Bearcat 55

[outbdnut2]

I just acquired a Fisher-Pierce Bearcat 55. An awesome color fold out brochure came with it, that has a lot of info and specs. It says the crankcase holds 2-1/4 quarts of oil, but doesn’t give an oil type. What is the current thinking? 10W30? 10W40? Straight weight? Has anyone tried a synthetic like Mobil 1? I know Mobil 1 is not compatible with original crank seals, etc. in some original collector cars. If synthetic is OK, should it be something like Mobil 1’s 15W50 racing oil because Marine use is hard use?

In the lower gearcase, can I use the same Sierra Premium blend (not synthetic) marine gear oil I use in all my other motors new enough to need oil instead of grease? (I buy it in a 5 gallon bucket).

Attached is one page of the brochure showing specifications.
Thx,
Dave

[frankr]

I suppose you know that is a Crosley car engine standing on end.  My opinion (only) is that I’d use 10W30 engine oil.  If I remember correctly, they used a Scott-Atwater/McCulloch lower unit.

[bruceter]

As far as your lubrication concerns I would say that a good 10W30 motor oil is what the power head needs and a 80/90 weight lower unit oil is all that is needed

Fageol started all this 4 cycle outboard stuff way back in the late 40 s and early 50s using the Crosely  engine as a power source the early Fageols were 44 cubic inch , had a 5 main bearing crankshaft, gear driven overhead camshaft, gear driven oil pump and distributor .

As of late I am finding out that they are showing up a lot

I came across a Fageol 44 VIP  which stands for Vertical inboard power  that was mounted in the boat through a 4″ hole in the hull with a Elgin lower unit on the bottom , the  complete power head and lower unit turn on a ball socket to steer the boat

They could be had with a single carb at 30hp, two carbs at 35hp or a Papco supercharger that put out 45hp

I saw the one that I have on Facebook market place in a pile of rust on a pallet , but I did see the supercharger and that peaked my interest so I had to have it

Enclosed  is a picture of it completed  in a display stand , due to the through the hull application I have no plans to run it in  a boat

Since I came across this one they have been popping up like mushrooms

The pictures I have are too large so I will resize and post in another post

 

[bruceter]

Here is the picture of the Fageol 44 VIP that I restored

[Buccaneer]

I was thinking that Homelite made those, and i was thinking I was
reading “Fisher Price”, the toy maker, lol
Neat motor!

Prepare to be boarded!

[outbdnut2]

Buccaneer wrote:

I was thinking that Homelite made those, and i was thinking I was
reading “Fisher Price”, the toy maker, lol
Neat motor!

Yes, Buccaneer, – Homelite sold out that product to Fisher-Pierce around 1966. Like you, I thought I was seeing a joke decal on the motor that said “Fisher-Price” at first glance! I bought the thing along with 4 Johnson/Evinrudes from 10 to 40 HP, just because it’s a cool conversation piece and the price was right. The 4 cyl inline car engine (from its Crosley car engine beginnings) sitting horizontal under the lid looks strange but cool for an outboard. If I can make it a good runner, I may have to look for a boat with a long shaft transom, and either find or modify remote controls for it. If it has any major internal damage, I may just make an interesting yard ornament out of it to put near my boathouse. Stumbling onto something like this occasionally is a fun part of the hobby for me! Glad I have a cherry -picker to get it out of my truck!

Dave

[Buccaneer]

Dave, it should be an interesting project!
Hopefully you can find basic parts if needed.

Prepare to be boarded!

[bruceter]

Tim Nichol; in Fort Erie Ontario has 2 complete motor and a lot of NOS parts , I got a NOS distribuator from him

Here is the VIP that I just did

[outbdnut2]

Thanks guys for the info.   I’ll see if I can get it running next summer as we got our first snow here in Minnesota this week.  So far I noticed one of the spring-steel latches that hold the distributer cap on is broken, but if I can’t find one, I can make one – the part looks very similar to older Fords..  If I get it running, I’ll need remote controls to put it on a boat.  Anyone know if Scott remote controls hook up to it?….otherwise, I think I can modify OMC controls to fit .  For now, I bolted a dense piece of treated pine 2 x 12 that I had laying around to my car engine stand, and set the motor on the board with my cherry picker.  Now I can roll it around in my garage.  It weighs about 239 pounds.  FYI:  In one of my posts above, I said it looked like a car engine mounted horizontal – that was a brain-induced typo, it looks like a car engine turned on end vertical.  It ‘s based on the old Crosley car engine.  With it I also got  30, 33, and 40 HP Johnsons and a 10 Evinrude.   A guy who had all these passed and his son was cleaning out his garage.  The 40 is electric shift with parts missing and broken, but it only cost me $25, so I took it for parts.  Now to make space amongst my other 90+ motors…..Dave

[labrador-guy]

FYI  Fisher Pierce also built Boston Whaler boats in Rockland Massachusetts.

dale

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