An Amazing Story: Part 2

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Wayne: (Master Oil)

Would you please copy the picture of Kay Harrison's hybrid on to the Harrison thread here on BRF so people can see the relationships of engines in their development. It would sure help flesh out the work Kay Harrison was into. With that hopefully Kay Harrison would go on to the thread and flesh out the story on this hybrid engine. It looks fanatastic and a credit to his engineering skills!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I will John when I get back to a scanner. The reason is I found two more views from an angle on the front which I will include. It's not as close, but it will have more detail.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Wayne:

Thanks for the photo of the Harrison alternate firing 2 cyl. I am even more certain now after reading Danny's post, about him remembering the engine at a race in Chicago that there was also a C Konig involved in the same type configuration, as I also remember the pipes being much closer together than the ones on the picture of the 2 cyl you posted. Put that memory together with the fact I competed against that rig with my C in Monroe, Kay had a C at that time, and logic would seem to indicate there was another engine of the same configuration, only it was a 4 cyl C. I seem to remember, as Danny did, there was about the same difference horizonal space wise between the pipes as there would have been if they were pointing backwards. The engine I saw definately did not have that much space between the pipes. If Kay accomplished the forward pointing pipes on the C by turning the powerhead around to face the other direction, it would not have required much modification in the way of a bracket, and they would have been basically the same spacing as when they pointed back instead of to the front. The same Y type manifolds could have probably been used, with a modified bracket, and possibly a slight alteration to the angle of the collector pipe on the elbows.

If you look closely at the cast elbows attached where they allow the pipes to slide within them, it is obvious on this engine at least, there was a lot of thought and effort/expense went in to this configuration. Would be interesting to know exactly what the reason was, wgt forward, on the inside of the boat, etc.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Wayne:

That would be a great pictures post on the Harrison thread. That engine sure took a lot of thinking, theorizing, planning and doing alright. The results sure look impressive though like any hybrid there would be teething problems.

Bill:

Around these parts we heard of engines that did not move but gearcases on some kind of gizmo that turned them and in one rumor as your kept either going straight or around a turn the actions would also involve tilting the gearcase either kicking the unit in or tilting it away from the transom. Never seen any of them just lots of rumors (something like the twin block Anzani C Alky). Any pictures and a story to go along with them?

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

John:

I did not pay that much attention to the engine that I have been referring to insofar as the lower unit. My memories about it are looking at it on a boat stand while it was partially in the water on the river bank in Monroe, La. It is possible that the lower unit was in the water and I did not notice that the powerhead was fixed, if that was the case. Please also remember that the engine I have been referring to (my memory at least) was not the one pictured, but a 4 cyl Konig in a similiar reversed configuration. I have no idea whether that gearcase swiveled independent of the powerhead.

Regards changing trim while the boat is under way mechanically, it is my understanding the Russians had a mechanical linkage, or something like a kickout bracket on the transom of their boats (tunnel hulls with a center pod running the length of the boat) that when the motor was turned in a certain way it kicked it out and allowed more accelleration out of the corner, and then as the wheel was straightened out, it tucked back under again. Never saw one, so that is the best I can describe it. Perhaps someone like Ralph Donald who has had extensive racing experience in Europe can lend something to the answer to your question.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Bill Van...while searching through my pics I came across a couple of more that surprised me. I haven't looked closely, but it may have something to do with the C you are talking about. Remember...these were taken 36 years ago and I had forgotten about some of this stuff. My best pictures during this learning curve were loaned out around 1974-75 never to be seen again. Check out John's Harrison thread for a couple of pics in about 3 minutes.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Bill:

Thanks for your reply. Never heard about the goings on in Europe but heard a lot of rumors about a North American gizmo that did that sort of thing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Check this out Bill Van and Dan. DePue 1972.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

I knew I wasn't completely "round the bend" insofar as my memory is concerned. Now we just need to find out if the Kirt's loaned that engine to Kay or if he had one of his own. Also not sure that is a C, because of the size of the boat, although if that is Danny it could be possible.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Was the overhang from the pipes on these engines (Konigs etc) so bad steering wise that they had to get them facing into the cockpit of the raceboat? Or was this engine stationary too with its gearcase turning on some kind of gimball platform-joint?