Mercury K1? Or maybe not?

[opposedtwin]

Bob, thanks for posting that link to the other discussion from late last year. I looked up those articles Tom Thuerwachter wrote and they were pretty helpful. Lots of good info between that thread and his articles!

[kirkp]

Hey Scott. I know what you mean, I was just yanking your chain a bit. It is interesting that the Sea Kings do seem to outnumber the Mercs. Not sure why that would be.

[dave-bernard]

3 P’s

PRICE
PRICE
PRICE
back then

[kirkp]

Good point Dave. Per the literature that fifty posted, the Sea King was $38 but gave the performance of a $50 motor. Wonder if that’s what the Merc went for?

The popularity of the early Sea King may be what inspired Carl to detune the chain store brands.

[green-thumbs]

At a swap meet some years back when I was new to the hobbby, I spotted an outboard under the tailgate that looked Kiekhaefer and
bought it for a modest sum. It turned out to be a 1940 Sea King single
with a few problems. Resolving those problems gave me an education
in prewar Kiekhaefers.
At a Suter meet several years later a member exhibited restored examples of 1940 Sea King, Wizared WA2 and Mercury K1…the three
entry level models. Attending club meets can provide both information
and inspiration.
Good Luck with your new find
Louis

[kirkp]

Hope you live in a local where you have access to some good meets. You could be like me and live in western Iowa where the closest is a days drive away.

Kirk

[opposedtwin]

Kirk, good observation about why Carl may have detuned the store brand motors. I am fortunate that I live in southern Wisconsin where there are many chapter meets nearby and I attend them pretty frequently.

Louis, can you explain the narrowed exhaust part you mentioned early in this thread? I’m not sure I follow you there.

Bob has been kind enough to set me up with some of the parts I will need to get it going. Thanks Bob!

Scott

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by opposedtwin.

[kirkp]

Out in the storage today looking at my Sea King. Serial number is as shown. Noticed that on Sea Kings it appears that it’s a model KI and not K1.

[green-thumbs]

I am unable to find mention of narrow passages in this thread.
Until KE4 the cylinder exhaust ports were 3/8″ openings either
side of a 1/2″ opening. Most KE4 and all Mark 7 had
cylinders with 3 exhaust openings of 1/2″
The Wizard WF4 and WG4 had the old pattern cylinders with
the uneven exhaust ports as well as the old style reed block
and chankshaft. KE4 and Mark 7 were rated at 7 1/ hp while
Wizards twins (and Mercury KD4) were rated at 6 hp.
The difference in power between K1, WA2 and either the
1940 and 1941 Sea King was zero. They all had the poppet
valve fuel mixer. Up market models of Mercury and Wizard
singles had more power due to having a more efficient carburetor
The Kiekhaefr made Sea King single did not upgrade to a carburetor
as it was made to an entry level price AND Montgomery Ward
had OMC made models for up market customers.
Kiekhaefer may not have made much money from entry level
models, but, they added volume for economy of scale production,
Kiekhaefer was happy to make a range of models for Western Auto
and even to create a twin cylinder model at their request.
Postwar Mr. Kiekhaefr was in a better position to favor Mercury
over Wizard,
My opinion, which you are free to share or dispute.
Louis
edit
If you were Mr. K and you had some left over Thor lower units , would
you scrap them or cobble them into something that could be sold to
someone willing to buy odd but cheap outboards. I have seen a streamline lower unit with a Thor powerheade. Hard telling what
combinations of parts are out there, so I will only say most if not
all.
Horse power is a curious subject when it comes to Kiekhaefer…
Per MW ad 1940 Sea King 8820 2.8 hp rated @ 3500 rpm

Per Mercury Master Specification Chart
1940 Mercury K1 2,5 hp rated @3800 rpm poppet valve
1940 Mercury K2 3 hp rated @4250 rpm carburetor
1940 Mercury K3 3 hp rated @ 4250 rpm carburetor

1941 models had revised piston, rings, cylinders and crankcase
which may account for some improved power output.
MS series carguretors used in 1940 models and KB1A
while AJ series models were adopted for other 1941 models
Certified horsepower ratings were adopted by the industry to
put and end to imaginative claimed power. I am not aware
of conditions under which rated horsepower was determined.
The .7 hp spread in itself probably did not lead to significant
performance differences. However, carburetor linked to ignition
advance made for easier starting and operation which did
matter a great deal.
Louis

1941 KB1 2.9 hp rated @ 4000 rpm poppet valve
1941 KB1 A 3.1 hp rated @ 4000 rpm carburetor MS type
1941 KB2 3.2 hp rated @ 4000 rpm carburetor
1941 KB3 3.2hp rated @ 4000 rpm carburetor AJ3A possibly AJ8A

edit #2
It may be that K1 and 8820 in actuality had same output and the chart
is in error…they have identical powerheads that should produce same power… transposing numbers seems plausible as
to why the the power and rated rpm differ.

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by green-thumbs.
• This reply was modified 5 years ago by green-thumbs.
• This reply was modified 5 years ago by green-thumbs.

[kirkp]

Louis, maybe he was talking about “Most if not all 1940 Kiekhaefers have the streamlined aluminum tower
exhaust housing.”

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