Choosing Your Driveshaft

Purchasing a new driveshaft for your jet drive is not always as easy as it sounds! Back in the day, many driveshafts bolted directly to the crankshaft, which meant they were specific to engine models such as Chevys, Fords, or Oldmobiles. Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to adapt these older driveshafts for a different engine with a different crank bolt pattern.

In today's world there are two options for driveshafts: the 1310, and the 1350. The 1310 is the most commonly used shaft and works on engines under 600 horsepower. The 1350 driveshaft, on the other hand, is used with higher horsepower applications over 600 horsepower. Both of these driveshafts bolt to what's called a Power Take Off flange (PTO), which in turn mounts to the rear of the crankshaft. Don’t be mistaken though, just because the two shafts may look similar, there are subtle differences that make them far from interchangeable. Let’s take a look!

1.   Here we see the new 1310 driveshaft (left) beside the old style that bolted directly to the crankshaft

2.   The two driveshaft styles differ not only in bolt pattern, but also in size with the 1310 on the left and the 1350 on the right.

3.  As you can see the 1310 is smaller in terms of bolt pattern and length, measuring in at 2” x 2 ⅜” x 7 ½”.

3.  In comparison, the 1350 measures 2 ⅜” x 2 ⅞” x 8 ⅛”.

5.   In either instance, both driveshafts bolt onto the PTO.