bolt onto the SHO without the adapter. I have ran a 250 SHO on a XB21 with 2 powerpoles a 28 Bravo and a 28 XOB holeshot is far from impressive. A 26 Bravo XS was very good but on the limiter on the top end. 1.75 gears in a SHO lower unit with the Hydro Tec mods.
    I'll have to wait until the engine gets returned to verify the adapter but his pricing did not reflect one.
    You must have the worst luck with engines as every thread I've read on the SHO boosts about how impressive it hole-shots.

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    #19
    Yeah the holeshot has me curious as well. In my research it seems instead of venting to improve holeshot they suggest eliminating it due to the variable valve timing that protects itself if the prop breaks loose too much...al out like you want to lug it out to get max torque. Opposite of 2 strokes

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    #20
    Theres no bad luck with engines. Just being honest. The mid range on the SHO is very impressive. We have a small tournament around here every Tuesday night at the start of the tournament boat race I get to line up with a Basscat pro XS250 a 521 250 HPDI a 21ft express etec 250. When we all take off they are all right there with me. I have a motor that is said to have a great hole shot on a boat that brags about its hole shot a stack of propellers with holes plugged and unplgged one with 1 inch holes that cant be plugged.The out of the hole performance seems kind of average to me. I saw Grants boat run at last years rally and talked to him and if we compared our performance it was very close.
    With all the money you are spending on this set up I hope it rips. Time will tell.

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