OMC 3 Cyl expansion Chambers

[Tim Chance]

Along this line, and I hope I have all the info correct. Sometime in the 1970's Billy Seebold and Mercury wanted to set the OE record with a Mercury Mod 50 motor on a hydro. Billy and Andy Lowrey built a 14' Hydro in Billy's shop. It was a nice looking boat with a tunnel boat type cowling and painted Mercury Black.

At that time Konig held the OE record somewhere around 117 mph with an alcohol buring 40c.i.+ opposed 4 ( a genuine racing engine). The fastest speed they could get out of the 3-cylinder Mercury was 109. They gave up.

Billy gave the boat to Paul Bogosian and since Pauly only drove runabouts he put his D Konig on it and I raced it one time at a race in Springfield, Illinois. I finished second to Jerry Kirts. The boat was a handful. We were going to change it somewhat so it would corner better before we ran it again. We had it at the Home of Kenny O**. Some time went by and Pauly asked Kenny about the boat. Kenny answered something like "I didn't think anybody wanted it so I took it to a landfill".

Needless to say Kenny was and still is an idiot.

[Popa Sam]

I think you have the right brand, but are off on the driver and speed, if I recall

Jimbo set the kilo record for mod 50, 10-18-80, speed was 112.721

[Danny Pigott]

I thought Jimbo set the Kilo with a mod 50 tunnel at 112-115 range. I have it somewhere will have to look and see.

Fred Hauenstein set the MOD 50 kilo at 107 mph with a Bellcraft Hydro in 1975. I am sure he was using a 19s engine. Jimbo later set the MOD 50 kilo at I think 110 mph in a Tunnel ,I am sure he was using a 31 are something close. After testing my MOD 50 an could not get it to run over about 88 mph I called Jimbo an asked what the problem was. He said that there were MOD 50's an then there were MOD 50's. He told me that 85 or so was about what a reg. MOD 50 would run. At that time we did not know about all work going on with the OE program. Paul Kalb had told me about the European OE so I called an talked to him, an he sent me the spec's. now I knew a little more.

[Mark75H]

ok, thats not the record I was thinking of, but it both is and is not the motor being talked about here.

I'm sure Jimbo's record was set with the special cast block with the transfer and exhaust sides reversed and 3 2 barrels

The record I was thinking of was set by Fred Hauenstein with a more conventional OMC Mod 50 triple. The speed was pretty close to Cheney's.

[formeone]

fred ;s is the closest to mine , on a normal hydro,, but remeber they where all mod 50 motors 3-2 barrels and all... we limited to sock one barrels,,,,.. and 6 reed openings where they werent,,, i can always run about 92-93 in comp... with acceleration,,, supposedly a couple calif's can also these days,,, not sure aboutthat ,,, but first time out on dennis westbys apel we showed 93 ,,,,, he later set nbra record... i showed 106 ,5 a couple times when went threw kilos just couldnt back it up at the time,, but am trying for higher speeds now hopefully in next month or so ,,, we shall see,,, i know boat dimensions play a very big roll in how fast ya can go with these and exhoust is crucial on these motors,,, and i run the older square block esier to work with i think and lighter... have seen lots of similar exhaust like mine but never any that preformed like mine,,, go fig...someone always think they know better ooo well,hec i didnt even have a tach when did my stuff orig,,,,cheyney

[johnsonracer]

Cheyney, you lift the exhaust timing much?

Is MOD 50 formula 3 over there or different? Our Formula 3 is outboard up to 1000cc or inboard hydro to 1650cc

We can do what ever to outboard. As much time and money as you can put in.

Have to run non alcohol based fuel (av gas maximum) and non turbo or NOS'd

[MTECHMARINE]

My MOD 50 was crisp right out of the box, I got it thru Bill Glennon as MR. T Ireland was not a booster of mine after I got his SE boat tossed at the Modesto kilos in 1975. It ran really well the 1st year I had it, but after replacing pistons for the second season I stuck it up and broke a port web. Sent it to the factory for reconditioning and when I put it back together it never did run like original. The "snap" was gone. Wonder what happened?? As well as the second generation with straight in induction being on the blessed few's boats. Finally sold it to Greg Jacobsen in 1980. Put a formula 100 4 throat strangler V4 on the 50 boat and it was formidable!

[Roy Hodges]

Were rotten. Petty & Paul Bender set a new S E record , from about 64 mph , up to 83 mph , then got disqualified for being 5 pounds light. The scales were crap, in my opinion . I had seen that old set TOSSED into the back of a pickup many times . They dated back to mid 50's ,in the old "Central California race rules commitie" , that preceded the CCRA.Bender offered to pay the entire sanctioning fees , insurance , etc. for That Sunday , the officials refused, not wanting an OMC to take the S E record. I was there , i know .That weekend a hydro took the "new" S E record at only 69 mph, with a 75 stinger, or evinrude hustler, not a good match on a hydro .

[MTECHMARINE]

I agree, it was a weird weekend.

They were adding gas on the scale to make the weight! I was the guy with the hydro, the thrust socket broke halfway thru the 1st run and kicked the engine way under. In any case I would not have run as fast as Petty'83, I think we were at about 78. Boat was built by Ed Karelsen just for this effort. Wartinger and I worked a lot with it to get up to 78. Your right, A tunnel was the better way to go.

Petty finally broke the record 2 years later at D lake in Oregon, and I was the inspector!!

[Tim Kurcz]

As Cheney points out, the exhaust system is everything to the OMC loop triple. My legal FEH does 95-6 in competition on a 3/4 mile course. I get fearful for my life so I back out at 102-3, but it's not out of steam there. My Mod-50 copy accelerates from 50 to 100 in 5 seconds!

Fixed chambers may be good for snowmobiles with torque multiplication, but not for outboards with fixed drive unless they're sliders. Simple math says the pulse tuned meg system is lighter, less complicated, and has proven itself time and time again in competition.

Since Bud Parker and I built the first one in 1993, I've sold over 30 copies of the factory system and have three new ones for sale. In 2007 the first 3 places at the APBA mod nationals had this system. Send me a private message if you're interested.

Tim