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[hartland boater]

This is what I just purchased. the boat is 9' long I live on a calm inland lake. I want to go fast 40-45MPh I have found a bunch of used outboards short shaft johnson 15HP a 1969 Merc 20HP short shaft. Is a 25 HP to big? I weigh 185lbs I also want to let my 14 yr old take it for a spin with out killing him. I have a helmet and a racing life jacket. How do I hook up the throttle and get rid of the tiller bar? what is this boat worth if it had a good 15hp on it? I dont want to spend a ton on it, I paid $250.00 for the boat. the guy told me its a 1961 Hendlund? I dont think its that old. it may be a copy. any other sugestions would be helpful.

[dwilderacer]

It is a Hedlund "A". Meant for a 15 Merc. will go @ 50 with the racing engine and gearcase, so it should go @40 with a fishing engine. Removing the tiller will require a steering bar and a costom throttle cable linkage.

[Skoontz]

You'll run 40-43 all day using the 15 OMC and an aluminum 10" prop. That is what the engine will run with shifter case on a Dawecraft. Get a better stainless prop, and you could see 46-48. Set the cav plate as high as the transom will allow, we run 1.5" over and can't go any higher than that.

[Brett L. Pruett]

I have found a bunch of used outboards short shaft johnson 15HP a 1969 Merc 20HP short shaft.......... a copy. any other sugestions would be helpful.

heres who & what we use.
#1413 for your short shaft Johnson 15HP , 1984 - 1991 era
http://www.btmco.com/Steering_Bars.html

Brown has a lot of our race hwd. supplies, Look around there web site.

[hartland boater]

Hedlund B

thanks for the info. I am picking up a mid 80s 15 HP johnson today. how do you tell what type of prop you need? the boat does not have a tach. it has a Sirometer apparently that tells what RPM the engine is running. it does have a speedo. is there any web sites that explain boat set ups? or is it trail and error?

[STEVE FRENCH]

You'll run 40-43 all day using the 15 OMC and an aluminum 10" prop. That is what the engine will run with shifter case on a Dawecraft. Get a better stainless prop, and you could see 46-48. Set the cav plate as high as the transom will allow, we run 1.5" over and can't go any higher than that.

Were would ya start Skoonz?......fish'n prop should work for first ride just fine......Anyone have a connection yet for complete throttle hook-up?

Nice rig...Anyone have history on the Hedlund era?

19P

[Bill Huson]

somewhat trial & error . . .

Basic boat design RE bottom shape fore & aft will effect the setup RE prop shaft height and kick out (or kick under) angle. Prop design effects boat trim as well. I would expect a standard fishing engine wheel to be neutral RE bow lift or not. I do not know if Helund boats had air traps running from the sponson back to the transom. You can add to airtraps with thin strips of wood or shave airtraps with a small plane to alter the lift.

[B Walker]

memories.....

I have owned 2 Hedlunds and in their time were considered a top boat. Hedlund and Craig Craft were arguably the best of the conventional (not picklefork) Stock Outboard hydroplanes.

I would be suprised if it was an early 60's model. Hedlunds were most popular in the early and mid 1970's and by late 70's almost everyone had picklefork designs. They had full traps and I have been told were the first stock outboard hydros to incorporate an "S" bottom for extra lift. There are even a few with a 12'-14' tunnel. Again, one of the first ones to put a tunnel on a hydro designed for stock outboard.

With a Merc Mk-15 or KG-4 we would do mid to high 50's in the exact same boat pictured. We tried it with the 25SS and it really worked well hitting mid 60's and even in AOF's B-1 class which was a highly modified 25 Evinrude with speeds in the low 70's. Was a bit hairy as a B-1.

With a 15HP fishing lower unit and stock aluminum prop expect mid 40's all day with a relatively safe and stable ride. Probably cant get enough air under it at that speed to keep the sponsons from dragging.

I have not seen a picture of a Hedlund scince I last looked through Rusty Rae's "Speed and Spray"

[hartland boater]

Hedlund

thanks, great info! I want to introduce my sons and daughter to perfomance boating. I am on a shoestring budget here in Michigan I dont have thousands to invest. looking forward to springtime to let it rip.

[aojesus]

Mine was a J/A boat built by Bill Boulter in the mid 70's. Ross Webster had a twin to it. It has air traps that end about 8" from the transom. It had no problem hanging the sponsons with a 60J but was a little tricky turning. Rolled it more than once. You can see it at the following link. They are a cool boat.

https://hydroracer.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1220799290

[Kev43V]

You might want to check out what the bathtub racers doing with props for some ideas. There used to be pics either here or at BRF

[Matt Dagostino]

Hedlund...................

Be careful when you go to turn the boat on the water. I started in a Hedlund and the outside rear chine is so short it tends to catch the water and want to flip over

I have my name inscribed on the New England saddle num-nut award for most flips in a boat thanks to my Hedlund............just be careful!!

Matt D.

[Skoontz]

Props for the shifter case:

Start with what you got which is probably a 10" 3 blade stocker.

Really, you can run an 11 with no trouble, and, if you want to get serious, there are stainless 3 blades available on line, start at $180.00 or so. Get a tiny tach. The best ones are the commercial grade, they trap the highest RPM so you don't have to keep looking at the dash....

Far as height goes....In an ideal world, you will paste a nosecone to the front of the bullet....The water pickup will be below the prop shaft. In the real world of budgets and speed, set the lowest water hole on the side of the unit just below the bottom. You will probably have to use an aluminum plate and a 2x4 to jack the transom high enough to get that height.

Now, start checking and logging your RPM with the prop you run. I would love to see your motor hit 7350, but I'm thinking you will probably see in the mid 6's.

If you are looking for a 15HP OMC with a stock shifter case, I got a good one, it will need steering bars and throttle linkage.

[STEVE FRENCH]

linkage??

Skoontz,
Here is yer post a while back on throttle pivot..https://hydroracer.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14440

any sources for rest?.....would be nice to git a complete package together/avail for the OMC.....besides take'n the hit for a gearcase or add'n a nosecone to a fish'n foot,....the throttle is the tough one ta git'n on the water SAFELY!

Have several cottage racer buddies with some scarry set-ups
Have ya ever seen a chalk-gun dead man.........actually works good but still scarry!

19P

[Skoontz]

Steve:

I got a hair brained scheme here....Maybe it's been tried before but here goes....

OK, the plastic bell crank, is little more than a 3-6HP stock outboard throttle, and the number was given by 25xs...

So, here goes. What if, a stock throttle and retainer assembly was used, and you could use an old Simplex control box and stock cable. In that box, is the ratchet that causes the friction which holds the throttle open on a pleasure boat.

So, what if, just for yucks and doodles, one removed that ratchet, by where all the cables still worked....Then, drilled a hole through the throttle stick and fixed a bungy or some type of spring return, kind of like an off shore throttle, except Polish. The OPC guys of '60's fame used bungies fixed to gate hinges for years before Ray Nydal came out with his throttle....
Maybe the return does not click with this idea, but, call some others...That's gotta be better than the caulk gun!

Far as the aluminum crank and linkage on top the carb, that is where they gotcha. It's a cast part, and the pieces of wire are specially bent.

But then add the deadman, at $100 plus, cable at $25 plus, and motor linkage, at $110 plus, then figure you can buy old Simplex controls all day long with cables for $50-75, and there are definite possibilities.

I had another thought here....

So long as steering ran direct, you could get away with rigging a snowmobile finger/thumb throttle to the stock cable.

Anyhow, think about it...Possibilities....