Merc. Bendix Mech. Injection racing 2.0 engine

[BVfast]

I have been on this site for a very long time, although I seldom post. The reason for this post is to find out as much info. as possible on these early factory F-1 racing engines. I know there are many people on this site that have a wealth of first hand information, and possibly some photos. I have been involved in boat racing & racing engine building for drag & tunnel boats for over 35 years, but this one was before my time in tunnel racing. Any info given will be gratefully welcomed.Thank you all in advance.

[Raceman]

Mercury ran Bendix in the late '70's. OMC also had one on their V6 at St. Louis a year after I first knew of Merc running them. After the first time I got a glimpse of one I called Merc trying to get one myself and nobody would confirm their existance, but they did offer to sell me a 6 carb Tillotsen setup for a V6 which I bought. I also called Bendix and they said that IF one did in fact exist, and they would not confirm that it was a Bendix product, that they would be unable to sell one outside of their contract with Mercury.







The block front half shown here is incorrect. I would guess it's just a horizontal reed V6 front. The front half should have been the same as the Tillotsens are mounted on in the fist picture. Everything that's grey in the picture would be correct for the Bendix as run in the 70's. I believe the braided steel fuel line shown in this picture is incorrect also.

[BVfast]

First off I would like to thank you for your reply, and photos that you added. I have a complete, fully modified 2.0 bendix factory race team engine that came from the merc. truck. This engine has new build that has no run time on it. It came from a well known F-1 racer that had the means, & connections to get it. I am trying to find out what factory driver it was for. It has I.D. codes stamped on it. I will post photos as soon as I can, I am dealing with health issues. Again, thanks for your help.

[FUJIMO]

First off I would like to thank you for your reply, and photos that you added. I have a complete, fully modified 2.0 bendix factory race team engine that came from the merc. truck. This engine has new build that has no run time on it. It came from a well known F-1 racer that had the means, & connections to get it. I am trying to find out what factory driver it was for. It has I.D. codes stamped on it. I will post photos as soon as I can, I am dealing with health issues. Again, thanks for your help.

Welcome to S & F BVfast. Having had dealings with Mercury Hi-Performance back in the era of your engines use, I can tell you that there is no positive way to tell "who" your engine was used by, "other than" from talking to the person or persons you acquired it from...and any prior owners to them, etc. Block serials, even if there is some, will be of little/no historical use. Race powerheads were not tracked back then.

[BVfast]

Thanks for the post. This engine was taken from the merc. truck by mistake by (at that time ) 2 rookies. They were told to put it back,& forget about it. They did not put it back on the merc. truck, instead they put it in the racer named Bill's truck. It had been in his truck until I got it from him. The other racers name is Tim. I Know both of them, and I am certain this story is true & accurate. Again thanks for the reply.

[FUJIMO]

i know bill and tim. it wasn't a mistake. no pm's please.

[powerabout]

Ron Anderson took it to OMC I think, and it went on the 2.0 lte v6 race engine.
There is a photo on Renato standing behind it with the cowl off

[STEVERINO]

Ron Anderson took it to OMC I think, and it went on the 2.0 lte v6 race engine.
There is a photo on Renato standing behind it with the cowl off

I ran a OMC 2.5 crossflow engine with the bendix inj system fitted but the 2.0 litre OMC v6 crossflow engine had 3 twin choke carbs and the 2.0 litre OMC v6 looper engines had 6 twin choke carbs.Some of the later looper v6 engines around 3 litres also ran bendix injection systems.Last week I had a conversation with Fred Hauenstein about these later looper engines which he did development work on just as he left OMC for Mercury.

[RBT]

I ran a OMC 2.5 crossflow engine with the bendix inj system fitted but the 2.0 litre OMC v6 crossflow engine had 3 twin choke carbs and the 2.0 litre OMC v6 looper engines had 6 twin choke carbs.Some of the later looper v6 engines around 3 litres also ran bendix injection systems.Last week I had a conversation with Fred Hauenstein about these later looper engines which he did development work on just as he left OMC for Mercury.

Aaaaaaaand. What did he say.....

[powerabout]

sorry to hijack but while we have the people who were there back in the day
what engine is this?
I can recognise the electrical stuff and thats about it.

[STEVERINO]

Aaaaaaaand. What did he say.....

I felt very lucky to meet Freddi Hauenstein again it was 38 years since we last met he came over for the Bristol powerboat race reunion our conversation about the later looper engines didn`t go into detail but he did say the last V6 looper engines he worked on before leaving OMC were evaluated after he left to work for Mercury so maybe he never got the credit for his work on these engines.He did discuss some of the work he did for Mercury and how powerful the T4 engines were he is a genuinely nice man to speak to.

[STEVERINO]

sorry to hijack but while we have the people who were there back in the day
what engine is this?
I can recognise the electrical stuff and thats about it.

Its a long time ago that I saw a OMC racing outboard powerabout I am going for a 3.litre looper.

[powerabout]

Its a long time ago that I saw a OMC racing outboard powerabout I am going for a 3.litre looper.

I pretty sure a 3.0 didnt turn up till the late 80's as a production engine and that block isnt one of them.
I dont think there was a class for 3.0 back then hence my guess that that was a 727 with a Bendix on it?

[STEVERINO]

I pretty sure a 3.0 didnt turn up till the late 80's as a production engine and that block isnt one of them.
I dont think there was a class for 3.0 back then hence my guess that that was a 727 with a Bendix on it?

What size engine would you say a 727 was and what year did you think it was built.

[powerabout]

Several of these engines existed together apparently, Lars has a few photos and race results of the 2.0ltr winning as it did in Bristol once.
It was raced for 1 year, proved a winner then hidden away again as Jim Nerstorm said in a thread here somewhere.
http://www.********************/foru...s-Strom/page45 Sept 78 testing of 2.0 looper
I was pretty sure the 727 was the 2.0 loop charged engine that as you said had 6 twin barrel carbs.
There was the hand built v6 crossflow engine that went into production so the looper scrapped I guess?
The engines on Renato's twin moli were the 727's they seem to have sharp edges on the cowls compared with the crossflow v6
You spoke of a 2.5ltr v6 was that a custom engine? CCC is a 2.4ltr and came out before the V6 cross flow as shown by Lars thread above.
I still wonder what that block is that has a Bendix on it in the photo, its not a production block of any kind that I have ever seen