Name this lower unit

[crazy horse]

Raceman, I'm not to sure but thats what Steckbauer said he stuck in it for a 15" center section.

[Raceman]

I guess that would be a sensible description, since Merc apparently didn't install them on anything but the Twister series as far as anybody seems to know. I just never thought of it that way.

[Mark75H]

OK, I found the Speedmaster parts lists and the immediate sucessor to the original 80hp. The next version (still DR type) is the same except they bored out the driveshaft bearing bore and dropped in a bigger diameter bearing; everything else stays the same. Wonder how many laps of Lake X it took to determine that was needed?

The parts list for Speedmaster that fits on the FGS mid eluded me for a while until I discovered they use the same images on the parts list as the DR 80 Speedmasters, but have a few lines marked "not as shown" ... the lazy bums. Of course, the FGS/100hp Speedmaster uses that larger driveshaft bearing, too.

Image in the next post.

Questions about the differences on the last Super Speedmasters are beyond me. Someone should ask Mr. Steckbauer why they left off the inspection port and if and why the last type is better. One thing you will find.....the last type SSM without the inspection port is likely to be in better shape because (1) they are newer (2) they have been running shorter races the whole time these have been out (3) don't know about this.....but......they might be better

[Mark75H]

`

[crazy horse]

Sam , Do you have a exploded view of the twin pinion Super Speedmaster ?

[Mark75H]

Watch the other thread, it'll blow up good over there, real good, oh yeah.

[crazy horse]

Will do, Sam. The right hand case view would be great.

[ken kitson]

mercury had these on the old merc 85,s and as the hp got bigger we ran them on the new 1000 or100 hp.as you can see they had the cotter pines in case you hit something you would shear the pin .gee,we all knew that.as the hp got bigger merc designed the super speedmaster with atorsion bar [2 shafts] that would let you finish a race without twisting a shaft.to make a r/h or al/h they put the shafts in front of the gears or back of the gears to make it a l/h or r/h.later they maDE a bp [bad news]that had gears you could reverse to make overdrive or underdrive.hard to tell from the pictures but ,one of my old racings buddies ,jimmy parker made the parker housing with a lower profile on the engines and by cutting the shaft down helped by lowering the center of gravity down to help in the turns.am I right? Ken Kitson

[Ron Hill]

Kenny, I didn't realize you were a friend of Jimmy Parker. But, when my dad cut the drive shafts, he threaded the shafts internally, then externally. Then he'd screw them together and "V" them were they met and then weld them, Then with his tool post grinder he'd grind the welds off. He made extra longs inot longs for years. Never broke one... I can't imagine the ours the Old Man would put into things like that. The external threads would be turned on his old South Bend lathe...

It is a bit IRONIC that boat races like Parker and Havasu had over 100 entries before the FACTORIES EVER got into it. Anybody want to talk about "Big Brother"?

[Mark75H]

Yes, Ken you are right. Plus we can tell this is a lefty because the water inlet is close to the skeg.

I'll put pictures of Jim Parker's short tower on the Super Speedmaster thread; Bob Florian's "Bonneville" tower is on the thread about the Chyrslers......Christner made a short tower, too........do you remember any others?

[Mark75H]

OLEGATOR, Merc seems to have released the 1960 Speedmaster and Sportmaster with little or no fanfare, dispite the fact that Strang had been promising them ever since the Mk75 was first introduced in the mid 50's.

Do you remember anything about when they were first announced?

Also I have seen a pre-production Speedmaster with a 2 piece driveshaft like a Sportmaster....it has an unusual exhaust outlet, sort of V shaped instead of like a box. The casting number suggests it was being tested for 80hp. Do you recall seeing any of them?

I think you are correct about the BPs being bumped into U or X in 1969. In 1968 weren't the X-115 and BP's both still allowed in SI and SJ?

I also think you are correct, regular non gearshift Speedmasters could not be used in SI, but I think they could have been used in "R" just before that time on 76ci Direct Reverse motors. ~ The SuperSpeedmaster announcement indicates you could adapt the SSM to the old 85's in 1965.

Pete DeLactner drums it into my head....R, S, T, U and X; the older simpler OPC class structure with the letters in alphabetic order.
R=restricted
S=single
T=twin
U=unlimited
X=everything else

You have to remember this is the guy that came up
with C.A.N.O.E California Arizona Nevada Outboard Enthusiasts

[Ron Hill]

Sam:
Try to get Pete to post. He used to have somepretty good stories and he did have a good memory. ASk him how he happened to form C.A.N.O.E. I was a "Charter Member" and won "T" Class at Bullhead City. I remeber than. Maybe, it was the APBA OPC Club in SoCal. WOA was gone and COBRA was non APBA. Maybe, I answered my own question.

Does Pete email? Or is he too old?

[Mark75H]

I don't think Pete has a computer yet, his son might.

Pete raced OPC in the southwest in the pretunnel hull days with boats he made himself called "Mustangs" They were much like Switzer Shooting Stars, but Pete gave credit for the hull design to Hickman, calling them Seasleds. I think he won single engine at Havasu in 1965 with one of the Mustangs. He still makes one once in a while as a custom one off thing. I think he builds what he tells himself will be the last one ever, just for himself and then ends up selling it.

Pete also had success with 35 hp Chryslers in Stock 36 runabout, winning the Nationals one year.

He's living in Anna, Texas these days selling cowboy stuff at the cowboy shows all over the country. If you've been to one of these shows and bought an Australian duster overcoat, you've met Pete without knowing it.

[Ron Hill]

Pete was 36 Cubic Inch Class APBA NAtional Champion in 1964. Before the Chrysler was legal in this class it was an all Evinrude and Johnson Class. Dan Schwarzenbach pretty much dominated the class except for 1964 when he refused to runa CHRYSLER....or actually, the were called West Bends...I think. We called them West Benders...

Here's a picture of Pete in a Speedliner that he won the Nationals in..

[Ron Hill]

This is a list of the TOP 5 in 36 cubic inch, Modesto, CALIFORNIA 1964....