Australian Riptide Sportsman

[AusAnzani]

Thanks B, that's exactly what I expected hence the question re the outlet on the bottom of the cylinder head. It seemed superfluous (unnecessary) to me ie as I hadn't considered drain or flush as potential features.

Sorry Charles, I missed your previous comment. I think you're absolutely spit on in suggesting there is probably a drop in replacement impeller out there. The problem I had in finding one however is that not many impeller suppliers list the critical dimensions. It was therefore easier to go with the Evinrude impeller and increase the bore to suit.

I do take your point though and agree 100%.

[AusAnzani]

A little bit more progress on the Sportsman this weekend.

Magneto has been fully rebuilt and all parts have been hit with a couple coats of etch primer. Here's a few pics of where we finished up, starting with the magneto.





















As you would expect with aluminium castings of that era, they are not the best. Here's a close up of some of the imperfections. Plan is to fill with blade putty, sand back, apply a high build primer, sand back and attend to any left over pin holes etc blade putty. Following that a final sand and we should be right for the top coat.







Still a way to go yet before it's completed, but we're getting there slowly.

Regards,

[Collector Inspector]

Interesting sinc plate under magneto.

Would like some pics as to how linkages etc move and groove aye.

S!

Well Done Mate!

B

[AusAnzani]

Mate, i found the shape of that synch plate odd during disassembly phase. Throttle linkage rides over the top of synch plate, nothing following its edge, so the shape is somewhat confusing.

This sportsman doesn't seem to have a mechanical advance. Does yours?

Regards,

[AusAnzani]

Mate, i found the shape of that synch plate odd during disassembly phase. Throttle linkage rides over the top of synch plate, nothing following its edge, so the shape is somewhat confusing.

This sportsman doesn't seem to have a mechanical advance. Does yours?

Regards,

G'day B, please park the above for now. My Sportsman does have a mechanical advance, can't believe I forgot about the linkage to the ignition plate.

Suspect my synch plate may have been bent out of shape, hence my above comment above re nothing following its edge.

Will need to figure how it all works during reassembly. To my way of thinking, shape is still very odd.

[Collector Inspector]

A very strange shape indeed.

When the go fast lever on yours is turned up loud..........does it turn the ignition base first. Then does the plate attached, in turn, open the carb via any form of a follower edge on ...........like it being carb/ignition sinc that we all know?

It is a very strange shape for any advance/throttle position to be...........linear.

I can never tell with your pics ...............does yours have this well defined advance track/limiter for the base plate?

B[/color]

[AusAnzani]

Hi mate, no, definitely no advance limiter groove in mine. Just double checked to be sure, to be sure as the Irish say.

Go fast lever definitely moves the ignition plate, but the small u-shaped linkage that operates the slider on the card doesn't make contact with edge of sinc plate until near the end. At that point, the said linkage runs over the top of the sinc plate, thus lifting the slider (opening the throttle). Clearly not right!

Is your sinc plate flat or does it have a downward bend in it?

Unfortunately I didn't take any pics during the tear down, hence it's more difficult for you to spot all the differences at the moment. Once it's all back together, things will be much clearer.

Any questions, please feel free to call aye. Sometimes its easier! We will share on here regardless ie for current and future readers.

I thought my pics were pretty good, now a little deflated

Regards,
S

[Collector Inspector]

No "De Gassing" intended I assure you S.

Your outstanding attention to detail should justifiably keep you pumped.

Just that I would like to see what I want to see..........how would you know. Sorry.

A call this weekend is warranted as I believe this may be the first important difference between our motors.

I will text first so that we have things in front of us at the same time aye.

Cheers

B

[AusAnzani]

Just reassembled the bits and have taken some new pics for you.

Will post em up shortly and all will be revealed, including corrections to some statements I made earlier.

Turns out my synch plate performs more than just advance and throttle functions.

Hang 10 whilst I upload new pics to photobucket.

[AusAnzani]

Sorry for the delay. Wife wouldn't let me post until I finished my dinner

Let me begin with an apology to you B for leading you up the garden path. When I first got this Sportsman home, it had been tampered with, lots of nuts and bolts missing, others very loose etc etc.

As it happens, the 2 countersunk screws (you have hex head bolts) securing the synch plate to the ignition plate were very loose, almost to the point of falling out. The result of that was that the small U-shaped throttle linkage (under spring tension from the carb slider) rode over the synch plate rather than along it's edge. Hence my previous misleading comments. I'm real sorry about that mate!

Now reassembled correctly (well sort of) it all becomes very clear. The odd shape of my synch plate actually provides three functions.

1. Mechanical advance
2. Throttle
3. Min and max end limits for the mechanical advance (achieved on you Sportsman via a groove in the collar ie as pictured in your above post).

So here's the detail. Apologies for the poor lighting.

Off position. Mechanical advance at minimum end limit.



Start position. Mechanical advance engaged. Throttle still at min position.



Full power position. Mechanical advance at max end limit. Throttle wide open. In other words, my favorite position



Mystery of the "odd shape" synch plate solved!

PS: Synch plate is definitely a little over-bent eg as it is I do not actually have wide open throttle.

Regards,

[Collector Inspector]

That answers my questions aye.

Mine is way different...................Same thing regarding call this weekend S

Now we are into it!

B

[AusAnzani]

Cool

[AusAnzani]

Just a quick update to let you know what's been going on.

I received a response to my email to Barry Sheltrum, son of Leonard (Len) Sheltrum who founded the Riptide Outboard Motor Company. To say I was excited about that would be an understatement. In due course, I will post a summary of the information Barry provided which includes an image of Len holding an Australian Power Boat Association - Certificate of Speed Record dated 31st March 1959, Wagga Motor Boat Club, Lake Albert. Boat - Riptide II (No. 404) A Class Racing Runabout, Powered by a 242cc Riptide Sportsman Outboard. The speed noted on the certificate is 28.637mph.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is the first piece of evidence that confirms Riptide Outboards had been raced and secondly because the certificate states 242cc whereas the standard Sportsman was 200cc.

An image of Riptide II can be seen here: http://gallery.myff.org/gallery/1677656 ... ice+59.jpg driven by Frank Rice also 1959

As for my Sportsman, the upper and lower cowls, gearbox and trunk (mid-section) have been attended to and are now free of those casting defects shown in previous pics. I hope to achieve same with the swivel and transom brackets this weekend, and should the weather gods allow, I might even attempt application of the base coat.

Barry confirmed the original colors for the Sportsman were White or White with Yellow upper cowl ie as was noted on my very own during the paint removal phase.

That suggests the color schemes were changed (or added to) by Westcott Hazel following acquisition of the Riptide Outboard Motor Company. The acquisition will have come with stock of completed outboards and pre-painted parts, which were simply painted over with the WH color schemes, which included the gold/bronze on my Sportsman.

Image of another Gold/Bronze Sportsman donated by Barry to the Powerhouse Museum Sydney in 1983 can be seen here. Note the yellow and off white paint showing under the gold/bronze. http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collect ... irn=213341

No pics from me this time.

Regards,

[AusAnzani]

G'day all, just another quick update.

Spent the weekend refinishing all components in Wimbledon White (creamy color) which should be a very close match if not exactly the same as the original.

Sorry about the image quality. I probably should start using my camera again instead of the phone! Just being lazy









Reassembly will commence soon after the paint has fully hardened.

Regards,

[notav8]

Looking Good Mate , as usual.
Cheers