OMC D class motor

**Roy Hodges** · 10-29-2006

talkin about tunnels running with hydros. It CAN be done . My old tunnel, bought from Ken Kusnik, ran in R class, in the early seventies & did well (U S # 2 ) . it was lite weight ,about 180 pounds & he was a feather weight (130 pounds) . it was one of a kind , he designed it,& built it . I believe one like it would could do well in the ss45& also feh, for that matter

**Ron Hill** · 10-29-2006

I think, because Ernie was Stock VP of APBA, that he ended up with one of the first 45 SS motors. He built a runabout with about a 12 inch pad for this motor, and it was pretty fast, and handled well. For the Wakefield Narionals, Ernie put Jimmy's "D" on this runabout as they knew there weren't any 45 SSR's, Jimmy blew this runabout over, it was actually very fast considering everything, including the 12 inch pad.

Ernie came home from Wakefield and built Jimmy a tunnel...

Fat C has a weight of 750 pounds and is designed for full grown men....

I have 34 powerheads, four complete motors, 7 mid sections and four boats for 45, if anyone needs parts.......contact me...

ADD: At the Winternationals in California, 1987 I'm saying, Edgar Rose and I think Dave Hamman were running around looking at all the Mini Boat's power trims. Mitch Lemke had the cheapest trim, he used motorhome levelers....The orignial 45 trim rams were only about 4 inches, it was Jimmy Johnson and Rick Hoffman, that changed 45 forever with their boat designs, gearcase shaving, prop work and extended power trim rams....

**Trident** · 10-29-2006

Just came to me... 1986 FER: Don Fryklund.

That was a brain cramp; it just locked up.

Jerry Wienandt
Trident Racing

**Ron Hill** · 10-29-2006

My cramps are in my legs...my brian just goes blank, unless we're talking 1960's....

Did anyone, but me, see the DePue Nationals on TV??? The interview with Amy Eldridge, caused my mind to go blank....A hundred years of outboard racing on the TV screen, with an articulate and beautiful young lady doing the talking...8 LADIES driving in the K PRO finals....out of 12...

NICE!

**Skoontz** · 10-29-2006

Could you not install the bolt on kit OMC made for the 50HP two holers on a 45???? They had them available in 1974, painted silver, no matter what color your motor was. It was just the standard trim any OMC motor used, except this was a bolt on item. I think you could even run them on rope start 50's, because even though there was no electirc, the motor still had an alternator to charge trolling motor batteries under the flywheel......

**Mark75H** · 10-29-2006

Thanks Jerry and Fred, that clears up a lot about this motor and corrects some misconceptions I had about the classes and use of the motor. But there still isn't much to back up this statement from Dwaye:

Originally Posted by mercmack

OMC WAS KING OF THE CLASS ONCE THEY GOT IT GOING, LIKE THE OMC REP THAT WAS AT THE MARITHON NATIONALS IN KEY WEST, FL TOLD ME..THEY WOULD LIFE FOR EVER, JUST HAD TO SPIN THEM HIGH.. iT MADE THE 44 INCH MERCS LOOK SO BAD...AND I AM A MERC GUY..

Tell me if I have this right ... In Stock and OPC the 45ss motor was raced only in classes where it was the only motor, not raced against Mercs. In Mod it was a competitive motor that won some races (even some big races), but by no means the dominant motor in the class.

I miss seeing Don Frykland's stuff running here in the mid-Atlantic. Didn't his brother race too?

**mercmack** · 10-29-2006

can some one of you guys look under OPC records and see what the D class record is??....this eng was a stocker with a club foot gear case.. i retired from the air force in 1982 ...so it had to be before that time..some where around 1979 to 1981 i was down to Key West,Fl and seen and talked to the omc factory boys and see these short shaft engs.. I know all MasterSargents are blind, but i did see them and they ran againist 50 mercs..

**MN1** · 10-29-2006

Originally Posted by mercmack

can some one of you guys look under OPC records and see what the D class record is??....this eng was a stocker with a club foot gear case.. i retired from the air force in 1982 ...so it had to be before that time..some where around 1979 to 1981 i was down to Key West,Fl and seen and talked to the omc factory boys and see these short shaft engs.. I know all MasterSargents are blind, but i did see them and they ran against 50 mercs..

Yes, there was a Sport D class and even a Family D class in OPC a long time ago. FD died first I think, then Sport D. They used the standard production 45 ci motors of Merc and OMC and both had short shafts and the big standard lower unit. Sport D could use any hull you wanted and Family D was a production V bottom boat. Both classes had weight limits too.
I might have an old rule book with the records at the shop, I'll look on Monday.
Mark N

**Roy Hodges** · 10-29-2006

Originally Posted by MN1

Yes, there was a Sport D class and even a Family D class in OPC a long time ago. FD died first I think, then Sport D. They used the standard production 45 ci motors of Merc and OMC and both had short shafts and the big standard lower unit. Sport D could use any hull you wanted and Family D was a production V bottom boat. Both classes had weight limits too.
I might have an old rule book with the records at the shop, I'll look on Monday.
Mark N

My 1977 rule book shows sport D record set in 1976 , held by Jim Larson driving Rich Gruber's DEL Craft tunnel at
67.993 mph in kilo at waterford (modesto ) ca .Seems to me i remember him cooking the motor , it was set so high , but, he did get the record , i don't know if anybody upped the record , later. That's probably the same weekend that Howard PIPCORN blew over Paul Bender's
NEW tunnel that howard built for him , (a copy of a SCOTTI) a 4 barrel V-4 race motor , and destoyed it . ) Paul never got to race it,( not even once )