Most powerful race motor ever

[Guy Hanson]

What is the most powereful outboard race motor in its production form ever made? I am not talking about modified after market hotted up wiz bangs, but as purchased from the manufacturer for the purpose of racing!

[Ted Stryker]

That question will probably stir some debate... The F1 V8 OMC was probably the highest from the factory...

[Ted Stryker]

Lots of speculation in that area, I don't an accurate enough opinion to state an answer... I heard some reports of over well over 400, but I think that is optimistic... I think that it did make well over 300, but that is a vague answer and that's as far as I'm going on that... Someone knows for sure, but all I've ever read is speculative...

[Raceman]

Guy, that topic has been about as volatile around here in the past as Splashing threads, and the debate has turned angry at times.

Some people will argue that the OMC F1 V8 would win the contest hands down, but I've never been convinced that the old horsepower claims weren't wildly exagerated. If I ever get mine finished I firmly intend to dyno it and try and get some realistic idea of what the real horsepower was on em. In any case, I think today's crop of F1 Mercs would have to be at least in the contest. Maybe time will prove that the F1 V8 REALLY IS the horsepower king, but being a skeptic, I've gotta have proof. The old OMC Rotary may very well be high up the list also. They apparently had awsome power when they ran.

[Raceman]

What do you mean when you get yours finished? I thought you bought a complete V8 off of that race boat that had the front end rotted off?

The powerhead was disassembled and had a few parts that had gotten lost after years of moving around. I found most, but there're a few still missing, most notably the harmonic balancer.

[150aintenuff]

holding the outboard speed record ought to mean something for the F1 omc.. but that was with mods.. so maybe not

[Ray Neudecker]

Just quessing, but likely the OMC rotary may have been the King. Certainly the strongest I ever ran, the ride just didn't always last very long. The really strongest motors in that day were never really released to the non factory drivers until they had been superceded by something stronger. The 300 drag or F-1 is the strongest that was actually sold to the public.
The OMC V-8 may have been stronger, but was not ever a consumer motor.

[Fast Fred]

well this one is in that pile

should be good for 50hp a hole

[Charger70]

I have two of those running. Any one got a dyno good for 400+????

[6Killer]

OMC Stuff.

[Fast Fred]

Who owns that motor anyways? I remember someone on here bought it at a pawn shop for next to nothing a few years back

not me

Hey 6killer what do you think She is putin out with the fuel injection, 450+

[Bruce Washburn]

On some courses I am sure a good F1 Merc would be able to beat a V8. But for out and out Horse power and power a fuel injected F1 V8 would be tough to beat. There were 3.0 L 3.5L and I have heard a couple 4.0 L versions. I am sure the 4.0L factory versions were well over 400. The F1 v8 was not the same as the prodction motor.

The mercs may run with them on certain courses but you also need to remember that the OMC's were usually on bigger boats and weighed about 100 lbs more.

[1BadAction]

was the F1 V8 ever available as a production motor?

[Raceman]

Isn't that a car term? lol If you mean flywheel there is one for sale in the misc parts section a few pages back under the title
"gold flywheel...." or something like that, same as the one you need for the V8

I'm not very OMC knowledgeable, but several people who've helped me with some parts for my F1 V8 refer to it as "harmonic balancer". It goes ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CRANKSHAFT, not the bottom like the flywheel does. The crank is tapered down there somehow for it to fit on, but I haven't looked in a year or so and don't remember exactly what it looks like.

[Raceman]

was the F1 V8 ever available as a production motor?

I'm not sure what you mean by "production motor" exactly. There were some privateers that had em, but it's safe to say they had connections/race credentials, and the engines were made in relatively small numbers. I don't know if that was because the price severely limited demand, or if OMC intentionally limited it. I also don't know how many different displacements they offered the F1 versions in. The F1 blocks are noticeably different from the production V8's even at a glance because the exhaust chest on the F1 is removable, similar to a Merc, where it's cast solid as part of the block on the production motor. Mine is one of the later fuel injected ones with the shortest mid they made and it's 3.4 liter.