H B Milburn CUB boat motor

[dink]

I have a H B Milburn CUB boat motor. It is running order and looks really good with full paint, etc.
The only number I can find on it is 8M4G 109 and 8M4G 105. I am wondering if anyone can give me more info on this motor. It belonged to my late husband and his dad used it. He was born in 1903 and was an avid hunter/fisherman. Thank you for any help anyone can give me.

[lotec]

The Milburn Cub was just one of many companies/names that built your small single cylinder air-cooled outboard. It was produced from the late 1940s to the 1970s and available via mail order. In the course of production they were sold under several names: Budbuilt, Comanco, etc…. Milburn being the name that seems to have stuck to the whole line.

I believe the Milburn versions were made from about 1948 into the early 1950s. They produced two models, the standard had underwater exhaust, 360 degree steering and thus reverse. The Deluxe version (that was like $6 more!) had a pipe ducting the exhaust underwater but negating the 360 steering. (This is the opposite practice to most every other outboard maker). Most of these motors were painted with bright red (these days it appears to be a grubby brick red) wrinkle finish on the tank and dull aluminum leg and powerhead. I’ve seen a couple that had bright green tank.

Take a look at the crankcase casting under the tiller and you should find a better number, if I recall, the first digit or two correspond to the year (i.e. 49 = 1949)

Of super simple design and downright terrible quality, there are people who really like them since they are so far out of the ordinary!

Here’s a photo of where the serial # is on the ones I have:

[dink]

Thank you so much for the reply. Now, one more question: How would one go about selling the boat motor? Do you have any idea of the value?

[lotec]

Value depends on condition and location – and what you can arrange with a buyer. For what it is worth, I’ve got several and they were: free, $25 and $125 respectively. Peter Hunn’s OLD OUTBOARD BOOK 3rd Ed ranges from $10-$100. (I should point out he’s got the largest collection of them that I know of!) I’ve seen some mint examples sell for a great deal more back before the financial meltdown in 2008….

Your best bet would be to place a best-offer ad on the Webvertize section of this website – if you can include a photo or two, where it is located and if you are willing to ship it, that will help. Here’s a link to that board: https://aomci.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

[richard33]

8/21/2021 I’ve been an AOMCI member for years and had never heard of a Milburn. No one seems to be in charge of this mark in the AOMCI. Well, i was attending the Tomahawk meet and ran onto a “Master Cub” from Watermaster Corp., Los Angeles, Cal. It was all there, I’d never seen one, so I bought it. As I’m sure everyone familiar with this motor found it was designed by Milburn and there were many other names attached to the same motor. THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN PETER HUNNS BOOK ON OLD OUTBOARD MOTORS. I am presently cleaning it up (it has spark) and am interested in running it.

That’s all for now,
Richard Norton
2537 Key Harbour Court
Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367
Email: RN33LSL@GMAIL.COM
314-495+7398

[Tubs]

I have some old, and
not very good, internet pictures of one
badged as a “Sport” manufactured by
“Comanco”. Can’t tell if it came with the
recoil or it has been attached by one of its
owners.
Tubs

A "Boathouse Repair" is one that done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

[Author]

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