175 H Roll Call

[DiGia54D]

Mike, Do you think you will have this running at Thompson? or just a side project. Now this I would love to see run.

[David Weaver]

No Doubt

That Mike S. and his son will build something competitive. I certainly encourage innovation and creativity. I only questioned taking a 20 year old plus engine and decreasing the diplacement in order to build an engine that will trail contemporary engines. Mike is proposing building a new engine from a number of engine sources and will incorporate many contemporary components.


All know that I am not a motorhead. But, I observe the superior performance of today's GRM's and VRP's over the Yamato's and Konig's of yesterday. Porting, ignition, exhaust carburation,....all have seen meaningful development in the past 10 years.

Smitty, if you engine tinkering then by all means give it a try!! I had fun with Pop Augustine over the years helping and observing his ever creative mind at work, such as the 4-cylider 250 Konig converted to reed blocks and the cut-in-half Yamato 250 that made a 125. All fun, regardless of how well it worked.

Enjoy. Happy New Year to all.

[Smitty]

Bill, David, I never took your comments as anything more than suggestions that such projects can get out of hand and prove unsatisfactory in the end.

Bill, I should have spoken directly to a couple of your points. In looking at a disassembled Yamato 350 and 500 years ago (these were early piston-port versions), the "B" sleeves were very thick and the "C" sleeves quite thin, having the same O.D.. The length of the sleeve, flange height, and port placement were such that it appeared you could exchange sleeves, et al, between motors with no problem, the stroke and rod length also being identical. So I ASSUMED (true? false?) that this interchangability might apply to the 250 motor parts as well. If that is not the case, the idea loses its appeal. Yes, combustion chamber volume would be wrong with the 250 heads, but shouldn't be difficult or expensive to address. Carbs would come from the donor 350 engine. All of this pre-supposes having or being able to get all of this stuff real cheap, maybe finding a grenaded 350. The motivation would be: do it cheap with obsolete and/or damaged gear that has no other use, have fun in the shop, show up with something no one else has (or wants, but hey), and fill out the new class. I don't think I implied that this would or should be a popular conversion. And no, it wouldn't be competitive with the new factory 175s . . . but are the step-up 125s competitive?

[bill van steenwyk]

donor engine for 175

Smitty:

Was not speaking about you when I said "comments from others". If I thought your original post was frivolous, I would have never taken the time to share my thoughts on the subject.

My other offer still stands if you want the 175 made from 1/2 a 350 Konig. I bought an engine that had grenaded the crancase on the bottom. Litzell built the engine from that. I have not looked at it in some time, but I know it has the reed valve with it. You might have to come up with a carb, and ignition. I also believe it has the exhaust manifolds still on it. If you are interested I will look and see exactly what is there. The engine did run a number of times, but I never got the pipes worked out. I was using the factory pipes from a 350 Konig and I am sure they are not right for this configuration.

Too many folks seem to have too much spare time to argue about things not worth arguing about, so this is all I have to say about the situation. If you want the engine for the packing and shipping, let me know.

Good Luck whatever you decide to do. The PRO Category needs innovaters, but ones that have a half way chance of accomplishing something and getting a few boat rides without tearing their hair out and quitting from discouragement, and that was the thrust of my post. Anybody thinks there was any other motive, can stuff it up their expansion chamber.

[brandxracingf66]

j.j. aderholdt---will be racing-175-hydro f-66 in 2010 in usa&europe (used rossie engine)the boat will be a new type however at this time i caint release the brand. it may be brandx j.j.

[T Chance]

j.j. aderholdt---will be racing- f-66 in 2010

Hey General Lee - good to see you back, Signed, General Grant!

[brandxracingf66]

hey, tim we go back a long way good to hear from you & happy new year. see you at the races. j.j.

[Smitty]

Too many projects already, so I can't use that Konig, but appreciate the offer, Bill. I hope someone else here will take you up on it, especially since so much work has already been done.

And if anybody wants to convert an old 250 Yamato, or a half-busted 500 like your Konig was, to 175cc, I will donate a pair of 350 sleeves to the cause. One advantage (if I am right about the interchangability of parts) is that you can always convert the engine back to 250 if the 175 setup doesn't pan out satisfactorily. I've offered a local guy with an idle 250 my other two 350 sleeves.