Help me Identify

[David Killion]

I took this motor to a swap meet and put a sign on it that said "You tell me". Out of about a hundred guesses, the majority said they thought it was some kind of boat motor. So here you go. This engine is water cooled, opposed cylinder with 2 spark plugs on each end. There is a cover over the plugs with a button for a kill switch. The bottom is flat and the exhaust comes out of the side. It has a flywheel with weights in it on one side which looks like it serves as a belt drive pulley as well, and a pull start crank on the other. It has a rod that sets the spark. It has a one barrel carburetor. The only marking on this engine is on the carb and says Vacturi Carburator Manufacturing of Chicago. It looks like it is an aluminum body. I would like to find out what it is, a possible date range and how much something like this is worth. I would also like to find a home for it if anyone is interested. Thanks for your help. killiond@everestkc.net

[Lou Quirch]

David,
That appears to be possibly the engine part of a BIG 50 Evinrude outboard motor.
There are four cylinders (thats why the two plugs on each side).
A lot of them were used for the original midget cars back in the 40's and 50's.
They were a powerful 50hp water cooled 2 cycle.
I'm sure they were also put to other uses.
What lit up my light bulb was the kill switch.
I have a brand new old stock 1946 big 50 outboard with the same kill switch and I think there is a sign on the carburator like yours.
The motor is in Florida and we won't be back for a few weeks.
I will look at it closer when we get back.
Lou

[David Killion]

Lou,
Thanks for the help. Keep in touch when you get back and let me know what you think. I have more pictures that might help. Thanks.

[KidDynamo]

Another possibility is that you have a major portion of the powerhead to a Johnson P-500 Portable Gasoline Engine Driven Centrifugal Fire Pump, manufactured for the Bureau of Ships, U.S. Navy by Johnson Motors, Waukegan, Illinois.

The P-500 is described as a "portable, compact, high output....waterpump designed for and used by the US Navy for fire fighting and salvage....."

I think these units may have been available on the post-war civilian market, but certainly ex-military units were available and some survive today.

Your carburetor appears to be mounted for use of the powerhead with its crank in the horizontal postion as in the firepump but this was probably accomplished with an adapter.

While I've never owned a P-500 I do have several of the Pacific Pumper 2 cylinder units, which are based on a 1941 Johnson 9.8 hp outboard powerhead ( and have the kill switch, too!) They too are quite a powerful pump in a lightweight unit, considering the era in which they were built.

If your's does turn out to be a pump unit, the non-magneto flywheel was likely where a centrifugal pump was mounted. The P-500 was designed to "deliver 500 gallons per minute at a discharge pressure of 100 pounds per square inch when operated at a suction lift of 16 feet".

I happen to have a couple of old, original manuals for the pump unit, but I realize that that same outboard-derived powerhead may have been used for something other than what I describe. Yours appears to have been cleverly adapted, regardless of its actual origins.

The smaller pumps and "parts engines" are mildly collectable; perhaps the bigger unit is as well. For an engine enthusiast with a closeby water source like a pond, lake, river, etc, a restored unit could be a VERY useable on-site piece of firefighting gear. I'm thinking of loaning one of my units to a friend who lives on a houseboat and has the engineering skills to operate and maintain a nice pumping unit.

I hope this stirs the pot a little for you, even if I'm incorrect.

[David Killion]

Wow, that is a lot of interesting information. It would make sense that is would work around water with the spark plug covers. That will give me some more infor to try and track down. Thanks for giving it a gander.