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Home | Parts
& Services | Bearcat
55
Kaiser
- Frazer - Willys
Bearcat 55
Bearcat properties are crucial to sophisticated boaters but they can be appreciated
by anyone.
No waste. Although the full power economy is valuable,
flexibility to run economically at all power settings is invaluable
and can be had only with a 4-cycle engine.
Full Power or Slow Troll -- Indefinitely. Bearcat engines
are in use by professional ski schools where the smart performance
and two-for-one economy answer a simple dollar and sense equation.
Commercial crab fisherman spend 1/3 more for Bearcats and pay
for the whole purchase in fuel savings, often within a year.
With engine idling at least half the time on a long day's work,
the crabber appreciates sparkplug life of 6 months instead
of as little as a single week.
All Bearcats that go through our shop at Economy 4 Cycle Marine are
updated with Electric Ignition, Electric Fuel Pumps, Stronger Charging
Systems, and with H. D. Water Pumps.
All this and Safety too. Bearcats share with all outboards
a record of nearly total freedom from a hazard which must be
recognized in all boats with gasoline powered inboard engines
either conventional or stern drive. This is the hazard consequent
of gasoline fumes or drips accumulating inside the boat. If
a outboard drips, it drips overboard, harmlessly.
Genesis of the Bearcat 55
 Adaptation of
a small high performance auto engine to outboard use was
begun by Lou Fageol and taken forward by the Homelite Division
of Textron, Inc., who marketed a largely successful unit
from 1962 to 1966. In that year the Fisher-Pierce Co. acquired
the engine and undertook to perfect it and integrate its
sale and service into the specialized distribution organization
developed in selling the company's famous Boston Whaler boats.
The outstanding performance and utility of the former Homelite
and present Bearcat are identical. But the Bearcat is incomparably
more durable and trouble free. This results from many small
improvements and a couple of large ones.
High Performance Valve Gear. With its overhead camshaft
and one piece cylinder block and head, the engine was always
comfortably capable of high speed and power. Fisher-Pierce
has given it the hardened valve seats and Stellite exhaust
valves which relieve owners of the need for frequent tune-ups
and extend life before overhaul for hundreds, even thousands
of hours.
It is routine for this strongest of engines to survibe 250
hours of test at continuous full power, a thing few if any
automotive engines can do.
Sophisticated-By-pass Cooling System. "Before Bearcat," Homelite
engines suffered from one of their own principal virtues! Having
clean, oil-free exhaust they tended to expose important parts
of the lower unit to hot corrosive fumes during the periods
when the engine thermostat restricted the flow of cooling water.
(The dirty oil-soot of 2-stroke exhaust reduces this problem.)
In the Bearcat, cooling water not passing through the engine
is by-passed directly to the exhaust system which is thus never
left without a protective flood of cooling. Besides this, the
cylinder block now remains full of water after shut-down, excluding
air and effectively preventing rust accumulation. Directed
internal water jets have been added to precisely cool the four
cylinder heads, which feature alone added almost as much to
durability as the high performance valves.
In common, sport and commercial fishermen, rental fleet operators,
houseboat owners, all share circumstances in which going first
class with Bearcat gives better livelihood, sport or enjoyment.
The fleet operator keeps his investment producing, protected
against accidental service interruption by easy engine swapping.
With 4-cycle features, he builds client goodwill!
The sport fishterman can venture on big water in a trailerable
boat he can store in his garage. He can forget his power plant
and need not stay in sight of the gas docks. He can move with
the fish.
The commercial fisherman saves hundreds of dollars a year in
fuel bills, not to mention less frequent downtime for repairs.
Economy 4-Cycle Marine
4305 Caterpillar Road, Building C Unit 6
Redding, CA 96003
Phone: (530) 241-7990 or (530) 241-2296
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