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Thread: 44xs versus SST45 (45ss)

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    Thumbs up 44xs versus SST45 (45ss)

    What was the history here, were they designed to be in the same class originally?
    45SS came out 1986
    44xs came out?
    weights?

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    Team Member DeanFHobart's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Powerabout View Post
    What was the history here, were they designed to be in the same class originally?
    45SS came out 1986
    44xs came out?
    weights?
    No. The 45 SS was for the SST45 Tunnel class for OPC and 45SS for stock, and the 44XS was for D Stock in Stock. At the Wakefield Stock Nationals in 1986, for the probation race in 45SS they allowed both hydros and tunnel boats, but it was determined that the hydros were too fast. They would run 90 + mph.

    The 44XS came out in 1986 also... same year as the 25XS. And the first year for the Mercury Challenge.

    In D Stock there were still lots of 55H's running.
    Dean Hobart

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    when the OMC guys explain the design features of the 45, gearbox and steering bars, it was all for hydros, so they must have changed after trying it?
    I think there is a post by Sam LaBanco talking about it

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    Quote Originally Posted by Powerabout View Post
    when the OMC guys explain the design features of the 45, gearbox and steering bars, it was all for hydros, so they must have changed after trying it?
    I think there is a post by Sam LaBanco talking about it
    The thing that I remember is the 1:1 gear ratio was most likely for a Hydro. A "lower" gear ratio would be better for tunnel boats because the propeller would be larger, allowing for better control of a tunnel boat.
    Dean Hobart

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    Jerry Wienandt
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    Umm, not quite. 44XS was introduced for the 1987 season. We ran the Mk55's with the new graphics for the 1986 Merc Challenge, as 44XS was not out yet. 45SS was introduced for 1986. 45SSH Nationals at Wakefield, we had both hydros and tunnels / hydrocats of various designs in the same race...

    And no, the 45 class was originally 45SSH and 45SSR. 45SST came later. Original 45SS motors were rope start, fixed trim.

    I raced all three, the 55's, then the new 44XS, and the 45SS on B&H hydros.

    Jerry

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    Thanks for the correction Jerry. Was it you or your brother running the hydro that won that 1986 Nationals. How fast did it actually go?
    Dean Hobart
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    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
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    Default A Little Background on the 15 A and 45 SS Motors

    Somewhere about 1984, Tohatsu Outboards started being imported from Japan by Western Engine, the Volvo Outdrive distributor for California, Arizona and Nevada.

    I saw these little 30 HP motor for $430 dollars and thought, "This is the future of boat racing." I was selling Western Engine about 400 props a year. Volvo did not make a stainless steel prop and CALIFORNIANS LIKE SHINNY PROPS.

    ANYWAY, THEY WERE BUILDING LITTLE ADDICTOR BOATS AT SLEEK CRAFT. i WAS LOOKING FOR A PICTURE OF TWO OF MY TWO ADDICTOR AND MY TWO 30 HP TOHATSU'S.

    Well, I talked Western Engine into having a race. We decided we'd race to Catalina Island from Newport. We got Trailer Boats magazine a boat and we had 11-12 boats. Sleek Craft took their 36 footer as a "Start" Boat.

    Well, hell, as it turned out everyone ran out of gas but Willey Poole from Trailer Boats Magazine. After found everyone and fueled everyone.....In the bar I told Western Engine why don't you let me write some rules and I'll take them to Portland, Oregon to the APBA Meeting and if we want to have races then we'd have insurance. Western Engine said they'd pay the insurance fee and buy trophies.

    So, I call Ernie Dawe, then Stock Outboard Vice-President and tell him I want a new class called C-NOD, 30 HP (C) One Design. He said, "Sounds like we could get a few boats and new drivers.

    So, we go to Portland, I "PITCH" C-NOD to the Stock Outboard Racing Commission and they vote it in on probation.

    That night Mercury Marine blew and *** GASKET and they came back with the Merc Cub and a 25 MERC THE NEXT DAY. MERC CUB NEVER WENT ANYWHERE.

    Charile Strang and Edgar Rose go to Ernie Dawe ask him if he'd like a new "A" and an "E" motor? But, they wanted him to drop that C-NOD class.

    To Ernie's credit, he said, "You build me the motors, I'll get C-NOD into OPC because it is a "SIT DOWN" class. THEN, MERC AND OMC CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH IT.

    Mini Marathon, we added O-NOD and U-NOD. O-NOD was 33 cubic inch 40 HP stock, I didn't want it running against the 44 cubic inch Merc. U-NOD was 33 cubic inches also, modified. Rick Hoffman and Jimmy Johnson soon had 90 MPH Yahama's
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    Last edited by Ron Hill; 07-17-2017 at 06:45 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Trident View Post
    Umm, not quite. 44XS was introduced for the 1987 season. We ran the Mk55's with the new graphics for the 1986 Merc Challenge, as 44XS was not out yet. 45SS was introduced for 1986. 45SSH Nationals at Wakefield, we had both hydros and tunnels / hydrocats of various designs in the same race...

    And no, the 45 class was originally 45SSH and 45SSR. 45SST came later. Original 45SS motors were rope start, fixed trim.

    I raced all three, the 55's, then the new 44XS, and the 45SS on B&H hydros.

    Jerry
    Many thanks Jerry , I forgot about that stuff, rope no trim which says it was a hydro set up.
    Assuming you can say, what do you normally get for dyno HP on a sst45 and a 44xs?
    Cheers

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    Jerry Wienandt
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    That was me running the 45SSH. I won the Stock Nationals, all of OMC's big prize money races (Nationals, Ocoee, Dayton) and won the Mod Nationals in FEH on the 1 2/3 mi. at Decatur (and set an APBA record).

    Don Fryklund ran a 45SS on a DeSilva to win a Nationals, also.

    I ran that motor on my short course B&H E Mod boat... had to settle it just a bit in the fast turns as the motor was heavy and tall...

    I had three really good props for it, all big pitch, the most interesting was a three blade 'chopper' style. All ran within 1 mph.
    At the 1986 Wakefield Nationals, I loaned my second prop to Phil Van Syckle and I ran the chopper, to win both heats easily.

    That race is on the APBA promo Video of that Nationals.

    Jerry

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    Jerry Wienandt
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    Dyno HP on a 44XS is published on the Dyno test report done by my brother, Mike, on the Tohatsu and Merc 44XS comparison. Its online...

    I never dyno tested my 45SS... I sold it when they changed the rules to tunnels only 45SST.

    Expect by now, they are a long way from stock, but mine had never been apart, just carefully tuned, and tested before the Nationals. Stockest motor I ever raced. Even the inspector was shocked to see it had never been torn down...
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