Hot Rod Update from Racing Outboards / Ron Selewach

[17W]

Brent...What the hell are you saying. Does durometer mean hardness?

I really just wanted to say hell like Ed did.

Yup...that is what I meant.

I think all of Ed's gearcases need to be inspected. Hot-Rods & OMC/MERC

[pro350hydro]

What does pressed together crank mean? Will a person be able to put on new rods/bearings without a press? Aside from that question it sounds great and I'm really looking forward to seeing one.

A pressed togethor crank is a crankshaft that uses one piece rods. Therefore, to change rods and bearing you have to use a press and a jig to hold the crankshaft in position so that you can press it apart and togethor and keep it in alignment.

Press togethor cranks are found in higher rpm motors and run very smooth. Konigs, yamato Pro motors and even 80's 102's and 302's, VRP, Rossi's etc. You get the picture.

Hope this helps

Mike

[seanp3]

So, any idea how long before the new Hot Rods are available?

[DougMc]

Region 5

I heard there may be from 6 to 12 Hot Rods that will run in Region 5. Should be a solid class in the Southeast.

[Big Don]

Hello Mike,

I have been told that some people would take apart their original OMC gearcases and run the water pump in a drill on some sandpaper to wear is down a bit. I IN NO WAY ENDORSE THIS OR EVEN KNOW IF IT IS LEGAL. I just mention it to illustrate the point that the original gearcase acted the same way.

Thanks,
Dean Sutherland

Could you also remove material from the 2 halves of the gear case housing. To reduce the pressure the impeller vanes are applying against the case?

[mike ross]

This is were i really shine!!! Telling old war stories. Well back when they had both a 15 and 20 cubic inch hot rods. We were at Dayton for the short coarse nationals and we were running BSR. They had just approved the new 1 piece torc tube. The one that replaced the old 2 piece with the 4 extra exhaust holes on the side. I took a 20 cubic inch hot rod put it on my A runabout. Now I drew a pretty hot heat. I had Fred Miller, Clark Maloff, Craig Dewald, Stover Hire, Larry Reber. Got a good start and by the time i hit the first turn i had just popped into the lead. It was an early morning heat so it was flat so I just put it on the outside chine and flat turned the first corner. By the 2nd turn I had a good lead and went on to win the heat. Well after doing so well I looked down at the boat and saw Fred Miller taking of the prop I had borrowed from him as I had no props because i wasn't offically running this class yet. I asked him do you have another i can use for the 2nd heat. His answer was nope. Now I scramble down the beach and find Bruno Gervasi who is the hot rod hydro driver i have borrowed the moter from to run and ask him for his best puch hydro wheel. I shove another 1/4 inch of shims under the motor because the prop is way bigger than the one I just had Fred repo. I go out the next heat and repeat. I'm the fastest qualifier that year in BSR. Now after doing all the damage they protest the new torc tube and I have to go back to the old. The wind kicks up and we move the coarse to the other end of the lake for the final. Neadless to say in the final I think Nuccio wins and I am at the back of the pack in all the slop. I know to day I would want my turn fin. I had no fear when I was a little younger. But yes Bob i was a little guy back then and I just kept getting into bigger boats as I grew. Now my role is changing. Pit Boss, Pit *****, or what ever. I love jumping in and making some laps or whatching one of our drivers doing well. SEE YA Mike

[17W]

Could you also remove material from the 2 halves of the gear case housing. To reduce the pressure the impeller vanes are applying against the case?

HUH.....now you are thinking. There is a risk of decrease in water psi.....which will bring up the temp....

I still think Ed's gearcases need to be inspected.

[G Stillwill]

I got the first gear case that was sold and it was tight just because of the new water pump that was back in July and now its as free and smooth as my other gear case. Best part about the new cases is the parting seam is tight and the aluminum isnt as pourious so there is never any water in the case. If you want to break the pump in quick just find the nearest mud puddly and run it for awhile just kidding

[Big Don]

. Now I scramble down the beach and find Bruno Gervasi who is the hot rod hydro driver i have borrowed the moter from to run and ask him for his best puch hydro wheel. Mike

I ran Bruno's HotRod in B Hydro that year also. Bruno was in the first heat and Jumped the gun. He was really pissed because he was clearly the fasted in his heat. He came over to me and said take that piece of **** (20H) off your boat and run my engine. I think it took me a milasecond to make a decision. We had one heat to get it changed. I'm out front and some young punk form Wisconsin passes me on the outside on the second lap. Little did I know he would end up being my brother in law. Ended up second and did not qualify for the finals. Those were tuff Nationals 60-100 boats a class....

[Ron Hill]

Great Thread Here...

Durometer is hardness, I think....Man dad always felt that the blades layed back at speed, plus the water pressure helped to lay the blades back.....He never worried about drag at one RPM...When we ran Mercury motors we always ran new pumps....We changed the tailcones after every race, and about every third race we'd reverse the pump...and half way through the season my dad would replace the pumps...He liked motors to be cool!!!

When we ran Johnson 15 A's, we replaced the pumps frequently....

Just an FYI from the Left Coast..

A Wilson Seaman story: Wilson told me when he ran Champions, he'd file the block between the the bottom two bolts on the exhaust cover...You know, about .010, enough so no one would consider it illegal, but as soon as he fired his ROD up, the gasket would blow....

Is the NEW ROD going to have the same ROTARY VALVE???

That Valve asI recall, was the secret to making the old ones GO!!!!

Can't wait for them to come out..May buy a half dozen!!! (You know like OYSTERS ON THE HALFSHELL)...

[Bill Huson]

rotary valve . . .

So true, a rotary induction is mucho better for making an engine GO! I've heard the new Hot Rod will be reed valve - pardon while I shed a few tears. Bye-bye high RPMs and the unique sound of the Hot Rod. This is like redoing a Harley engine so the cylinders fire 180 deg apart to get rid of the odd (unique) sound of the engine.

Bottom line - regardless of how the engine breaths, if the Hot Rod folks get it into reliable production with a repair parts inventory I will cheer. This sport needs new and readily available engines.

[Ron Hill]

Sport Also Need "BRACKET" Racing...

With new drivers and new motors..BRACKET Racing with GPS's could really be a shot in the arm..

Nostalgia Racing in California is growing like crazy...Five new racers last weekend...

A new "Classic Outboard" class with a 50 MPH speed limit would be great for this new ROD!!!! (And the new drivers it could bring to BOAT RACING)...Speed hurts and kills interest!!!!

A Harley would not be a Harley without the sound..HONDA spend 22 million or some crazy number making their pimpy little motor sound like a V-8 muscle car from the driver's seat... Change the tuner of the ROD to make is sound FAST!!!!!

[Mark 72@E]

One new OMC AXS Created from Lower Unit

One "new" OMC AXSH Created from Lower Unit

Are the 5 lower units that were sold put on Mercury J or ASX engines? Mike

If it's statistically important, one new lower unit (20%) was installed on an OMC to make a "new" AXSH engine. Powerhead by Ed Runne. Assembly and paint by Gary "Don't That Motor Sound Good?" Pond.

After reading posts here on hydroracer.net about folks buying used engines unaware that something was illegal, I decided to go the safe route. I didn't want Austin to ever be bumped from the winner's circle because of an inspection.

[Bill Huson]

Good plan 72@E . . .

Once upon a time I took an OMC A motor apart to rering it since our rent-a-driver wanted to go faster and this OMC A had been a semi-pooch since day one. Three things on this engine had been wrenched since I got it brand new, the prop nut, steering bar bolts, and spark plugs.

After taking this factory original engine apart I examined the various parts. Whatdaheckinall is going on here, sez me, eyeballing the reed valves. I didn't need a gauge to see that those suckers were set way to low! So low they wouldn't have passed inspection since reed valve specs at the time (and maybe now as well) had an upper and lower limit. Of course new rings helped on this run to death engine, but resetting the FACTORY SET TO LOW stops really helped. Decent engine after that.

Bottom line - even a new engine can benefit froma going thru. Preferably by a race engine builder rather than a where's-that-dang-hammer weekend mechanic like me :-)