Price list from the Swanson Outboard files:
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Price list from the Swanson Outboard files:
When my dad started racing about 1937, he didn't have any money. So, he started doing his own engine work. (Henry Wagner and I were talking, about 25 years ago, about the old days. He said, "He Ron, none of us had any money." Henry was quite a Referee and he owned C Service Race boats, probably until he died. Fred Hauenstein, Jr. ended up with Henry's Ranchero).
People were buying Wiseco pistons and they may have come from Ohio, but I'm not sure. My dad didn't like Wiseco for various reasons. One reason, he seems to "Stick" them all the time and I don't think they's sell him blanks.
I think Turner was already making pistons for the Meyer-Drake Offy. About this time, Pep Hubbell, Doc Ingalls, my dad and Dale Drake all got on Turner to make some outboard pistons. Doc would buy the pistons and my dad would machine them, and put grooves for the rings.
In those days, the words "back gap" were never spoken out loud. (Back Gap is the distance between the ring and the piston). (Depth of the ring groove). My dad fit a lot of piston, filed many of piston ring, and CC'd heads in our garage.
Keep in mind prices: In 1966, my first year of teaching I made $5,900 FOR THE YEAR AND I WAS RICH.
I saw Wally Turner, 1978 at Drake Engineering. my brother said, "You sure look good." Wally said, "Once you hit 80 people tell you how good you look." I never saw him again.
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...Turner-Pistons
I have a few Turner pistons that I'd make available to someone needing them for a restoration project. Let me know and I'll go measure them and get back to you.
Roger Hinsdale tennesseenavy@gmail.com