8 cylinder Konig outboard

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

After restoring the Anzani twin block C Alky here I got quite a rundown from Tim Chance on what it took to start it. According to Tim it was one man who was some 350 lbs of muscle who would take the starting rope and wrap it around one flywheel and start it. According to Tim there was no one else who could do it and he seen two ropes from 2 sides each on one flywheel and they couldn't. If it took that to start a 30 cube 4 cylinder coupled twin Anzani so how on earth could a person use a rope to start that Konig 8 cylinder with double the cylinders and displacement??

[F-12]

It had electric start. I watched Marshall one year drive his Caddy down into the water so the jumper cables would reach..........

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

That is one strange looking Alky motor with twin Tillotson HLs on the front and inverted ignition midway on the engine. Is that some Harrison hybrid?

[F-12]

I believe it's a 'Z'

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

The black and white picture appears to picture an A or B Flathead sporting a Vacturi carb?? That would be a first time seen on a Flathead for me!

[Tim Chance]

I heard that when Marshall quit, he gave the motor to Danny and he made two 500's from the one 8 cyl motor. I have no personal knowledge of that situation, but that was the common knowledge story going around at the time.

I hope the motor on display now is really the orginal one, as it was a big part of the history of PRO Racing and Konig technology at the time, and since there will never be another it would be great if it has been preserved. That begs another question?...Could there have been more than one? Maybe Danny could put that question to rest as he was supposed to have ended up with the engine.

I heard that the motor was made into two 500's also. And as I recall the person that told it to me was Danny himself.

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

Tim: Just to see that one together sure shows how a talented person, Marshall Grant was. I am in awe of people like him that did the big things and the smaller ones people just don't hear much about too. One thing I don't understand with that engine is why they didn't put a Speedmaster or OMC racing gearcase under it, surely those would have held up better?

With expansion chambers that thing would still make one awful noise, it is too bad one could not put it beside a Quincy Flathead 6 and both with open pipes to see if there is any records to break when it came to decibel noise. Wishful thinking!

[Jeff Lytle]

Who is the Driver? This was Stevens Point 74 or 75.

Almost looks like Craig Lawrence to me.

[F-12]

There have been many estimates regarding both these engines over the years. The one I remember most was from Danny Kirts and Marshal Grant. The Konig 8 was capable of in excess of 150 mph if you could hold it on the water. This comment came from Danny after getting out of an F boat that was about 3 feet too short for that engine. The Quincy 6 will be tested in the near future and will, if it stays together, probably approach that mark. It's all in the set up and luck of the stars. More than likely, history in the making................

[Mark Suter]

Bill, when I had the 8-cylinder Konig on display at DePue in 2007, Dan Kirts told me that the motor I have is definitely the same one he owned. He also told me he sold the motor to Joe Michelini when he was through racing it. The motor was purchased by a guy from Michigan when Joe's estate was auctioned off. It went through two more Michigan owners before I acquired it.

Regarding the starting of the motor, Joe Rome told me Marshall did install two Fiat electric starters when the motor was originally built because he felt it would be too hard to rope over. After Marshall gave the motor to Dan Kirts, Dan did try to eliminate the electric starters and rely on roping it over to start it. Dan said he would typically use two people to rope it over... each one with a rope on one of the two rope sheaves. Steve Litzell told me he was the only person that could pull both ropes and start the motor by himself. But it was a beast to rope over so Dan opted to re-install the electric starters.

Regarding the water injection, Dan told me that he was not the one that installed it so I can only conclude that it must have been Joe Michelini (I know it was not any of the subsequent owners). I have since taken the water injection system off as the motor was not raced that way while Marshall and Dan owned it.