ACE / Champion Gears - Any Interest in New Ones?

[alohajeff]

I am really close to getting all of the pieces together to have original style Ace / Champion gears built. I now have all of the original drawings for the 4%, 9%, 15%, and 28.5% ratios. I've been searching for gears off and on for a few years. During a few of those searches I've run across other guys that are in a similar situation as myself. The more sets that are run the lower the cost per set will be.

I tried to attach the drawing "fullsize" but it won't let me.

Aloha

 

[steveo143]

Why go to all this trouble when the gears that are in yours are C-500 gears made by Casale. Call Jim Wilkes, he has a cabinet full of used C-500 gears for sale or trade. If you want new, I buy at 'racer's net' which is substantially less than the public price.

 

[ace one]

I am really close to getting all of the pieces together to have original style Ace / Champion gears built. I now have all of the original drawings for the 4%, 9%, 15%, and 28.5% ratios. I've been searching for gears off and on for a few years. During a few of those searches I've run across other guys that are in a similar situation as myself. The more sets that are run the lower the cost per set will be.

I tried to attach the drawing "fullsize" but it won't let me.

Aloha

If you need parts for those v-drives call Bergeron Marine in Mesa AZ
(602) -834-1531

 

[alohajeff]

Are the C500 gears a direct drop in? No mods necessary? I asked about this a few years ago and was told it required some modificarions and theb use of different bearings and possibly new shafts. But if I can simply drop in some C500 gears that would be excellent.

Aloha

 

[steveo143]

In your other thread, the 3rd picture looking down on the gear clearly shows a 'CE' which is Casales mark. Post a side view of the gears and I can tell for sure. A C-500 gear is 21/2" thick and is pressed onto a keyed shaft. Call Casale after 5 pm, after Andy has gonr home, and ask to talk to Drew and only Drew and he will tell you what's up. Since your box appears to have Casale gears in it any mods needed must have been done already. In addition to the CE on the gear, all the other stampings are identical to how Casale stamps and marks their gears. I am not sure of the timeline but I think The C-500 came out in the late 60's or early seventies, after Ace/Champion quit and is just Casales version of the same thing. No need to reinvent the wheel! I have an open C-500 on my shop floor and that is the reason the pics in your other thread got my attention as I haven't been inside a C500 in 20 years!

 

[alohajeff]

Those aren't my gears... that isn't my thread. My Champion box has original gears in it... 15's. My spare box has 4's in it.

Jeff

 

[steveo143]

Those aren't my gears... that isn't my thread. My Champion box has original gears in it... 15's. My spare box has 4's in it.

Jeff

Sorry, I got confused.

Steve McElroy used to have gears and parts for these.
714 903-1553
714 397-3250

Have you opened your spare to see what is actually inside?
The C-500 just loks like a modern version of the Ace/Champion boxes.

 

[alohajeff]

No worries. I have left the spare box alone as I know it works as-is. The only downside are the 4% gears really don't work with my setup. I let WellDigger00 use the spare box in his Spectra 24XS last year when his Champion was acting up. The 4% ratio didn't work out so hot for him either. He purchased a new to him set of Champion 9% gears from McElroy and quickly realized that something wasn't right when he went to set the box up. That's when he figured out somebody had modified things to allow the use of a non-Champion gear set in the box.

Steve McElroy
The 714-903-1553 number is no longer in service.
The 714-397-3250 number works just fine.

I just got off the phone with Steve and he says the Champion shafts are 1.500" in diameter and the Casale shafts are 1.375". That makes it easy enough for me to identify what is being run in each of my Champion boxes. That also means if I want to run a Casale gear in a Champion box it will require different shafts and Casale gears. I assume the OD of the bearings would remain the same but I could be wrong. The gear and shaft change might be worth it for me because it would allow a small bump to a 1.20 ratio (a little more overdrive) without making the big jump from 15's to 28.5's.

Jeff

 

[steveo143]

I could put 22 gears in my C-500 and sell it to you for 1300. Then you would have a modern quiet v-drive with the ratio you want.

 

[Shane Kneisel]

Anyone have a set of 28.5% gears?

 

[SPECTRABRENT]

Anyone have a set of 28.5% gears?

You might have at call Casale and have the gears made or go with a Casale v drive.

 

[Shane Kneisel]

I'm on the phone with drew now. I think there could be a market for these gears.

 

[Mark Caton]

Shane: Very interested in gears for my Spectra 20 with Champion V drive. Currently, 1.09 with a BBC 522 with a 10-71 on top. Please let me know. Mark from Needles