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This "Detachable Rowboat Motor" was originally produced in 1911 by the Speedaway Boat Motor Company, 162 Chicago Street, Freeport, Ill. (see ad) It had battery ignition and generally resembled the Evinrude Detachable Rowboat Motor except that it had a rudder and a specially designed gas tank.
The tank was circular and located immediately below the flywheel. Being about the same diameter as the flywheel it required a side filler spout. This was bronze and soldered to the side of the sheet iron gas tank. It had a narrow orifice making use of a funnel necessary. With its circular shape and centre hole the tank resembled the shape of an angel food cake and for its support necessitated vertical elongation of the upper crankcase half of which housed the journal bearing. The large flywheel was superimposed over the tank and gave the motor a top heavy disproportionate appearance.
By 1914 the company was known as the Spinaway Boat Motor Company. Its location was
listed at various times as 259 Chicago St., Freeport, Ill.; 221 S. Chicago Ave., Freeport, Ill.;
and 300 S. Chicago Ave., Freeport, Ill. It was owned and controlled by Hoefer
Manufacturing Company. Whether the company had changed hands or had undergone
some form of financial reorganization is not clear. The motor at that time was basically
unchanged from the original except that the iron mounting bracket was redesigned with
curved sides rather than angular as before. Its colors were moss green, bronze and aluminum.
Throughout its production the Spinaway single was fitted with a solid iron flywheel and
battery ignition. However by 1916 an optional model had an external Bosch magneto geared
to the crankshaft. This method was used in several makes of that period such as Ferro,
Anderson and Miller and represented a transition from battery ignition to
flywheel magneto.
At some time subsequent to 1910 Spinaway replaced the Boach external magneto with a
flywheel magneto made or the Quick Action Ignition Company of South Bend, Indiana.
According to Van Fleet in his Book "The Four Men from Terre Haut” this company was a
successor to the older firms of Knoblock-Heideman and Miller-Knoblock. In Bob Grubb’s
opinion this company made virtually all the flywheel type magnetos in the 1915-19 period
except for Evinrude.
Meanwhile the Johnson Motor Wheel Company became associated with the Quick Action
Magneto Company and moved to South Bend in early 1918 for the purpose of manufacturing
the Motor Wheel which was actually a motorized bicycle. It used the dependable Quick
Action magneto and by the end of 1920 some 17,000 units had been produced. It is probable
that the company continued to supply Spinaway and other outboard makers with the magneto in this period.
About 1921 the Johnson firm began a transition from the Motor Wheel to manufacture a
light water cooled outboard engine to known as the Water Bug.
The Quick Action magneto was modified for use in this motor and disappeared as a source of magnetos for other makers of outboards. Spinaway turned to Evinrude using Evinrude style components in its flywheel magnetos for singles and 1923 then in 1924 for its twin cylinder models.
An advertisement for Spinaway in Motor Boating Magazine in August 1922 quotes a price of $90 for the battery ignition model and $95 for the magneto version.
Up to 1923 all Spinaway motors had a simple bronze carb which appeared
to be patterned after the Lunkenheimer design.
It was little more than a mixing chamber and was fitted with a needle adjustment and check valve. It resembled that seen on Evinrude and Caille detachables. The only speed control was by advancing or retarding the spark. In 1924 both single and twin had Zenith Detroit carbs.
The early Spinaway singles had no muffler. A squarish manifold conveyed exhaust back
and downward, curving at the rear to an underwater exhaust pipe, a method not commonly
used at that time. (see ad) The inscription "Spinaway, Freeport, III., USA" appeared on the
side of the exhaust manifold. The1923 single had a horizontal above water cylindrical
muller. The same inscription appeared on the side of the gas tank.
The use of brass and bronze in the single Spinaway is quistriking. This includes all
components below the crankcase except for the iron mounting bracket. Even the steering
handle is brass. The letter “S” is distinctively cast on either side of the bronze steering
support tube surrounding the driveshaft housing.
The heavy iron cylinder has a bore of 2 5/8” and is a massive affair with a unique four port
induction system. There are two interconnecting bypasses accessible from the outside by
removing three bolts and a cover plate. By preloading the main bypass it is possible to
scavenge exhaust more efficiently before the main charge enters the bypass through a
window in the piston skirt. The only purpose for this unusual system of induction would be
for the scavenging of the spent gasses from the cylinder before the fresh charge
comes in. In the Evinrude system, and some others, a portion of the incoming mixture was lost through the exhaust port whereas in this system a larger portion of fresh fuel is available for
combustion.
The cylinder flange is cast with serrations at its base. These engage with a raised portion of the bronze steering bar on its upper surface, thus acting as a kind of “Co-pilot”. The manufacturer claimed this would hold course when the operator let go the motor.
The piston is likewise thick and cumbersome being made of iron and having a single ring 1/2” wide. It utilizes a heavy bronze connecting rod. The piston is between 5 and 6 inches in length and with the rod weighing 2 1/2 pounds. The stroke is 2 5/8”. The spark plug is Champion X with 1/2” pipe thread.
As with many other motors of the era the powerhead remains stationary being bolted to the mounting bracket. The steering handle turns the lower unit and driveshaft housing along with the brass rudder rudder fixed to it. By loosening the two large supporting bolts at the mounting bracket and also two wing nuts at the circular brass quadrant, the engine can be adjusted for transom rake.
The other outboard motors of this period appear to have similar underwater components,
the Northwestern and Wilcox-Mckim. It is possible that the three contracted with the same brass foundry for reasons of economy.
The iron driveshaft consists of two square members, one telescoping within the other. By
loosening the bolt on the outer bronze collar the brass driveshaft housing an inner driveshaft can be adjusted vertically for the particular boat transom height at hand.
Cooling is conventional with the usual brass plunger pump operating from the propellor shaft, The water is pumped through a rubber tube to the side of the cylinder and another one from the top
of the cylinder conducts it to empty into the exhaust manifold. Some of the models had a copper tube to discharge water overboard. This has the distinct advantage as the operator could check visually to see that the motor was being cooled. The brass propeller has two relatively broad blades and a diameter of 8 3/4”.
The twin cylinder motors introduced in 1923, at 46 pounds were much lighter as compared to the single’s 63 pounds and developed 3 H.P. at 1400 RPM. The single was rated at 2 H.P.
at 1,000 RPM.
Bob Toffey has written a most interesting description of his experience in operating his single cylinder Spinaway through this range of power. "'The Spinaway is & violent motor to run. With its long stroke powerhead it is like a jack hammer at slow speeds. One definite weak point of the motor is the
way the gas tank is mounted. There are no brackets, only a press fit around the upper main bearing and the connection at the carb. This press fit is nowhere near tight enough (at least on my motor) to
withstand the heavy vibration of the running motor. It rattled and banged and broke the carb connection. I have sleeved and soldered the connection and plan to shim the tank mounting area with rubber or leather before I run it again. On the positive side I was surprised at the speed the motor would run at. I would guess I000 RPM plus, much faster than the Evinrudes and Cailles I have run. It starts easily and is fairly quiet as far as exhaust goes anyway. The exhaust pipe does tend to come out of the water at high speed and there is some cavitation.”
The problem of the vibrating gas tank was corrected tor later models, mine has a bronze
bracket securely fastened by three bolts through the crankcase halves. A portion of
bracket Is formed as a straight edge at the rear to serve as a lay down.
Spinaway motors were sold in 1924, but after that here is no further mention of them
In the marine literature. Webb's book, "The Pictorial History of Outboard Motors"
mentions continued production of the Spinaway from 1933 to 1935. It is possible that motors were made during that period but at this writing nothing has been found in the literature
about these engines nor have any been heard of.
During the decade following the initial success of the Evinrude detachable there were
many similar crude and heavy single cylinder made, each having slightly different characteristics but all operating in similar fashion. They were a test of the back and of the spirit of their operators.
Their operators were by necessity, innovative, patient and optimistic. The motors served a useful purpose but during the twenties twin cylinder models were developed which were lighter, better starting and generally more dependable.
Assistance of the following members is gratefully acknowledged: Richard Hawie, Phil
Kranz, Art Doling, Bob Toffey, Walter Davis, and Bob Grubb. |
