TOPIC: Thom about your T-2

Thom, what is the history on your t-2? Did you get it complete, or is this something you put together yourself?

Has it run? Just wondering

Conrad

Maybe Im thinking of the wrong person,but I thought Dr.Frankenmerc had a 6 carb race motor.

Sorry if Im asking the wrong person
Conrad

It's the good Dr. Frankenmerc that has the Twister.
I'd like that for my Switzer then it could be called:
"Twisted Switzer" a play on the old twisted sister rock group.
Randy

I thought he built it. There is a photo of it with Thom proudly sta nding next to it on the G3 message board. I'd cut and paste it but that seems to be a risky prop at this juncture. Good looking motor. Thom is a handsome lad as well but those 6 carburetors bring out his best features.

Randy,
Nice I like it! It would be a good combination.

Bob

Y-Up,..I built it from scratch.
I scored the bare block here, the intake there, Arne in Norway built the reed plate for me, I purchased the crankshaft off eBay from the East Coast, put all new pistons in, converted the ignition to ADI, fabricated my own carburetor & timing advance linkages, had a spacer built to put between the powerhead and the DSH so that the bottom carb wouldn't rub on the steering arm, and put it all onto a 1500xs DSH & a RH SSM.
Currently I have located enough information and pictures to have an adapter plate built similar to an original T2x adapter plate that allows the Inline-6 to be mounted on a v6 DSH & SSM.
I have an original T2x DSH, but it is only a (6) bolt mount to the SSM adapter plate, so I am using a 150SST DSH for my final assembly which has an (8) bolt mount and has been race proven as a much more durable mount system.
I also finally have a true T2x transom mount an horizontal thru transom ram assembly ready to use with the other final assembly components.
With the motor mounted on the 1500xs DSH & SSM I ran the beast in a barrel for just over an hour of initial break-in time in Dec 2009.
I won't be lighting her off again until the new adapter plate is completed, and she is all assembled with the correct goodies - as correct as I will be able to assemble anyway.
Thom

Very cool.

So does the T-2 have reeds behind each carb in that manifold? Did these have special cranks and a different firing order?

I wonder what HP these produced? and at what RPM was optimal.


Conrad

Also,do the filler blocks that used to be reed blocks turn into extra main bearings?

Conrad

Conrad,
Yes,...There is a set of pyramid style (7) pedal reeds or (14) pedals per cylinder directly behind each carburetor and the fuel flow goes directly into each cylinder around the rod rather than having to pass through the common reed block around the crankshaft.
These reed blocks are consistent with v6 reed blocks, but most of them only had two sets of (5) or two sets of (6) pedal reeds per cylinder.
At each place where there is a reed block in a stock inline-6 there is a complete set of (2) rows of needle bearings and a separator milled on the crankshaft exactly like you would find on the two inner main bearings of an inline-6.
See a stock Inline-6 compared to the Twister IIx on the work bench with crankcase covers removed.
In the T2x there are (5) sets of inner main bearings consisting of (2) rows of needles - compared to only (2) in a stock Stack-6. (I think I repeated myself a bit)
And,...Yes again,...The crankshaft has a different 'twist' to it that changes the timing order so that (3) cylinders are tuned against (3) rahter than two against tow against two more as in a stock Stack.
The (3) 'pushing' (3) creates a much stronger flow to be developed.
It is my understanding that the Twister IIx will turn a consistent 7400-7600 RPMs throughout an 8 hour marathon and produce between 210-240 hp.
Originally it had a distributor style trigger and A-25 switchbox. (no rev-limiter)
The distributor sets out further on the intake and consequently used a unique drive belt that are difficult at best to get hands on these days.
The related throttle & timing pick-up were unique too.
If a guy is lucky enough to collect up the correct distributor and related linkage, I have a pal in Norway that has located a drive belt and (2) drive pulleys that will work once you re-machine the hubs of the drive pulleys to fit the Merc flywheel and distributor rotor shaft.
I opted to simply convert the ignition to the late '80s Alternator Driven Ignition (ADI), fabricated my own trigger and carburetor advance linkages, modified an ADI top end cap and added a specially designed shim to install between the end cap and the top ball bearing so that the scavenging system could still properly lube the top main and the end gap could correctly be shimmed.
Originally the Twister IIx had an aluminum flywheel.
I have an original with the distributor drive pulley, but opted to run a steel ADI flywheel rather than put out the big bucks one of the v6 aluminum ADI flywheels are currently commanding.
With each cylinder solely dependent on each carburetor performing properly to avoid an instant piston melt-down it is critical to insure all (6) carbs are working flawlessly before throttling up the beast for a hard run.
I went through all (6) and installed kits common to the carburetors used on the big Chrysler (Force) engines.
So typical to Merc's way of doing things, Mercury Racing tried to make due with what they could find handy.
Sadly this brilliant engineering shifted to OMC when Charlie Strang was not supported by ECK.
The OMC competition for the Twister IIx was the Evinrude Super Strangler and I can't recall its Johnson 'sister' - Maybe Super Stinger?
Thom

Thom, won't that steel flywheel cut down max RPM's? Or just accelerate slower due to mass?

Thats a lot of work you've put into that Thom. Pretty cool I know OMC made the Hustler but unsure of how big it was.

So the way I have read about it. The Block for the T-2's is the same casting as a 1500 with different porting work done to it?

They are the coolest looking motor with the hood off ever made IMO. For an OMC that S.Strangler is impressive.
Conrad

Kelly,
I'm not sure what the flywheel difference will make, but imagine you're concerns are valid.
I probably won't be pushing mine much over 6000 anyway - IF - I ever get to where I can actually run the beast on a boat capable of handling the beast safely.
It's too collectible to risk splattering it.

Conrad,
The block is probably closer to a '72 1400 with serious intake port work as it doesn't have boost ports or use power port pistons.
Some of the T IIx powerheads were modified and had finger ports and 700x pistons, but I've been told that the finger ports didn't add noteable performance.
There are (3) intake ports per rather than just (2).

So your T2 has no extra porting in the pistons? All this stuff is cool.
Conrad

Conrad,
Correct - original T2x pistons had no boost or power port related enhancement.
If you check the picture of the pistons I posted you will see that those pistons have very thin rings and a small angled hole drilled through above the wrist pin.
These are 700x pistons from the 700x 3 cyl hot rod Merc and if I understand correctly they are referred to as 'finger-ports' and worked with several very small ports on the intake side of the dome area of the block.
Again,...I am talking out of my comfort zone regarding finger porting.
Thom
I have attached a picture of the reed blocks and you can also see where they would mount on the crankcase cover - before the (6) carb manifold is installed.
Crummy picture, but best I have on hand.
T

.....and yet another use for that cowling that always gets in the way.

Good one!!!
I've got O'Plenty of them around here in case anyone needs a specific one - I might just have it.
No Conrad,...You can't have my 1500xs wrap.

Thom