An Amazing Story: Part 2

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A couple of more pics. The black & white is another from Hot Springs in 1972 and the color is also 1972...the very first AOF alky race at Gravois Mills, Missouri. Unable to tell anything much from either of these, but I know there's a closeup somewhere.

[F-12]

I remember seeing this engine with my Dad and his comment to Kay was "Looks like you could possibly get an exhaust enima from that one."
Leave it to Doc.....................

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Wayne:

The more pictures you put up of Kay's rig, the more uncertain I am whether this is the rig I saw at Monroe, La, on a river race there, which is where I saw the motor he had turned around. The boats don't look big enough for C boats at the time (note the afterplane dimension on both Kay's boat and the one dead in the water in one of the pictures) and also the picture of him running seems to show a carb on the front of the engine, as does the first one you put up, which I believe was the configuration of a Harrison/Anzani type motor.
I do know one thing for certain, is that the rig I have in mind was one I competed against in C Hydro at the race mentioned, and I remember it to be of the 4 cyl, horizonal opposed configuration, so I think it was a "C". I only know of one time Kay attempted to post something on this site, and he had a problem of some type, the material he was posting "disappeared" and he said he would come back later and try again. I have never seen any more posts from him. I am sure he could add a lot, especially on the threads about the Harrison/Anzani's, if he was so inclined.

[Dan M]

Bill/ Wayne,

I also remember seeing Kay with the pipes facing forward. It was a race in Chicago in the lock basin between Lake Michigan and the Illinois river. Had to be very early 70's. If my memory is any good, the one I remember had pipes that were much closer together than the one Wayne has pictured above. Could have been Konig. I also remember some comments from Ray Hardy about the "warming effects" of that set up.

Dan

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

I have heard of and seen an Anzani running with the cylinders in the raceboat and megaphones still hanging out the back as near as usual in the crescent shape in the North West. These Anzani engines with their cast iron blocks and steel megaphones with steel supports had such heavy overhangs they broke their alluminum towers at the mounting flange leaving engines hanging from their steering bars, cables, fuel hoses and throttle cable.

This is the first one be it an Anzani or Harrison-Anzani hybrid I have seen running expansion chamber exhausts at speed in the pict but in the raceboat?? Seems no fear was involved here! Seems no fear of their BBQ rotiserie action or being branded like Qui-Chang-Cain on the swingby at turns like some bovine steer! The racket of the end of the stingers must have driven the driver bonkers too? That sure put the weight on the inside of the raceboat that is a for sure!

Where are you Kay Harrison??? These pictures and that engine cry out for explanation in postings.

[Jerry Combs]

That sure looks like an Anzani or Harrison-Anzani hybred to me. There is what looks like a mag hanging off of the front of the engine and the carb is in the normal position for an Anzani, it looks as if the pipes are above and below the cylinders. I notice that the stinger tips were bent away from the cockpit probably to help keep the noise from being unbearabe while driving.

[Tim Chance]

I remember the set-up that Kay had on his B Harrison (Anzani) with the pipes facing forward. The motor was fixed and the steering bar only turned the gearcase. Kay told me it was very hard to drive.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

What a find for you John. I took this picture only 5 months after I bought my first Nikon following the full refund on an engagement ring I had just bought. I wasn't filing pics then. Just sticking them in a carousel.

Bill Van----Kay won C hydro at Monroe, but I don't think he had two motors rigged like this. Check out the steering bar. I imagine the torque would have been very different than with the weight of the crank helping with a gyro effect.

Thanks to you guys alertness and persistence, we cracked part of this story. Now to get Kay to fill in the details. Hopefully soon.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Way back then in the 1960s I heard about such an engine that stayed put and had only a turning gearcase but never seen one. Bill Tenney was working on the same principle while developing expansion chamber pipes that were on huge and long rearward support frames coupled to the powerhead that stood still with some sort of turning gearcase on the bottom. The extensive and heavy exhaust pipes frames I have but no parts related to a turning gearcase. The overall weight of the engine must have been horrendous and prohibative.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Wayne:

If there ever was a hybrid Harrison mine eyes do see that sure is one and probably one of the most unique ones at that!

From the picture I don't recognize the head on it (could it be a Konig cylinder head) though the cylinder bock and crankcase sure look / are Harrison. The number of carbs looks confusing too. On the one side is a Tillotson HR on the block and in front a Tillotson HL facing a crankshaft rotary valve openeing. Looking forward there appears to be some more carbs but the picture is not clear enough to ascertain if there is?

What an exhaust system!! If there ever was an experimental hybrid engine in so many ways this was sure one of them.

I hope Wayne and the Moderators don't mind but I would like to copy the picture and place a copy of it on the Harrison thread. I hope Kay Harrison would speak to this hybrid and flesh out its story.