Supposedly, it helps to get it up on plane. Trim tabs, if you will. I’m a bit surprised, I didn’t realize they were put on small motors like that. They did make a bunch of motors in the 40hp class with them. I lot of people would cut them off. They caused more drag than they benefitted. Not to mention how many weeds they gathered up here in the swamps.
Sounds like a good candidate to add to my oddities and notables collection.
I acquired one of the prop guard accessories for a 6hp motor recently too (the kind that looks like a big round shield encapsulating the prop). Im sure this keeps the prop safe, but I wonder how much drag it created.
I have a brand new gearcase housing in that size with with the wings. The part number makes it a commercial 14hp. The years I show that was built were 1988 & ’89. Not sure if it was used anywhere else. It should fit other engines, but not sure which ones. I have had a tough time figuring out what parts go inside to make it a complete gearcase assembly. It has a bearing driveshaft both upper and lower. Seems to be a heavy duty case. I am like Frank and others. If I was to use it, the wings would be removed.
The Commercial 14 unit used the larger 5-bolt gear case housing, commonly used on the (then) 28 SPL. The unit in the pic above is a smaller 4-bolt housing, as used on the 6 & 9.5 series. That is the first time I’ve seen a winged skeg on one of those gear cases, but I have seen them on the 14/25 and 40hp gear cases.
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