Mercury and OMC Race Engines - Max HP @ RPM ratings - Late 60's through md 80's

[largecar91]

You forgot the Rotory. I think it was 1 liter making 900 horse!

[seeroy]

Don't make them too mad Rich. We truly want them to come play with us in October. It is an absolute fact, that there might be a rumor, that Johnny Sanders will attend.

[Mark75H]

Steve is correct, Merc claimed the 1250 Super BP was 140 hp without stacks and 155 with.

I've never come across any quotes for the 1000 BP or the pre-Super 1250 BP, but Rich's estimates seem reasonable.

Merc did not claim any top end increase for the silo Twister ... they said it was the same 155hp as the 1250 Super BP but had more low end torque and that put it around the course faster.

Merc never quoted a power figure on the T2, but did say the T2X was "capable of" excess of 200 hp. 201 is in excess of 200.

The first OMC V-4 race motors were rated at 116.2 hp. Those were the 89ci X-115 and GT-115. The next OMC motors were 10ci bigger but still carried the "115" names. Either Leek or Strang told me these were 125-130 hp.

During the Strangler/Stinger and Super/GP era there were no published hp figures, but a few years later a handicapping scheme was set up in Mod 100 where the various 99ci V-4 and inline 99ci raced together. They dyno'ed several of each motor that were assumed to be typical and not special team motors. The lowest guys on the totem pole were the Stranglers and Stingers at about 165, so they got the lightest weight.

Next inline was the T2 at about 170-175

Then the Super Strangler/Stinger GP at 180-185

And the top dog 99 ci racer was the 190-195ish T2X

Early T-3's had a hard time passing the T2X's so I'd agree with Rich's estimates.

The only other motors I've seen numbers on were the T-4's with the numbers Rich gives. Jim Nerstrom may have given us some numbers on the 727 V-6's over on BRF, but I don't recall what the numbers were ... and they weren't production motors like the others mentioned. In fact, many of the motors Rich mentions were not production motors and had a lot of variation from motor to motor.

[seeroy]

Those would have been the later engines....... maybe they were 140 hp each......... or not.....

Willabee could say for sure as he was the only one on here privvy to the real numbers........

I will say that 80 mph in some offshore hulls back then always looked slower to me when I passed them in my dual Eltro hull at 70 mph with 10-15 mph to spare..... maybe the offshore horsepower was factored to justify the alleged speeds....rather than vice versa......

Rich - AMEN! The following is copied directly from my first post on the "Lake X in the 60s" thread.

If there is one thing I have learned in my life as a former boat racer, fisherman and fighter pilot; it is that boat racers, fishermen and fighter pilots are the greatest liars in the world. I especially know that is true about boat racers because we would always run every race boat through the measured kilo at Lake X many times as we tried new things and as Don Schwebbs banged on our props. We always knew exactly how fast our boats were running before we left the lake. The only significant variables were fuel loads, water conditions and whether we were running in salt water. SOOOOO...you would not believe how many times somebody at a race site would tell me that they were running at 75mph and I would walk past them in an absolute 62mph boat.

[seeroy]

Sam & Rich - As usual, seems like I always forget ONE WORD (at least)..In this case, it was SUPER 1250 BPs.

[milkdud]

All this info is awesome! This is what I like to read!.

[peterse90]

The first OMC V-4 race motors were rated at 116.2 hp. Those were the 89ci X-115 and GT-115. The next OMC motors were 10ci bigger but still carried the "115" names. Either Leek or Strang told me these were 125-130 hp.

In 1969 & 1970 OMC's big production motors were 96.1 c.i. @ 115hp.
In 1971 they went to 99.6 c.i. @ 125hp.
Not sure, but would this mean that Scotti used a pair of 96 c.i. engines to win the 1969 OWC, not 99.6's ?
I think the first OMC V6's were actually 122 c.i. (2 L) but these blocks never made it as production engines. The production V6's were 149 c.i. then 160 c.i. and I think both of these were also the displacement for some of the OMC V6 racing engines (ie; Evinrude CCC). I think OMC also had a 183 c.i. (3L) V6 racing engines.
I think the production V8's started as 3.6L and then went to 4.0L, but most if not all the racing V8's were 3.6's.

[25ss]

Wasnt a 1250 super BP a early version of the 1350 with the new style transfer port covers.
The main diferance being the 1350 has the cast in lower starter mount.
Dale

[T2x]

Awe, come on now Rich, just think of your highest Grade School marks - C C C ..

So does that make a V-4 a "cee cee"?

Seriously Mark..... after you joined the "dark side" your judgement has been severely impaired on engines.....

I have some bad news for you however.....even Darth Vador finally saw the light.

[T2x]

You forgot the Rotory.

No I didn't...the Rotary was AKA the Wankel.......

T2x

[Mark75H]

In 1969 & 1970 OMC's big production motors were 96.1 c.i. @ 115hp.
In 1971 they went to 99.6 c.i. @ 125hp.
Not sure, but would this mean that Scotti used a pair of 96 c.i. engines to win the 1969 OWC, not 99.6's ?
I think the first OMC V6's were actually 122 c.i. (2 L) but these blocks never made it as production engines. The production V6's were 149 c.i. then 160 c.i. and I think both of these were also the displacement for some of the OMC V6 racing engines (ie; Evinrude CCC). I think OMC also had a 183 c.i. (3L) V6 racing engines.
I think the production V8's started as 3.6L and then went to 4.0L, but most if not all the racing V8's were 3.6's.

A quick check of the tech specs usually answers a lot of questions ...



OMC applied to make race motors of 3 different sizes for 69 & 70

92ci ... which would have been exactly 1500cc's, the maximum allowed in Europe until '69 or '70, and giving them a 3ci advantage over the Mercs

96ci ... which would have been based on their next production motors

and

99ci ... based on future production production motors and the same size as Merc's inline 6's, released for racing in the fall of 1968 ... several years before the production motors were made this size

I've never seen anyone comment on having any of the H or J series motors ... H's may have only been used in Europe in 1969 and the J's may not have actually been made. The surviving versions of these motors that I know of are all K series KT and KR, I've never heard of the KS

I'm pretty sure Ron Hill has said Leek provided them 99ci motors for Havasu '68 with instructions not to open them ... which Russ Sr ignored and ended up with the longest surviving 99ci V-4's in the race .... APBA's "racing year" runs from November 1 of the previous year thru October of the current year, so the traditional Thanksgiving race counts for points in the next year and is run under the next calendar year's rules.

[Mark75H]

So does that make a V-4 a "cee cee"?

CC was used on the European Evinrude Mod 50 triple

[Riverratt]

In 1969 & 1970 OMC's big production motors were 96.1 c.i. @ 115hp.
In 1971 they went to 99.6 c.i. @ 125hp.
Not sure, but would this mean that Scotti used a pair of 96 c.i. engines to win the 1969 OWC, not 99.6's ?
I think the first OMC V6's were actually 122 c.i. (2 L) but these blocks never made it as production engines. The production V6's were 149 c.i. then 160 c.i. and I think both of these were also the displacement for some of the OMC V6 racing engines (ie; Evinrude CCC). I think OMC also had a 183 c.i. (3L) V6 racing engines.
I think the production V8's started as 3.6L and then went to 4.0L, but most if not all the racing V8's were 3.6's.

The racing V8's were 3.5. Entirely different motrs then the 3.6 and 4.0

[Mark75H]

Not all the racing V-8's were 3.5's. They were different sizes different years. I can quote the sizes and years later.

[peterse90]

A quick check of the tech specs usually answers a lot of questions ...


99ci ... based on future production production motors and the same size as Merc's inline 6's, released for racing in the fall of 1968 ... several years before the production motors were made this size

I've never seen anyone comment on having any of the H or J series motors ... H's may have only been used in Europe in 1969 and the J's may not have actually been made. The surviving versions of these motors that I know of are all K series KT and KR, I've never heard of the KS

I'm pretty sure Ron Hill has said Leek provided them 99ci motors for Havasu '68 with instructions not to open them ... which Russ Sr ignored and ended up with the longest surviving 99ci V-4's in the race .... APBA's "racing year" runs from November 1 of the previous year thru October of the current year, so the traditional Thanksgiving race counts for points in the next year and is run under the next calendar year's rules.

Great explanation and excellent information as always!