Army outboard box

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Hugz
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Army outboard box

Post by Hugz »

Not sure why but this piqued my interest. What sort of motor do you think it contained?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/201787724841 ... EBIDX%3AIT
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Oyster 49
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Oyster 49 »

Looking at the size of the box and also the weight stencilling I'd suggest one of the big evinrude stormboat engines. They are very big heavy engines! Some great videos of those on YouTube. 8)
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Hugz
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Hugz »

Could be. I think this would compliment Bruce's collection :mrgreen:
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Charles uk
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Charles uk »

Does that like a big Coventry Keith?

On second thoughts that label doesn't look English.
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
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Hugz
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Hugz »

Bottom left of drawing it says for use with 20ft storm boats. Maybe the Australian army requisitioned from US.

I then found this: http://www.soriano-outboard.com/12395.html


In the Spring of 1942 the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers of Fort Belvoir, Virginia approached us requesting a high-powered, rugged motor to be used on personnel attack boats that later became known as Storm Boats. We responded by building up several 4-60s with magneto ignition, modified to produce about 50 hp at a speed range that would ensure long life, great dependability, easy starting, and good speed. A heavy-duty service lower unit was developed with side fins to protect propellers against barbed wire, shallow, rocky beaches, and especially to be able to withstand the heavy shocks of beaching on any kind of a bottom at full speed. Typically, we ran into difficulties. Our 50 hp Storm Boat Motor, as it was later called, was not what the top dog had in mind. He had heard of the Soriano, that remarkable 6-cylinder, 4-cycle supercharged outboard that Jean Dupuy had driven to the world's mile trial record of 79.04 mph, and he wanted to give it a tryout as power for the assault boats being considered by the Engineers. Gar Wood, Jr., a well-known pre- WW II outboard racing champion, had imported a Soriano which he loaned to the Engineers for tests, and these tests turned out very well. As a result, Gar Wood was given an order to build two for further test work, since, because of the War, it was impossible to get more Sorianos over here or in Europe either, for that matter. Paul Wearly, also a well-known outboard racing champion, worked with Gar Wood in building American adaptations of the Soriano for the Army Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Paul Wearly wrote as follows regarding the Sorianos which he helped build:

"This was a great engine and performed very well at all speeds. We built it with a very effective full gear shift forward, neutral, and reverse. The carburetor was a Holley-Ford "6" type with fixed jets. The ignition was a Scintilla with automatic spark advance. The powerhead weighed 90 pounds, and we developed almost 90hp on alcohol fuel before we reduced the size of the supercharger to run on gas. Before reduction, the inlet manifold temperatures were much too high to run effectively on gas "

Following tests on the Gar Wood built Soriano, Evinrude, and I presume other outboard manufacturers, were asked to quote on a quantity of several hundred Soriano adaptations for immediate delivery. We knew nothing about the Soriano outside its excellent mile trial performance. It was a handbuilt motor, with only rudimentary tooling. Neither we nor anyone else had any production tools for it, nor could the Army Engineers tell us where tools could be had. To set up from scratch to produce the Soriano in the volume required would take over a year, and the Engineers wanted delivery in three months. We declined to quote with regrets. Apparently the Engineers received a negative response from all other manufacturers whom they may have contacted, as no volume order for a Soriano-type motor was ever placed.
Keith.P
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Keith.P »

I have seen the motor that goes in the box, I don't think it's a Coventry, I think its a four cylinder, I will see if I can find a picture of one.
I saw one on ebay some time ago, with the flywheel missing.
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Collector Inspector
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Re: Army outboard box

Post by Collector Inspector »

Well...................

I Have absolutely

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