Re: [OMC-Boats] Why the OMC bashing...

Actually, if you just go to the Amazon page and read the front and
back cover, it's written there too.

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Lee Shuster<Lee.Shuster@...> wrote:
> See: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Fist-Lives-Carl-Kiekhaefer/dp/0945903049#
>
> Pg 321
> ________________________________
> From: omc-boats-bounces@...
> [mailto:omc-boats-bounces@...] On Behalf Of Dan McCormack
> Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 5:58 PM
> To: omc-boats@...
> Subject: Re: [OMC-Boats] Why the OMC bashing...
>
> Hi Lee
>
> Included in your stern drive story I saw the reference to Carl
> Kiekhaefer's "burning at the stake" of an OMC outboard. Do you have any
> more detailed info on that particular event ie. where was the dealer
> meeting ? what year ? did it happen at more than one of those meetings ?
>
> Dan McCormack
>
>> From: lks@...
>> To: omc-boats@...
>> Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 09:24:45 -0600
>> Subject: Re: [OMC-Boats] Why the OMC bashing...
>>
>> It's a long and complicated story. I'll touch only on the highlights
>> here.
>>
>> When OMC made the decision to add sterndrives to their market-
>> dominating outboards (Johnson-Evinrude-Gale) in 1962 there were over
>> 20 manufacturers of sterndrives in the market.
>> (You don't see any f them being bashed -- cause few if any on them
>> survived, beyond Volvo and Mercury.)
>>
>> A lot of anti-OMC rumours and general bashing was started in the
>> sixties by Karl Kiekhaefer, like when he burned a OMC V-4 outboard at
>> the stake an a national Mercury sales meeting.
>>
>> OMC Electric Stringers sales grew steadily (as did sterndrive sales in
>> general from about 1964 to 1975, when the 1st energy crisis, greatly
>> slowed down recreational boat sales.) At that point OMC dominated the
>> sterndrive market.
>>
>> There was nothing fundamentally wrong or flawed about the electric-
>> shift stringer design. But the outboard engineering division really
>> called the shots and in the very late sixties they hired Mercury's
>> chief engineer, Charile Strang.
>> Charlie had secretly invented the modern CV-joint, gimbal mount
>> sterndrive and handed the design to Volvo via former employee Jim
>> Wynne. see: http://www.rbbi.com/folders/pat/isd.htm
>>
>> The OMC outboard engineers began moving away from the electric shift
>> in 1969. The wanted economies of manufacturing scale and had developed
>> the hydro-mechanical. thru-prop exhaust geargease to handle the torque
>> of their big V6 outboards. You can look it up but the OMC corporate
>> decision to change their sterndrive design ultimately reduced market
>> share in sterndrives, yeilding to the market leadership to Mercury.
>> These post 1976 OMC drives did more to damage the reputation of OMC,
>> IMHO and ultimately lead to OMC filing for bankruptcy.
>>
>> The Electric Stringer drive has these know limitations:
>>
>> 1) Reliable Torque and horsepower capacity limited to 260 hp @... 5000
>> rpm. Thus, the OMC ESS was never designed or capable of handling
>> larger Big Block V8's like the 454 Chevy or Ford 460.
>>
>> 2) Underwater hydro-dynamics -- This drive really hits it's design
>> limit around 50 mph. this is a combination of the lower gearcase,
>> exhaust and anti-cavitation plate design. Combine this with no or
>> limited ability (in later Inline GM or Ford V8 offerings) to trim unit
>> to boat load and running conditions, were seen as a drawback.
>>
>> 3) Requirement for using special (proprietary) Type C lube and non-
>> industry standard mounting system.
>>
>> So laugh when you read all that crap. The more people that "run-away"
>> from OMC electric stringers, the more we benefit.
>>
>> Lee
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 5, 2009, at 9:23 PM, Justin DeSantis wrote:
>>
>> > I thought this may be an interesting topic to discuss. One doesn't
>> > have to be surfing boat sites long before you hear a lot of anti-OMC
>> > stern drive talk. You see people caution boat shoppers to avoid OMC
>> > outdrives. One person said specifically, "Avoid OMC sterndrives, and
>> > if it's a stringer, RUN away." Of course, I didn't read this before I
>> > bought mine. But it wouldn't have changed anything, I'd have still
>> > bought my Johnson. But my questions is, why? Is it just a matter of
>> > part availability? Is there inherent problems with the OMC design?
>> > It's not like OMC is some fly by night outfit in the boating. Why the
>> > distaste for the OMC stern drive? Seems to me it has some distinct
>> > advantages, but I haven't run it long enough to know if they also come
>> > with pitfalls. So what gives?
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>>
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Received on Tuesday, 8 September 2009