Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Last two pictures from Windermere 1974, the winning team.
Race #34 was from Paris..in Windermere they used #11.
Cougar/Evinrude V4 Super Strangler.

[lars strom]

Francois Salabert Bristol 1980

#19 Velden Racing/Johnson V6 2.6 liter cross-flow.

[lars strom]

I found one more picture from Windermere 1974..

[Bob V]

Stewart Duthie‎
Evinrude - Johnson outboards. Facts, history, racing and future.

In 1974 after the finish of the 6hr Paris race both OMC and Mercury factory’s announced that that would not compete in the Windermere race scheduled for the coming week. I believe this decision was out of respect for the loss of life of Cesare Scotti who was well known and respected in the community as well as the fact the so many top boats were broken in the race.
We decided to go to Windermere and race.
So it was mostly privateers that turned up and raced..
We won.

Attachment 464096

Lars - Please explain the purpose of the ram air scoop. This is the only time I have ever seen this on an outboard. Thanks...

[lars strom]

Stewart Duthie

These are my memories of the Paris 6hr.
1974 Paris 6hr race..Clive Hook and Bill Badsey were the Pilots I was the mechanic, Evinrude gave us an engine which I had to rebuild, we fitted the pressurized scoop which we had built to race at altitude and the engine ran well for about 3 hours but then blew the reed valve gaskets due to the pressure increase. So we had to retire.
World Champion Cesar’s Scotti crashed into one of the bridges and lost his life.
OMC were running the experimental Rotary engines as well as the V6 engines, the Rotarys were really quick.
We were running a V4 making good h p with our own race modifications and we were hanging onto the Factory V6s. Exciting times for us and good memory’s . A number of boats were smashed up due to debris in the river, these boats could run at 100+ mph..

Bob V

This is what Stewart Duthie (yellow jacket in the picture above) told me about the pressurized scoop he built for Paris and Windermere 1974.
I dont really know anymore but remember the unusual look of the Cougar/Evinrude Super Strangler V4

[Bob V]

Bob V

This is what Stewart Duthie told me about the pressurized scoop he built for Paris and Windermere 1974.
I dont really know anymore but remember the unusual look of the Cougar/Evinrude Super Strangler V4

After reading the message that Steweart Duthie wrote you, I am assuming that the ram air scoop funneled down into a manifold and from that manifold there were flexible tubes that fastened to the front of each carburetor. If that is the case, this was truly a ram air application. Unfortunately, the excess pressure at high speed caused the reeds to break.
Very interesting... And thank you for answering my question...

[Lake X Kid]

After reading the message that Steweart Duthie wrote you, I am assuming that the ram air scoop funneled down into a manifold and from that manifold there were flexible tubes that fastened to the front of each carburetor. If that is the case, this was truly a ram air application. Unfortunately, the excess pressure at high speed caused the reeds to break.
Very interesting... And thank you for answering my question...

What altitude race was Stewart Duthie referring to, where the "pressurized scoop" was needed?

Auronzo Italy was a higher altitude race course, were there others in Europe? Windermere is not that high up is it?

[lars strom]

What altitude race was Stewart Duthie referring to, where the "pressurized scoop" was needed?

Auronzo Italy was a higher altitude race course, were there others in Europe? Windermere is not that high up is it?

I am guessing now but Stewart Duthie is from South Africa and I met him there at the BP 200 boat race. The River Vaal is at 4000+ altitude and that was maybe his thinking.
Bill Badsey was also from South Africa.

Picture below..I am standing in the OE 44 boat.


Stewart Duthie

I’m the guy with the red hair in your second to last picture with you and Mouse Wade , I’m facing away from the camera.

[lars strom]

More from South Africa.

Interesting.. Cees Van Der Velden is driving an Evinrude Super Strangler V6.

[lars strom]

More Cees V. D. Velden in South Africa..This is the only time I have seen Cees driving an Evinrude.

[lars strom]

F1-V8 Worlds Series 1985 Idroscalo Milan 21-22 September 1985.

Thanks Alessandro Andreotti

[lars strom]

#9 Roger Jenkins switching from Burgess to Hodges in 1984. Evinrude F1-V8 power.

[lars strom]

This picture was placed on my FB page yesterday (not by me) and started a lot of interesting comment..
I am going to copy and paste the most interesting ones in the next few posts.

Roy Ridgell‎

Evinrude - Johnson outboards. Facts, history, racing and future.

3 Pioneers of the marine industry.

Rivals; Carl founder of Mercury Marine, and Ralph.

And Charlie who worked for both men.

[lars strom]

Dan Anderson
I believe this was right after OMC came out with the 200hp V-6 while Merc brought out their 175 Black Max. On top of that OMC had a self contained TNT unit while Merc’s pump had to be mounted in the boat with hoses run thru the top transom bolts. The stern brackets on the Merc did become responsible for jack plates as they only had two positions & you had to mess with those bolts!
He was a smart man (Karl) he was looking at several features he knew would have to be incorporated into his motor quickly. Then Brunswick bought them out! Goodbye Karl.

Lars Strom
Yes, Dan the 200HP V6 came out as a model year 1976..I sold quite a few of them 1976.
The Merc transom bolts with a oil hole in the center was a design flaw and very expensive to purchase as a part when customers damaged the threads.


Danny Pigott
The story i heard from a good source was OMC said there new V6 was 175 HP they kept it secret that it was 200 HP so merc was happy with there 175 v6 . Then the OMC was 200 hp but if merc found out it was to late



Jack Aylsworth
Mercury knew we did most of our catalog photos at the Cypress Gardens, so we did a complete photo session there with the 175 hood decals. We purposely shot “just out of site” of the grand stands - but close enough if you had a long camera lens to see the number on the hood. Our photographer Dick Matt knew the Merc photographer and it’s quite possible that he mentioned he would be shooting the new secret V6 there. In any case, he took the bait and we saw him sitting up high in the empty bleachers with his camera. (I have no idea who asked Dick to tip of Mercury. Yeah, sure!) We went about the entire session covering the hood whenever we stopped running or went back to the docks at the Gardens as if we were trying to hid the 175 number. That was just one of the many misdirects to mislead Mercury into thinking it would be a 175. SURPRISE!!!

Tr Swanson
A complete pain in the ass try to rig either of them.

Lars Strom
No..The Evinrude was very easy to rig..!!..the only extra was the powertrim electric box.

Tr Swanson
Well you are entitled to your opinion. I was working on my Mechanical Engineering degree while rigging and racing Hydrosteam boats plus trying handle warranty claims for that trim system.

Much more is coming..

[lars strom]

..continue..

Lars Strom
So why was it more difficult to install the new V6 1976 compare to a V4 1976..?? Tr Swanson

Mike Martinson
wasn’t more difficult, if I remember correctly, you still had to mount the V4 trim solenoid in the boat

Lars Strom
Correct..I dont understand what Tr Swanson means.

Dan Anderson to Tr Swanson

Are you talking about warranty claims on Merc trim system? Don’t remember any problems on the OMC early system? Except for dealing with bolts. I thought the Merc system was pretty reliable just more to rig with hoses and all.

Tr Swanson to Dan Anderson
Yes .. Mercury's trim pumps gave owner's issues with the valve body.

Tr Swanson
Plus you had to cut out the splash-well to mount the fixture that routed the trim hoses from the cylinders to the pump.

Dan Anderson
Not anymore difficult to rig, just a far superior TNT system over the previous outboard mounted system. Took a whole new midsection to get that trim system

Lars Strom
The most interesting is what Fred Kiekhaefer wrote today Roy Ridgell..!!

Much more is coming..