can someone identify this gearcase

[largecar91]

Thanks Very Much For All The Info. I Might Try To Get One Of Them Running. I Might Sell A Couple Of Them Also.

[rbengines]

It appears to be a Hubbell center and lower unit ,but all the one's my dad ran had Hubbell imbossed in the unit and center section. Could be an early one.

[Modhydro Steve]

Are you guys all sure that isn't just a partial stamping of the Johnson "Sea Horse?" I think I have a unit that it is more pronounced on and is just the Johnson logo. I don't know the progression, but know that there was a Johnson case that had that same basic shape with the removeable skeg. Bear in mind that with stuff 70+ years old that more than one file has probably been used on it!

In the muliple photo posting the top left engine appears slightly smaller on the heads, but it may be an illusion due to more castor goo discoloration. I was thinking it may be an SR.

Steve Roskowski

[Modhydro Steve]

It looks like part of this doesn't it:

[largecar91]

Steve, It Sure Looks Like A Dragon On The Case. I Will Try To Look At It A Little Closer Tonight And Maybe Post A Better Picture. It Does Have A Removable Skeg. I Am Going To Round Up Some Rings And Tear It Down And Try To Get This Motor Fired Up. I Think I Gotta Hear What It Sounds Like! I Assume These Were All Alcohol Motors.

[Jeff Lytle]

The other Johnson motors look almost identicle to this one and they say PR55 on the flywheel. This motor doen't say anything on it.

I had the same thoughts about at least one of them being a SR since it appeared that the head dia. was a tad smaller.

Do they ALL turn over?

The Speeditwin has been converted to a racing service engine, but it's still convertable back to the original if you can locate the key missing / replaced parts --The original gas carb and the exhaust seem to be the only things I can see that are missing, other than the lower unit. The steel tank bracket has been added to support the tank leaving the ports open. The original exhaust routed the gasses through the top of the lower unit, and supported the tank as well.
The fact that this engine still has 80% of the original stuff, including the tag would make it a real coin toss for me if I owned it.
The things I can see that would make it a less than competative C Service are:

• The original tower (very prone to breakage.....most seen now have Wiseco replacements)
• It still has the heavy magneto flywheel (We used to cut them down for better acceleration and either use 6 or 12 volt point, condenser, coil setups)
• It still has the choke on the Vacturi carb....These were not used in my day, we used to hand choke.

It looks to me like they are all alky / castor oil burners. The PR's used to run with the needle valve open about 2 1/2 turns, and my Speeditwins were around 2 turns. I used to time the Speeditwins at .350" BTDC, I cannot remember the PR setting.
Set the spark advance lever just a little past 1/2 way, any more and they will bite you!!
Wrap the cord around the flywheel and with the needle open and your hand over the carb, rock/bounce the flywheel into the compression stroke literally till' it soaks your hand (bout' 10-15 times) Prime a shot of gas into the exhaust ports and give it a good strong pull! The compression will surprise you!

Also, be very careful the engine dosn't run away on you if you are firing without a prop out of a test tank. I saw this happen more than once even after the ignition was grounded and a hand over the carb. I never could figure out why alot of the racers in Michigan used to fire up their engines in the pits and risk this. I knew if I had spark, the right needle and spark settings, it would run.

[Jeff Lytle]

Here's an excellent link that shows some restored PR's and Evinrudes as well.
If you look at the 1931 PR-55, you'll see one of the same unit's you have. Cool videos too!

http://www.frontiernet.net/~outboard/WebSite/index.htm

[largecar91]

Great Info, Thanks Again. I Took A Couple More Pics Tonight And I Saw That On The One With The Small Gearcase, The Cylinders Are Welded On The Top In The Same Spot. Kinda Looks Like They Might Have Done Some Internal Mods And Had To Weld The Jugs Back Up? ALSO IT COULD BE A SEAHORSE ON THE GEARCASE AND PART OF IT RUBBED OFF OVER THE YEARS?

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

The Johnson in the first pic has a SR-38/39 lower unit.
These[rare] units were made with a double pinion bearing, as is obvious by the long vertical bulge above the cav plate. Without bore dims, it is hard to say if the motor is an SR or PR, but I would bet its an SR.
The two SR-38/39s I have seen had no serial #s,
or model stamped on the rope plate.
The crankcase serial # identifys them.
This is a pic of a Hubbell C unit.

[Matts]

Hi!
While searching for timing info for a V4 Strangler I found this thread, nice to see there are discussions about the older stuff too! I am wondering if this is the "correct" gearcase for a PR55, I beleive it is but your opinions are very welcome. I also have an SR55, that 'case doesn't look the same. "Correct" for the SR? Not too many racing engines were imported to Sweden during the depression in the early 30's.
Thanks,
Matts