d stock class idea

[wagner-racing16-s]

I was thinking about taking and old motor and running a special class for race weekends. Im trying to see who out there might have one of these motors so we can give it a shot. What if we brought back the classic merc. d motor from the 70's and ran it. I think it would be a hit and bring back some old timers from the past and bring more out on the weekends. It would be a lot more affortable then having to buy the 44xs motors. I know my father has held on to his since he stopped racing and i know it would be the fasted way to see him back on the water.

[stu_racing]

us canadians have been doing this for a while now and get about 7 boats per week-end

[wagner-racing16-s]

well hopefully we can bring it to Three rivers this next racing season

[racer121M]

classic D merc

Bring your classic D Merc and a marathon boat to the Top O Michigan marathon next year and run with other classic Ds. We have had 2-3 running for the last 2 years.

[crankbearing]

D-classic in Canada

We have a full set of rules for just D-classic in Canada it is a separate class from D-stock and scored high points separately as well.

The motor is a 44 CI pre 1967 If my memory serves - 55H mid-sections and a 44xs or 55H gearboots are legal of course with a 55h driveshaft.

Stock carbs, igntion (mag only), no split exhaust plates and no 500 tuner blocks (bolt on tuner) modified to fit the 55H housing.

This I guess would fall under vintage or classic in APBA which would require more insurance and the class listed on the circular as well another class to run. We combine this class with the DSH at crystal lake (redwood and hannawa falls, NY races. for a good 9-10 boat field usually.

We love it and more are coming.... It is a great idea and would love to see it in the APBA.

Sorry for the marathons - no runabouts around here to do that with.

Regards,

[mercguy]

I was thinking about taking and old motor and running a special class for race weekends. Im trying to see who out there might have one of these motors so we can give it a shot. What if we brought back the classic merc. d motor from the 70's and ran it. I think it would be a hit and bring back some old timers from the past and bring more out on the weekends. It would be a lot more affortable then having to buy the 44xs motors. I know my father has held on to his since he stopped racing and i know it would be the fasted way to see him back on the water.

those D powerheads were made legal to run in Dstock this year. The idea was put forth by Darrell Sorensen and Larry Darneille. The details are available from APBA and might be on the web site in the inspection manual category. It was submitted to allow a more affordable stock 44 powerhead option and vast quantities available out there, unlike the 44XS.

[crankbearing]

Super thunderbolt class

Hey Daren,

We have heard no more about this class (project) I last spoke to Darell in regard to our rules up here and the Sierra pistons option of which I fowarded him the part numbers. The only pistons soon to be left available for the 44's as Merc .030 rings and pistons are NLA and I am sure .015 are soon to follow.

But these are big bore pistons and pre 70 400,450,500 etc as you know used small bore pistons. I have built several pre 70 500 motors for D-classic with big bore pistons and rods and they come out decent when CC'd.

I cautioned Darell about allowing Wiseco as we know that there were some cheater pistons floating around and that can be done with an order of 24 or more throughout the winter at Wiseco.

One other motor we made legal in Canada is the 2 cylinder OMC for Dmod. No pipe single barrel carbs are the only restriction any lower unit any mid-section. we have one running that probably cost about 500 dollars CDN to build and that is only because he is running a 302 gearboot he got from the UK. I have been approached by several people for the APBA Mod division to look at this motor it is in fact a 44.99999etc CI block so it meets the CI requirements for D-mod anyhow and you can build the thing for under 1K.

The underlying problem with the 44XS is not the powerheads they are a dime a dozen in fact there was one sold yesterday on ebay for I think 102US complete fishing motor. It is the other peripherals that are hard to get and expensive but on the other side of the fence to get a 55H mid that is in good shape to race with will cost you 300-400 and a 44XS mid and tuner you can get new for 550-600. Modify your 55H boot with a nose cone, skag etc.. if it meets the template specs then so be it. I have seen a couple of them done around here and you cannot tell the difference unless you take it apart. cut and weld the driveshaft you have a 44. what will you have into a paint job on a set of 55H cowls 200-300 in paint and primer well a 44XS cowl new is 350-400 bucks with decals. I think the cost if you are to build either or comes out to pretty close to the same.

Regards,

[Mike 21CE]

I will bring one to Franklin next May . Mike Ounjian D Classic 21 CE

[sam]

cheater pistons floating around and that can be done with an order of 24 or more throughout the winter at Wiseco.

Dave are you saying that Wiseco will make special pistons in batches of 24 or more?

pre 70 400,450,500 etc as you know used small bore pistons

small cylinder bore or small wrist pin? I thought they were all 2 9/16 cylinder bore after the 1961 350?

[ANZANI-QUINCY FREAK]

The Merc 44 cube blocks were same bore as late model versions

The Merc 4 cylinder 44 cubic inch bores after the Merc 350s were Mercs last 40 cube 4 cylinder engines. Maybe when some refer to big or small bore has to do with the wristpin size being that early 44s used the Merc 600-4 rods with smaller wrists and later 44s to the 44X racing engines used a larger small end with the bigger wrist pin and then the newest rod being the bigend fractured rods that used only cap bolt doing away with the nut and bolt system of earlier years? Calling them big or small bore when it comes to wrist pin size may very well make some racers confused as bore size means piston bore to me and to most others.

It is good to see sanctioning bodies looking and or leaning at alternatives that open up at least existing engines of cubic inch size for a class. I hear some early Merc 44s based on the Mark 58-400-450 and 500s do pretty decent out in the east these days. I know now of some in the late 1970s where pulling fast ones dressed up as 55Hs way back in the late 1970s in Calgary and Edmonton were being denied as being anything but 55Hs until they were sold far from where they came from, were torn down in the early 1980s and no wonder they were faster alright! They were 44s.

As far as giving engine manufacturers a free ride at racers expense, why not keep them un-decaled until the manufacturers at least give you their decaling for free, seeing their support is pretty well nil?

[mercguy]

Dave are you saying that Wiseco will make special pistons in batches of 24 or more?

small cylinder bore or small wrist pin? I thought they were all 2 9/16 cylinder bore after the 1961 350?

I am sure Dave is refering to the wrist pin in regards to small/large bore. .......also, as I recall Wiseco made less than 25 of the "cheater" pistons.......but, that was about 10yrs or so ago.....

[crankbearing]

Small Wrist pin

Hey Guys,

Give me a little credit. I have been doing this a long time. Yes I have always just assumed that most racers new a 40 CI bore size and a 44CI bore size. I have always referred to Merc early small bore wrist pins and big bore wrist pins as small or big bore but that was the lingo around our shop. I see your point though John.

Thanks Daren for the boost there.

I recall somebody having cheater pistons about 3-4 years ago. At least I know a couple guys who bought some then.

UH-OH !!! is that why there are some real good running 44 classics on the east coast.

Sam,

I am sure they still will do that for pistons if the time is right and they are slowed down enough. The reason they would not do the 40CI pistons for me is that they said they no longer had mold, patterns or whatever excu.... I mean terminology they gave me.

I then asked them to give me the 44 pistons that you are making now with no wristpin hole and I will get it machined after the fact and they went into an engineering story which I think I woke up from about an hour later and have not tried again since.

Hey Sam do you have records of this motor in your history books?

Super "c" alky

Regards

[crankbearing]

44xs debut

I will bring one to Franklin next May . Mike Ounjian D Classic 21 CE

Hey Mike,

If we can ever get more then 10 minutes on the phone together. I was hoping that you would debut that new 44 powerhead you just bought under a 44xs cowling.

Regards,

[crankbearing]

free decals

As far as giving engine manufacturers a free ride at racers expense, why not keep them un-decaled until the manufacturers at least give you their decaling for free, seeing their support is pretty well nil?

Hey John,

that would be awesome except that I have the decals for 25 and 44 made so do I have to give them away too

Regards,

[ANZANI-QUINCY FREAK]

No, Dave, You Are A Repro Builder So Why Give Them Away For Free?

Dave, I know your in the business of Repro building and to do that properly its part of your business to decal the finished engine properly to recoup your costs and all. More power in doing your thing in reproing engines like the Merc 44X racing stocker. Some day you will be remembered for it!

In the case of others in thinking about it, why on earth would they embark on a project to produce a motor for some sort of a 44 inch stock block racing class and give motor manufacturers freebe advertising when they do squat for racing anyway? Might as put a big numbered Class D - 44 cu.in. or suitably written decal on it and hold out until they, the motor company supplies the decals and they used to do exactly that, provide them, for free.

Maybe their problem is that they don't wish to remind the public of old technologies and maybe problematic ones at that? Maybe they say why bother as with this sport being introverted meaning "racers for racers" as opposed to "races for the public spectator" makes the engine manufacturers say why bother, name identification goes no further than the next racer or raceboat trailer or the club putting it on and does in no way contribute to their bottom line with name identification, so why bother with free decaling as the coverage is too limitied of being of any value.

We get zippo zero for manufacturers support anymore so why advertise them? Power boat racing has an image problem, a perceptional problem that needs prime attention and that is returning to being a spectator sport where name recognition means something to sponsors when the public seems them decaled on raceboats with lots of public specatators enjoying the continuous action of a well run race meet.

Food for thought, but of course decal the engines you are making up and selling as repros. Continue doing a good job, well done.