My Fully Restored Mercury Mark 20H Popper & Hal Kelly Jupiter Hydroplane
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- This is the 1st test run of my fully restored 1962 Hal Kelly Jupiter & 1955 Mercury Mark 20H Popper. After approximately 9 months of constant restoration work, both the Hal Kelly Jupiter and Mercury Mark 20H live to roar down the lake once more! My father and I are happy to have preserved a piece of hydroplane racing history, so it can live on for many years to come.
I've got more seaflea/hydroplane videos! Why don't you check those out too?
My Award-Winning Hal Kelly Wetback: • My AWARD-WINNING Hal K...
Fly'N Eagle A-Class Hydroplane: • Fly'n Eagle | 'A' Clas...
Glen-L Tiny Titan Hydroplane: • Tiny Titan w/ 15HP 2-S...
Have a Mark 20H or vintage outboard and need help? I suggest the following websites. The people running them are very knowledgeable and helpful with restoring these older engines:
John's Old Mercury Site (Paid Membership): johnsoldmercurysite.com/phpBB...
Aeroliner Race Boats: www.aeroliner-boats.com/
Aeroliner Race Boats Parts & Engines Store: store.aeroliner-boats.com/
⏱Timestamps⏱
0:00 - Launching and Mark 20H Warm-up
1:18 - Getting in the Boat
1:46 - Planing for the 1st Time & 3/4 Throttle Test
2:30 - Full Throttle Test (Rough Water)
3:32 - Full Throttle Test #2 (Calm Water) (Fastest Pass)
4:48 - Full Throttle Test #3 (Calm Water)
6:25 - Heading Back Home
#goboldly #mercury #Mark20H - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Fun Fact: My new neighbours called the police on me for a noise complaint and the officer showed up a few minutes after I turned the GoPros off. Too bad I wasn't still recording that interaction with the neighbour and the police officer. In the end, all is well and I did nothing wrong! 😂😅
I will be making an additional video to this one. I documented the entire restoration process for both the 1962 Hal Kelly Jupiter Hydroplane and the 1955 Mercury Mark 20H Popper. So, if you're interested in the restoration process, be on the lookout for that in the near future. There is a lot of footage to comb through and stitch together in chronological order.
If any of you out there have parts, props or old memorabilia for the Mark 20H, let me know in the comments section and we'll get in touch about pricing!
Someone always have to phone the cops, people are sh1t.
To be fair, this engine was designed in the 50s and has an above-water exhaust. No one really cared about noise back then. Now, people are a little different. Although I drive the boat far away from other cottages, as not to annoy them. But, this neighbour has had it out for me for a while.
@@WiltshireTutorials : Wow.... Super pumped to the max on hearing the exhaust notes from the 1955 Mercury Mark 20H Popper.... Yes it was no different starting up the 383 Challenger R/T with Thrush glass pack mufflers....Shook the dentures right out of the mouth of Grandpa's everywhere ! lol
@@WiltshireTutorials : Noise and exhaust pollution is a fact for these water toys of yesteryear !
@@scarborosasquatchstation1403 Oh absolutely. The oil to gas mixture ratio for this engine is very high. It's about a 20:1 mixture ratio. Quite a bit of oil. Newer engines are 100:1 or better. Then again, I don't drive it on a daily basis so.
They did the same to me with my Popper, wrote me a ticket, however, I went right back out again after they wrote it, came in and they wrote a second ticket. They left & I continued to run. Then I went to court with proof with Mercury documentation that stated it was an OPTION in 1959 as it was a STOCK exhaust for a 1959 Merc 20H and that fact was also supported by the APBA/AOF & NBRA rule books that I brought to court and the courts had no choose but to grandfathered it and dismissed all charges with no fine. Now I run with no fear as the water patrol got an education on what stock is. Sometimes you just got to stand up for your rights, and to be honest, the Popper is no way NEAR as loud as my Quincy Gas modified 20H or my B-1 22 cube Mod as them 2 really are too loud.
I now have my one neighbour following me wherever I go filming me when I go for runs with the 20H Popper. He even purposefully tries to cut in front of me with his boat. Not too smart because the 20H is direct drive with no gears... Unfortunately, I wasn't filming with the GoPros to catch that on camera... I also have a lovely witch hunt facebook thread about me and the Popper going around where people are giving out my personal details; where my cottage is, where I'm from, my name, etc.
It's not going to stop me from running a piece of history and enjoying myself. History should be preserved, not buried. I'm not doing anything wrong either. I obey the law and run the boat FAR away from others. Safety is my top priority when I run my hydroplanes. Sure, it is loud. I understand that people don't like the noise. I run the boat maybe once a month for 10-15 minutes due to that fact. I've tried to be considerate of other's feelings towards the noise and all I get is stalking, verbal abuse and harassment. This also includes my parents and girlfriend. Which really upsets me, as they have nothing to do with it.
So, I'm going to run the boat whenever I want and not worry about how they feel anymore. I'm done with trying to be civil with reasoning with them. Every time I try to have a civil conversation with those who have an issue, I've invited them multiple times to tie up at my dock to talk about their issue, all I get is verbal abuse. I've offered to compromise with them many times, but they're not interested.
So, I'll be recording each and every run from now on and if they have a problem with me running the 20H, I'll see them in court.
@@WiltshireTutorials I have a 55h and a few people have complained but like you i only run it 15 mins at a time and only few and far between. if they have a problem with that I don't really care the motor is stock and its history. nobody else has a boat like that and lots of people actually like the uniqueness
@@stampedex2 would love to find a 55H for myself some day! Beautiful engine. Do you have any video or photos of it? Would love to see it! I do my best to not make people upset with it. I ran it the other week on a river and a bunch of people stopped by to talk to me on the dock about it and all really liked the uniqueness of it, like you mentioned.
@@WiltshireTutorialsczcams.com/video/acXpEu-bRn8/video.html
I see you're in Ontario, become friends with the guys in the Toronto outboard racing club. They still race these and they know a lot about them
Nice rig. I'm a lifetime fan of the Mark 20s and 25s. Sounds great!
Glad you like it! There's something about the designs of the Mark 20s and the Mark 25s that I've always loved. Works of art. They don't have engine designs like those anymore.
Love the “quick silver lower unit” and the mark 20! Great job!
Thanks, Cary! Glad you like it! They're very hard to find, let alone parts for them, these days!
Isn't that commonly referred to as a "Quickie" ?
Correct. The technical name for it is a Quicksilver Lower Unit. A lot of people shorten the name to "Quickie"
Oh man !! I built one about 40 years ago !! I’m 66 now and next winter going to build another!! It was probably the most inexpensive boat I’ve built and still the most fun ! I’m looking for a Merc 44D if ya see one let me know!! Awesome job BTW, I’ve watched the video about 10x now!! lol
Happy to hear you're going to be building another fresh boat! Would love to see some photos of it finished, when the time comes! I'm not familiar with the name Merc 44D? Are you referring to a Merc 44XS? I'm glad you liked the video! You can see more footage of the boat in action here: czcams.com/video/N-BiUZrY6kQ/video.htmlsi=SsxY6n55VS0UdFIV&t=1402
I’ll check out your other videos after I write this! (Had to watch this one again! lol) ya, I kinda got ahead of myself on the engine. It’s a 44xs, I was probably thinking a D hydroplane. I know I have some pictures somewhere of my old boat, not many as it was back in the “film” days. Haha!😂
@@terryanderson7957 I've been looking for several years for an XS engine. Can't seem to find one around my parts. Good luck with your search!
Thanks for posting this. I love all classes of boat racing. I have a nice Mercury Mark 20, 16 hp. We didn't use it for racing, just cruising on a 14 foot boat. Is the 20H a high performance model ? Mine does not have the gold paint, its silver. Your 50 mph from that motor is a pleasant surprise to me. Them old Mercs are very high quality with the cast aluminum shrouds and all.
You're welcome, Harry! The Mark 20 is a beautiful engine and I hope I can find one in the future! I just love the design of the Mark 20H and the Mark 20! The design is so timeless and always turns some heads.
As for the 20H, the 20H is a high-performance model. It was sold between the years of 1954-1956. It was specifically designed for hydroplane racing with a direct drive gearfoot and a shortened shaft. The engine itself has bigger porting on it compared to the standard Mark 20, it has a different crankshaft centre main bearing and a bigger carb. All of these differences allowed the Mark 20H to have much more compression compared to the standard Mark 20. For example, the engine you see in the video has 160PSI of compression on both cylinders. The standard Mark 20 probably has about 120PSI or slightly lower.
There is more speed to be had out of the Mark 20H. It can reach the 60MPH range, I just need to tweak a few things on the boat and find a smaller diameter prop. The current prop I have on the engine is a little too much and stops the engine from reaching the RPMs needed to run at the mid 50s range. We'll get there though! That's the thing about racing hydroplanes; you never stop tweaking to eek out a bit more speed!
@@WiltshireTutorials Dear Sir, thanks so much for the good info. I learned a lot. Your boat and motor are beautiful. I also love the old Merc straight 6. They are referred to as the "Tower of Power". The largest they went to was 150 hp. Carl Keikhaefer believed in the straight cylinder block. After he died, the big Mercs went to the V block. Their 450 hp racing outboard is a marvel. My Mark 20 hasn't been used in years and it may as well go to a good home. Always kept indoors and looks good. If you might be interested, I can send you pics. Has the tank and a spare prop.
@@harrybarry2291 Of course! You're welcome! The tower of power really was something at the time. The first to push 100HP, which would have been mind-boggling at the time. Their 300R and 450R are really impressive. I still have a preference for the V6 2-strokes though. My father has had a V6 Black Max 200HP since 1986 and it's one of my favourite engines thus far. Oh really? That offer is tempting. I'll have to check-in with my father on that one. We're running out space for things! I'd love to see some photos of it! You can send them to this email:
wiltshiretutorials (at) gmail (dot) com
Men were a lot tougher back then. If you didnt have bad knees you would by the time you got back to the dock wow that is impressive
My knees do hurt a little bit after a long ride.
@@WiltshireTutorials I bet man and you are a young buck . My old 60 something knees would blow out get a cherry picker and pack my ass out of the boat I cant move or walk .
@@madmanmechanic8847 it gets harder and harder each year and I'm only 29. I can't imagine what I'll be like in my 60s 😅
@@WiltshireTutorials I still run a Marine repair business and restore muscle cars my I refuse to slow down. I will never retire if I can just keep moving Yeah you are a young buck cant imagine having a aches or pains . The shit I did in my twenties I cant wouldnt even last 15 minutes now yeah the bod goes to hell quick hahahah
That's the best way to be! Keep moving and be active while you still can. Life is much happier when you keep active!
Beauty set up ! I have a Jupiter as well ...Hunting for the right Merc for it ...Cheers !
The Jupiter is one of the most stable rides out of all the boats I've driven. There's something about its design that I really like. Good luck finding a Merc for the back of it!
@@WiltshireTutorials Thanks Buddy !!
@@WiltshireTutorials It sure is a Stable Hydro! Thanks and yes hoping to find a good 20 or 20 H . I do have a Face Book Page on these … Hal Kelly Jupiter .. Cheers !
Both are awesome motors. If you don't mind doing a bit of tweaking and messing around with timing and the direct drive lower unit, Mark 20H is the way to go. Oh really?! I'll have to check the group page out. Unfortunately, I don't have Facebook though. Is the group open to the public or is it private?
@@WiltshireTutorials Private but it is a new group … I am trying to figure a way to show you mine lol
No E P A
So much fun
I'm Canadian, so we don't have the EPA. We have a similar organization though
Beautiful lake and amazing restoration work! Where is this?
Thanks. I'm glad you like the restoration. This is in Northern Ontario, Canada. I don't like to specify what lake for privacy reasons, as I have a cottage there.
@@WiltshireTutorials Wonderful! Yes, northern Ontario is really pretty! I was just wondering whether this was east or west coast, mystery solved ;)
Love the old hydro set-ups! Glad you and your pops saved this little gem, I was curious though, what's the deal with the blue bungee cord? Don't sweat the noise, sometimes good times are loud.
I'm glad you like it, Richard! You have no idea how happy I was to get everything back to running condition! I have a soft spot for the older timeless designs of boats and outboards. The bungee cord is so the engine doesn't kick up and into the boat. There is no safety tilt lock for the Mark 20H. So, if I hit a wave hard enough, I could be in a whole lot of trouble. Truthfully, the bungee isn't strong enough and needs to be replaced with rope instead. I'm not too worried about the noise complaints. I've already had an officer tell me I'm not doing anything wrong and have been reasonable compromising with others. It's an hour drive to my location from the police station. The officer pretty told me they won't come back for a simple noise complaint again.
@@WiltshireTutorials Yea me too bud, I love the old boats and the small hydros and runabouts. They hold a special place in my heart and I see in yours as well. I got a story for ya. My grandfather hitchhiked to Florida from Rochester NY with his buddy in the mid 1930s. He got hooked up with Willard and Bruce Crandall and started building boats for them at Bradenton Beach on the Gulf side of Florida. The Crandall brothers offered him room and board in exchange for building the boats. After the boats were built and featured in magazines like Field & Stream and Popular Mechanics the Crandall brothers would receive their money from the magazines and then give the boats to my grandfather to sell for the rest of his pay. He brought 4 of these boats to Sandy Pond NY on the eastern end of Great Lake Ontario in the mid 1940s. He bought a summer cottage there in 1945. He sold off all the boats except one, a ten foot twin cockpit hydro/runabout that was possibly the first boat constructed of Marine Plywood, a new material at the time. Long story short I learned to drive performance boats on that tiny set up. I only had a 1958 Johnson 10HP motor on it but it ran like the wind, a real performer. My grandfather passed in the late 1980s and the boat was left to me, I found a Mercury Mark 20 in his basement and I used that motor for a couple years in the early 2000s. It ran in the high 30s and the motor had so much torque that I was breaking sheer pins if I mashed the throttle to quickly. No wonder he hid motor that from me and only let me loose with the 10 horse, I was only 11 at the time, lol. When I took that Mercury Mark 20 motor to my mechanic he found triple ring pistons in it, super high compression and a lower with no reverse or neutral but not in a quickie housing, mysterious. Well that's how these old guys were, they had secrets and went fast as hell! I run a slightly newer and bigger set-up now, a 1975 Baja V-1600 with a 1979 Johnson 140HP on it, check it out on my channel if you want. I still have the old hydro in my garage and plan a full restore for her 90th birthday in 2028. Thanks for your vid I loved it and holler anytime to talk boats man. Keep that speed up and the exhaust poppin!!!
@@RHJ3 So sad you take the time to tell people your stories and just get blown off no reply just a stupid heart. I quit talking to people and telling stories you just get blown off no replies people have quit talking or socializing times have changed. Well I love the story I do Marine repair for a living and love the old boats just like cars thanks for sharing
My apologies go out to both yourself and @RHJ3 I didn't mean to blow him off. I actually really appreciate people sharing stories of the past and what things were like. There aren't too many guys left who actually raced these boats and engines. History should be preserved not forgotten.
I tend to answer a lot of comments while on the go at work and get distracted by my work to the point where I end up forgetting to finish my response to the comment. I also get many comments per day regarding other topics and sometimes things get buried.
@@madmanmechanic8847 looks like you got Willshires attention, lol. its all good, at least you liked my story.
Mercury outboard. Nver new what what the actual H P was. Mercury just put a number on the motor
The H stands for hydroplane. It was meant for racing because it has a shorter shaft, direct drive lower unit, the pistons are different and the porting is bigger.
The engine, according to the Mercury Master Spec Sheet, was rated for 16HP+. The horsepower gets higher the higher the RPM is. At about 8000RPM the engine runs at 24-26HP
@@WiltshireTutorialsH actually meant "hydro short" as a shorter midsection than the "standard" racing engine they offered with the quicksilver midsection and quicksilver gearcase.
For God's sake son ! You are in a race boat capable of 60 mph or more. Where the hell is your life line jacket and bell orange helmet !
I raced Alki's, mod pros 250 hydro.
Don't see a recue boat out there. Apparently you have no idea what could happen out there ! Ask me how I know !
I end or end a brand knew cloth deck C hydro Mod first time out after dad built it for me and that was around 77 mph.
On the Kalamazoo River. No rescue boat. Thankfully it landed right side up and I was able to paddle it back to the race trailer.
74 M.
F 74
You're jumping to conclusions. I have a helmet and an impact jacket. I also have a watch boat following as well in this video. My father was in it. Wasn't wearing the helmet or jacket, as it was on order at the time and this was a quick test. My father and I had just finished rebuilding the boat and the engine. This was also near the end of the season, so I had to run it then and now or next year. I do have idea of what can happen because I've witnessed blow-overs while attending race events. I'm sorry to hear about your incident and I'm glad that you are still here to tell the tale.
When your number is up man upstairs will call you done some crazy things on my pond am still here at 75 yrs
Sorry the story on the 454 King Cobra I restored for over a year and the story on the Scarab was boring. Just a heart icon Good luck
Not boring. I'm just busy. I get 100s of comments a day and comments get buried really quickly. I was also on vacation out of country and forgot to reply. I use the heart as a way of showing people that I've read their comment and will get around to replying. At least I read comments and do my best to reply to people, unlike most. I'm only human.
@@WiltshireTutorials Oh okay I just saw there was only 56 comments on this post in over a year just thought I got blew off no interest on my restoration of the Cobra and the 21 foot Scarab Performance boat I will be getting running and posting on You Tube .That is not that many replies in a year. Oh wow that's cool thanks for sharing your story! Good luck on you You Tube channel ! I took time out of my day to share a story that I thought you would of been interested in? Would of taken 5 seconds out of your day .Thanks for the reply Good luck on your Your tube .I really enjoyed your video BTW Have a good one
This video is more niche than what I normally produce content on. I mostly do computer videos. My other hobby is hydroplanes and outboard engines. So, it's expected to have lower comment numbers on it. Also, not many people know what a Mark 20H or a Hal Kelly Jupiter are.
Looking forward to seeing more content in the future. The more creators the better! I did take a peek at the jetski video you made as well. Nice job 👍 I'm going to go back and re-read your previous comment about the Skarab and get back to you on that thread!
I'm glad you liked the video as well!
@@WiltshireTutorials Thank you for the reply bud and clearing some things up , I did not know you did PC videos that is very interesting . That alone I could see keeping you very busy . Thank you for the complement on my video I know you are just being nice it wasn't that great but I needed to start some where . It took me over five years to get enough courage to force myself to learn to edit and I still have a lot to learn I was so scared and have no clue why? The editing truly frightened me and I was intimidated by it. I will tear down a stern drive on a Mercruiser and completely rebuild it but scared to death of editing go figure. I am sorry for my remark now. People dont realize or know what another person is going through or how busy they are. I am in process now of restoring a Matching number Chevelle its a factory four speed car. I have been over 6 years on it frame off . It truly kicked my ass when you have no help . That is going to go up on my channel also. I know you were just being nice on my video but thank you anyway for the kind words. Keep up the good work my man you are doing good ! 🙂
No worries at all! I also work full-time on top of CZcams, so I don't get too much free time throughout my day. I work 10-12 hour shifts too.
Everyone starts somewhere! My first videos 15 years ago weren't very either! The hardest part is just picking up the camera and posting your first video. Takes a lot of guts for someone to put themselves out there. You know what I mean?
Mercruiser stern drives a pain to take apart. You're taking it completely off, watch out for the universal joint, got my finger jammed in it once! Thought I was going to lose the tip of my pinkie finger!
Good luck with the Chevelle as well! Have a numbers matching one is something special too! Look forward to seeing you work on that too!