Merc. BlackTrac ???

I've heard of them but first one I've seen. (Customers boat) Anyone have a lead on manuals for them? I don't have the boat here yet but its a 98 with a 5.7. I don't need to work on the transmission but while I have it here I want to get familar with it while I have the chance.

I've always wondered why these didn't seem to take the market by storm. The performance advantages for towing (Skis, toys, etc.) seems blatantly obvious but I've never seen one in this part of the country. Not that they aren't around, but they aren't common at all.

Re: Merc. BlackTrac ???

Never heard of it. Heard of a Blackhawk though.

Re: Merc. BlackTrac ???

Found this while using the Google machine. Article from Popular Mechanics. Looks like the tranny didn't last to long...


Super powerplants

The big news for 1997 is MerCruiser's new BlackTrac, the first mass-production automatic transmission designed for marine use. It's one of those ideas that's so simple that most people say, "Why didn't they think of that before?" MerCruiser's engineering is deceptively simple, too, but elegant.

The $3000 BlackTrac is an 11 3/4-in., 70-pound 2-speed torque converter that bolts up to existing EFI Magnum big-block or small-block V8s on the input side and to the twin counterrotating-prop MerCruiser Bravo III sterndrive on the output side. In effect, this means that boat builders must move the engine forward by a foot to leave room for the transmission between the block and transom. That's a pretty minimal demand for something this revolutionary.

The heart of the unit is a planetary gearset taken from a GM 4-speed automotive transmission. This provides the BlackTrac with a choice of either a 1.33:1 "first gear" or direct 1:1 drive. Flipping the gearset allows MerCruiser engineers to produce a transmission for high-torque diesel engines with a 1:1 first gear and a 0.75:1 overdrive.

Like an automotive transmission, the BlackTrac automatically shifts to high gear at the appropriate rpm--the shift point is higher under hard acceleration than under soft acceleration-and drops down to "passing gear" if you slam the throttle home at less than 2400 rpm in high.

The BlackTrac is like adding another 100 hp to your engine. On every boat we've tested, it reduced 0-30-mph acceleration by 2 to 3 seconds compared to the same boat running a conventional 1:1 direct drive. This may not sound like much, but 2 seconds makes all the difference when you're trying to get up on plane or pop a skier out of the water. Surprisingly, the BlackTrac has no effect on top speed or fuel economy. But the acceleration gain is prodigious.

Another interesting inboard trend is high-performance small-block V8s built for pleasure-boat use by auto racers. The 400-hp Callaway Supernatural 383 in the Malibu Corvette and twin 425-hp 350s in the Hendrick Scarab 29 are the most visible signs of this trend. Racing-engine builders can extract as much reliable horsepower from a small-block as production builders get from a big block, but with a substantial savings in weight and fuel consumption. Add in the advantages of the BlackTrac transmission, and we predict that you'll see more high-performance small-blocks around the waterfront.

Re: Merc. BlackTrac ???

How 'bout that, time for this cowboy to get back to Hayward.

Re: Merc. BlackTrac ???

MerCruiser pulled the BlackTrac out of production and I'm pretty sure any and all service information/manuals to go with it that I remember. (PS I looked around for some information about it within the MerCruiser web site today and could not come up with to much information about it. But it will have a different size input shaft on the drive.

The transmission was just not working out like they had hoped it would, Including working with the boat builders to get it installed by moving the engine, Ect.

I heard MerCruiser sent out a letter to all the registered owners with a BlackTrac set up basicly saying something like we have discontinued the BlackTrac and there will be no parts or sevice information available should something go wrong with the transmission and related parts.

Because MerCruiser wanted out of this project and it was within a legal time frame still they offered to pay a dealer to remove the transmission and related parts and put the boat back to a stock condition, And if the owners did not want to let go of the transmission I believe they had to sign a waiver that they are on their own should something go wrong.

There is not to many left at all, I think the number is somewhere around 5ish if I remember right.

If by chance you really need some type of info about this transmission, You are welcome to (PM) me and I could put you in touch with someone I know that has one of the last few left that is in his own boat that was ok'ed by MerCruiser because he is a service only dealer that works very close with Merc.

Re: Merc. BlackTrac ???

Even if it didn't have issues, I can easily see why they could have problems getting the boat manufacturers to offer it. There are currently 7 preformance boat manufacturers here in Lake havasu city and I have rigged for about half of them. They would have to re-tool every plug and make a seperate mold for every model boat they offered that system into because of it's added length. Nordic, Advantage, Magic/Sleekcraft, Conquest, and Cheeta all have, or had, owners that are, shall we say, "tempermental", to be nice. More than one of them were borderline psychotics, to be completely honest.
And those are just the ones I know personally.
Tact, and the need to work in this town, prohibits me from saying who.