Fuji Outboard???

[Ron Hill]

Same company that made Fuji Film???

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Ron:

I think I remember that the Yamato company that built the motors imported here into the US, both the Model 80, 102,202,302, etc., series., AND the alky racing motors, was owned by a parent company called FUJI Industries. They (FUJI), IF it is the same FUJI company I am thinking about, is a quite large integrated company with many other companies under the umbrella, including shipbuilding, aircraft manufacture, and other heavy industry. Many Japanese companies are like this, one large company, owning many smaller companies, manufacturing a multitude of products.

The way the Japanese structure their companies, I would not think it unusual at all if FUJI film company was under the same umbrella. Don't have absolute knowledge, but I would think it is certainly possible. If you are further interested, perhaps "GOOGLE" FUJI, and the website might have a list of associated companies as corporate sites here in the US do.

ADD: I am intrigued by the 6 cyl "C" motor in the photo. I notice that the photo and article on the "B" Yamato is written by a person named "Kaneko". Eileen and I know him quite well, and he entertained us and showed us around in Tokyo some years back, and we returned the favor when he was here in the US for several National and World championships held here in this country, when the Japanese Motor Boat Association sent drivers and equipment to participate. He was an official with the association, and is now retired, but I will send him an e-mail and see what he might know about the "C" motor. Evidently it was not very successful or it would seem they would have imported it to the US........., or, maybe not.

We still get a Christmas card from him every year.

[Bill Gohr]

yes, Fuji is a large engine company, they used to build Polaris' engines

[Mark75H]

The opposed 6 is a big surprise to me, I've never seen or read even a hint of such a motor.

For a short period the Fuji 4 cylinder B motor held the BOH record. This was about a year after the piston port Konig V motors came out. Very soon after, Yamato came out with an identical motor.

I don't know if I read it some where or just assumed that Fuji had also put in a bid to make motors for the Japanese gambling circuit ... and then Yamato acquired the tooling and engineers for the Fuji motor; becoming the Yamato RB and RC alky motors.

If Bill Van's friend can confirm or deny this, it would be great.

At about the same time the Yamato & Fuji crews attended the Worlds in Germany and a few teaser pics from there exist as well. I've been looking for more info on these for decades. In the German pics, there is no clue to the configuration of the Yamato alky motor.

[Mark75H]

Here are the pics from AOMC's Outboarder regarding the Fuji and early Yamato alky motor. I see they Yamato is designated "MT-5" ... completely different designation from the later "RB" which is clearly a later generation of the Fuji with the same designation.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

On the Seattle Outboard site, various models of the engines used in parimutuel betting racing in Japan are represented. There were several before the Model 80, which is probably the first that was widely knowN here in the US, being imported by McKean at that time.

The 80 is shown as being mfgd by "World Motor" or something similar, and I remember that name being on the manuals furnished with the motors also. A previous motor is shown as being mfgd by Fuji, and other previous and then later models after the 80 are shown by other companies including the name Yamato.

Would be interesting to know if all these various named companies were under the umbrella of Fuji, and since the number of motors for this purpose were relatively small, the manufacture of same was farmed out to smaller companies and this was the reason for the number of companies that made the parimutuel motors that we are familiar with, i.e. Fuji or whoever changed the companies several times for whatever reason.

I have to think that the Japan Motor Boat Association had much to do with the specification that the motors were built to, as they were the controlling body for the parimutuel racing in Japan. I think they still are and are now known by the name "MARIS". Hopefully my friend will know something about this history if I am able to get in touch with him.

Most folks here in the US would probably be most familiar with FUJI as they are the parent company of Subaru. I looked briefly on the Fuji web site, but did not see any thing that
would obviously connect them to Fuji film.

[Mark75H]

I thought 80's were actually imported by Tom Ige?

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

The first I remember about the Model 80 and boat racing here in this country was a special PRO commission meeting at the PRO Nationals at Hinton, W.V. (when Elvis died) and the Model 80 concept/engine was introduced, and consequently approved by the PRO category as a novice or beginner class, as AOH or what is now known as 250CC had gotten too fast for a beginners class in the PRO Category in most folks opinion, and it was felt by most that a beginners class in the PRO category was needed, and the Model 80 fit the bill perfectly, price wise and all other aspects. I seem to remember the engine was about 375.00/425.00 with prop and steering bar when it was first introduced. I do not remember whether the presentation was given by McKean or not, but he was said to be the importer of the engine, and most if not all of the Model 80's sold for use in the PRO category (Formula 350) were purchased from him, at least the ones I was familiar with that were sold in Texas and the Midwest. I am pretty positive about my memories regards this, as I was on the committee that wrote the rules for the Formula 350 class at it's inception. Not to say Tom Ige was not involved, just that McKean was the "public face" of the Yamato importation of motors into this country when it first started in the 70's. Later on I understood from Harry that Tom was more into the Model 80 and later models, and not so much into the "Alky/Racing" motors per se. Perhaps Ron could shed some light on this as based on previous posts I have seen from him, he and Tom were friends.

Some time later I found out from Harry ZAK that Tom Ige was also a distributor on the west coast, but I personally had no knowledge of him for several years after the motor was first introduced by McKean. I did get to know him later after I was introduced to him by Harry, at DePue one year I believe. Tom was a big help in getting some "semi-finished" pistons without ring grooves from Yamato, that Harry then fitted with one "L" ring. This was the style piston that my record setting engines had in them. Tom also was interested in the RB class and had several engines worked on by Harry, and did compete in the class to some extent.

I know Harry was given a motor (or several) by McKean in return for making a "cutaway" of one that was used by McKean to show interested parties just how the motor was constructed internally, and the quality that went into it. That cutaway showed all the internal working parts. It was a beautiful job and I have often wondered what happened to that engine.

[Ron Hill]

Someone needs to ask Jim McKean, but it seems Tom Ige was like the main importer, but Jim McKean was considered a distributor, the same that Tommy was.

Tommy seemed to like the model 80 with the stinger and kept trying for the RB kilo record. He blew over in a kilo run and broke his back, and sad to say like most boat racers who get injured, it ends their career.

Not long after Tommy's blow over he sold out and return to his native country (State) of Hawaii. He used to be listed in the phone in Maui, but isn't listed anymore. My brother tried to look him up last year, but we feel Tom Ige is gone!

This is the full article on the Fuji Outboard.

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

McKean, from the time I first knew him in the early to mid 70's, always indicated he was the main person that was responsible for the Yamato engines being in the US.

NOT TO SAY HE WAS OR WASN'T, just that was the impression I and others got from him in that time frame. I never heard him mention Tom Ige, although if he was trying to build a business around selling Yamato engines, both the type used in the parimutuel racing in Japan, and the "racing" variety, it is not unusual to NOT mention any other competition you might have, by anyone, not just Tom. As mentioned, I did not hear of Tom until several years after the introduction of the motors.

That would not be unusual for someone who lived and raced east of the Rockies, as I did, because for most of us east of the Rockies, California was a foreign country as far as boat racing was concerned. The only time you saw anyone from there was at DePue and Alexandria in the time frame we are discussing. That is the way I became aware of the Goff and Hagness and Rhoades and Daniels boats, of which I had several and did well with them for a couple of years. Also met some very nice folks from out that way.

I believe I remember that McKean was from California before he moved to Texas because of his job with Continental Airlines. Perhaps if Ige was the main importer, and they were both in California at the same time, that is how McKean hooked up with the Yamato deal back this way??

I was certainly ALWAYS under the impression, as were most others on this side of the mountains, that McKean was the main person insofar as the Yamato engines were concerned, rightly or wrongly. I would think most others east of the Rockies, here and in that time frame, would tell you the same thing.

It is a bit of history, certainly a large part because of what the parimutuel motors did to help boat racing (some in the stock category say it saved it) in the US.

I did a little search on Yamato Motors Ltd., and came up with information from the company web site (all in Japanese, but it translates for you) that the company was started in July of 1951 with starting capital of 1 Billion. (Yen I suppose) The first name was "Sasakawa Industrial Co., Ltd.", and they started manufacturing motors in Tokyo in 1958. They also build all the boats used in the parimutuel racing and in July of 1971 a company called "Motorboat Co., Ltd. FUJI in collaboration with World Co. Ltd., was established. In 1978 both these company's merged together. In 2001 as new plant combining all manufacturing of boats and motors was constructed. The location of this plant is not clear because of translation problems.

They also make a very nice tachometer that I have never seen before that is sold for "racing hydroplanes". No cost given on the site, and I have never seen it advertised here.

One of the products this plant makes is a "rescue" boat powered by what looks to be about an 85 HP engine that is used in the event of an accident in the parimutuel racing, and possible other type racing there also. The boat has very low sides on each side between the front area where the controls are (enclosed cockpit area) and the rear where the motor is transom mounted. Best I can tell they can haul the whole boat/motor involved in an accident right up onto the rescue boat and get it off the course quickly, probably to expedite removal of damaged boats so as to get the races moving again as quickly as possible. Unlike our rescue boats here, it is not a pontoon type, but a V bottom type boat, but looks very well suited for the job intended.

ADD: I wonder if the motors manufactured by "Fuji" that Ron mentions in the post above, were just marketed under the Yamato name, because that name was well established and recognized here and around the world by that time. I have a lot of questions to ask "Nikko" if I can still get hold of him.

Also looks, by the date on the pictures in the paper Ron posted, that these "Fuji" alky racing motors were being run in 1970, which of course is prior to the introduction of the Yamato brand here in the US>

[Mark75H]

I'm pretty certain Tommy Ige was the guy who supplied Yamato with a couple new KG7Q's to copy back in the 1950's ... giving him an inside connection.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I have a copy of that same page that Ron posted. I always thought it weird to look in my collection of packrat news articles to have only one page of that magazine....now I find that Ron has one also.:cool: Without looking at it, I think it came out of an outboard tabloid of the day, and I am thinking that Ron and I must have both been handed the page in Portland, Oregon at the APBA Convention, or maybe at the APBA Convention held at Ceaser's Palace in Las Vegas. Tom Ige was at one of them, and I think it was Portland, but I could be wrong. I will see if I can find a date on one or the other sides of the page.

I am like you Bill Van. I always thought Jim McKean was the importer of Yamato's until I met Tom. He was associated with Jim, and I took a picture of Tom at Yelm once when we raced there and Jim showed up, but was not racing. I didn't pay much attention at the time, but I was a little bit confused at finding out that Tom imported Yamatos. I thought they had separate territories. Since I didn't run Yamato's I didn't think anything more about it. Scott Smith's Konig distributorships didn't really mean anything regarding territorial lines, and dissappeared after the original dealerships fades, so what else was there to wonder about.

However, I did get a long e mail from someone several years ago regarding Tom's importation of the Yamato's. He said he was a partner or associate of Tom's Yamato importation. He laid out a scenario where he and Tom were in business together on the importation of Yamatos and how things were supposed to go but didn't. I lost all my e mail from when I corresponded with him, but I know some of the facts he laid out were true. He did not want for me to post any of the things he made claim to,...only to lay out the facts from his point of view, and he did not want me to give out his name. From what he told me, it followed the facts that I was personally aware of, but added much that I did not know. I happen to believe what he told me was factual.

Jim McKean is a friend of mine and I have seen him several times since I got this correspondence. I never asked about it because it serves no purpose, but since being with Jim and Tom Ige together several times, I'm guessing Tom was the importer of record for Yamato. Whatever other deals there were....maybe we will find out more later.

ADD: Regardless of who actually was the Yamato importer, I don't think there can be any question but that it was Jim McKean who got them accepted and when the Japanese brought teams over to race...that was Jim McKean.

[Ron Hill]

I think Jim was from Texas before he came to California. I often thought Tom Ige helped the Japanese build the Yamato. BUT Jim McKean made serious bucks in those days flying and he may very well have been the guy that got the deal together. Tommy had been in the military and had just retired when he moved to California...

In an old 1952 See and Spray, I think, Tommy had written a letter to the editor saying he was in the military but liked racing boats.

Anyone got Jim McKean's number, we should call him!

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

about your comments regards McKean and the efforts he made to get the Yamato 80 approved in the PRO category in that time frame, and also his connections with the drivers sent over from Yamato to compete here in the US. If you look at almost any video taken when a Japanese team is represented here in the US, you will generally see McKean somewhere in the picture. I never saw Tom (that I can remember) in that postition. As mentioned in my earlier post, Harry ZAK was quite enthused about both the Model 80 and the PRO motors being brought over starting in the early to mid 70's and I never heard him mention Tom Ige until later on, probably late 70's, it was always McKean mentioned insofar as parts availability, motor specs, etc., and I never heard him mention Tom until Harry started working on the Model 80 as an RB engine. Harry had a lot of input into the rules governing the RB class also, and was the Chairman of the RB tech committee. Tom was very helpful with Model 80 parts to Harry when Harry was doing a lot of RB/Model 80 work for me and others. I never asked why Harry was going to Tom for parts later on instead of McKean, perhaps price had something to do with it.

That lack of business with Tom at first could have very possibly been because of Tom Ige's location in California, and I don't remember him at DePue until the RB class came along in the early 80's, but I never heard Harry discuss any reason for it.

I did not know until Ron's earlier post that he had broken his back in a Kilo attempt. I know Harry did lots of work for him doing some of the same modifications to a engine for him that he had done for me. Any idea how fast he was going when the accident happened??

[Ron Hill]

I can recall this...Tom Ige was dedicated to the concept that the MODEL 80 woul last longer than I would. He tried to pull my brother on water skiis in Needles and the boat went backward. My brothe could pull Tommy...JT Snaowe (The Future Pro Baseballer) and my nephew Bunker Hill tried like hell to wear a Yamato 80 out, but failed.


I went from thinking the Yamato was "JUNK" to thinking it was gold.

By the 1977 Bakerfield Natioanls we had 26 B "LOCAL" HYdros as we called the model 80. Our Novie class, the brass prop class, somewhat like NorCal 400 (Later to become OSY 400) has 13-16 boats each race...

MOD VP was gowing like crazy...I had two MOD VP's running 6-8 times a year, and I lost rack of the Yamato deal, partly, becasue they started letting people cut on the geracases, grind ports....

In '77 I had a new Bezoat DSH, that would run 76 MPH at Indio...72 MPH at Bakerfield, and Tommy's RB was faster than me. BUT I usually could beat him becuase I had raced for 22 years and he was a new driver. Tommy and I were great friends, worked boat shows together.......but I told him, injuries cause people to quit racing. He supported the club with advertising...and raced at every race.

I broke the 35 SS Runabout and 35 SS Hydro KILO RECORD IN THE SPRING OF '77, but Tommy didn't get hurt then...We ran kilos at Parker between Christmas and New Years, 1983....Jim McKean broke a record or two as did Denny Henderson...but Tommy wasn't running an RB then...

I don't know when he got hurt. I do know his wife never like SoCal....They lived in a bad area of Gardena....In fact, now that I think about it, Tom offered the distributorship before he sold it to Rick Montoya. At the time, I said, I wanted to put all my effort to MOD VP....That was before Mercury ruined the class!

[Bill Van Steenwyk]

Ron:

Thanks for the additional info about Tom Ige. I did not know him well, but we spent time together when he came back to DePue, and we talked about the Model 80 RB engines a lot, as that was both the baseline engine for the class, and what we both were running.

Regards your comment about the Yamato, "from JUNK to GOLD. and the boys trying to wear one out:

Harry ZAK said that if one were run in the "stock configuration" or as they run them in Japan in the parimutuel racing over there, they would probably run forever, or at least go a long, long, long, time before the rings wore out enough that lowered the compression and the motor would not start anymore. The key to the engine's longevity, according to Harry, was everything in the engine (rotating parts) was built to withstand about three times the HP and RPM the motor would develop unmodified, with the two very small reed valves and openings for same in the crankcase, and the small carb on the motor. Just could not get enough fuel in the engine when it was un-modified to exceed the RPM it was designed to operate at with a LARGE margin of reliability.

The engine I set the Kilo record with still only had one 25MM carb on it, but it was very highly modified otherwise, intake and exhaust port wise (Harry made new sleeves from LA Sleeve blanks) and many other things also. Main problem we had towards the end is I was running the motor about 10.5 to 11K and even with the crank balanced it vibrated so bad as any two cylinder alternate firing engine is bound to do, that I was breaking the Yamato cast aluminum tower housings that we were using at that time. Two or three races would completely crack a tower housing all the way around. We had to go to a Harrison tower housing to stop that problem and other things started breaking and falling off due to vibration, primarily pipe brackets and such. That was the straw that broke the camels back as far as the motor being competitive anymore against the Quincy Z motor in RB, as it used a full circle Yamaha based crank and was much smoother at high RPM. In addition we were at a displacement disadvantage as the Model 80 was about 25CC smaller with the largest pistons available as the Z motor was a full 350CC.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Seems like Jim at one time lived in Arizona. That may have been between California and Texas. When he moved to Mabank, Texas a hundred miles (or maybe less) southeast of Dallas, he was officially working out of San Francisco. He would catch a plane from DFW and fly to his base in Frisco, then fly the non stop route for Continental between San Francisco and Tokyo. He flew only every 3, 4 or 5 days I forget. The non stop took so long, they had to rest up a few days before the next one by FAA rules.

I get emails from Jim fairly often, but I don't open them anymore. About a year ago he must have switched to a different provider and they want me to give them my cell number to open it. I don't know what that would lead to, so I've missed out on some very good pictures of some of Sean's racing in the last year.

[Mike Ward]

This is a photo I took of the 6-cylinder racing Fuji motor located at the Yamato factory in 2018. 70587

[David Weaver]

My dad was co-race director with Pop Augustine of the 1977 PRO Nationals. I recall answering the phone one night, shortly before the nationals. It was Tom and he wished to discuss some logistics about the Yamato team coming to Hinton. The team was very nice and curious about the US style of racing. I certainly recall Jim spending much time with that team.