I have a 1959 50 hp and read this about upgrading the old Fifty, Has anyone ever heard of doing this any help would be greatly appreciated.......
The old fatty can be upgraded simply by replacing the entire reed block & plate assembly. This is not a big deal at all. The 1960 and later V4s from 60 HP through 85 HP all used the same improved reed blocks & plate. They can be removed from a blown engine & installed in your 50. Looks exactly the same as stock on the outside. Another big improvement is to find a pair of cylinder heads from 60 or 65 HP engine. The Gale V4 60 used the improved heads too. These heads have a full water jacket over the combustion chamber for better cooling, and the combustion chamber is contoured to the shape of the piston crown. This means higher compression & less wasted raw fuel out the exhaust. Have a set milled down 0.125" and the engine will run even better - perhaps making more than 65HP. I did this to a Fat 50 and it ran beautifully season after season. No problem with pre-ignition or overheating with the milled heads. The stock compression was so horribly low that low grade gas is fine, even with the modified heads. The boat could run within 3 to 5 MPH of a Starflite 75 - so I'm sure it was making near 70 hp.
THIS IS WHAT I READ PLEASE ANY ADVICE OUT THERE TO DOING THIS..
The old fatty can be upgraded simply by replacing the entire reed block & plate assembly. This is not a big deal at all. The 1960 and later V4s from 60 HP through 85 HP all used the same improved reed blocks & plate. They can be removed from a blown engine & installed in your 50. Looks exactly the same as stock on the outside. Another big improvement is to find a pair of cylinder heads from 60 or 65 HP engine. The Gale V4 60 used the improved heads too. These heads have a full water jacket over the combustion chamber for better cooling, and the combustion chamber is contoured to the shape of the piston crown. This means higher compression & less wasted raw fuel out the exhaust. Have a set milled down 0.125" and the engine will run even better - perhaps making more than 65HP. I did this to a Fat 50 and it ran beautifully season after season. No problem with pre-ignition or overheating with the milled heads. The stock compression was so horribly low that low grade gas is fine, even with the modified heads. The boat could run within 3 to 5 MPH of a Starflite 75 - so I'm sure it was making near 70 hp.
THIS IS WHAT I READ PLEASE ANY ADVICE OUT THERE TO DOING THIS..