Twin turbo 409‘s that powered a record-setting boat ...????

409gang

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
I took these pictures of those motors at Lamar Walden Automotive back in 2014 when I went down there to pick up some engine parts. Lamar told me the engines were out of a record setting offshore boat, I thought they were way ahead of their times as who would ever expect to see turbo charged 409's from back in the 60's.

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427John

Well Known Member
According to the article linked above the 41' record setting boat had 4 of these 2 in tandem on each shaft,did Walden have all 4 or just the 2 in the pics?Also is that boost hat also a combination water to air intercooler too?
 

DonSSDD

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Supporting Member 2

409gang

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
According to the article linked above the 41' record setting boat had 4 of these 2 in tandem on each shaft,did Walden have all 4 or just the 2 in the pics?Also is that boost hat also a combination water to air intercooler too?
I think he told me he had 2 of them and all 4 pictures are of the same engine, the other one was somewhere else in his shop. I didn't realize until I read that article that there were 4 with them being coupled together in tandem, thats a lot of 409 torque and horsepower!!!
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Maybe someone could contact Rob Walden and get some more details on the engines, I'll bet he still has them.
Does no one read what was said before up top? I already talked to him about them sometime ago. I don't think he knows what the specs are himself. I believe his dad picked them up some time ago and they have just been setting ever since. Also, I thought the article said there were two kinds of engines on that boat. I'll go back and read it again.
 

1964SuperStocker

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Supporting Member 3
So there were just the two W motors on board and during the trip they had to fix a "manifold" (intake or exhaust is unknown) in 30 minutes. Had a couple of fueling pit-stops that were really slow. My fuel truck back down in texas would have been way faster but no idea what their fuel system/tank looked like or the special 950 gallons of fuel used. So between the two engines on board 1500hp is impressive for the time. Would also explain the over engineering on the turbo set up. Big cast pieces were used for durability I'm sure.
 

427John

Well Known Member
So there were just the two W motors on board and during the trip they had to fix a "manifold" (intake or exhaust is unknown) in 30 minutes. Had a couple of fueling pit-stops that were really slow. My fuel truck back down in texas would have been way faster but no idea what their fuel system/tank looked like or the special 950 gallons of fuel used. So between the two engines on board 1500hp is impressive for the time. Would also explain the over engineering on the turbo set up. Big cast pieces were used for durability I'm sure.
The article reads that 2 375hp turbo v-8's are hooked in tandem to each shaft giving a total of 1500 hp.375 x4 =1500.The super seamaster 534's I mentioned earlier were rated at 400hp and 657 ftlbs and used a near identical twin turbo setup,so the 375 hp rating seems to fall in line with a marine 409 which was pretty much the same as a truck 409 internally with twin turbos.The beauty of this twin turbo setup on a truck engine is lots of power at low rpm's and built to last.I still can't make out if that boost hat is also an intercooler,but looking at other pictures of the boost hat used on the seamaster it looks very much like it was a water to air intercooler also.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
The article reads that 2 375hp turbo v-8's are hooked in tandem to each shaft giving a total of 1500 hp.375 x4 =1500.The super seamaster 534's I mentioned earlier were rated at 400hp and 657 ftlbs and used a near identical twin turbo setup,so the 375 hp rating seems to fall in line with a marine 409 which was pretty much the same as a truck 409 internally with twin turbos.The beauty of this twin turbo setup on a truck engine is lots of power at low rpm's and built to last.I still can't make out if that boost hat is also an intercooler,but looking at other pictures of the boost hat used on the seamaster it looks very much like it was a water to air intercooler also.
Found more information. Better get your reading glasses out and a cup off Coffee, there is a bunch to go through. The W motors on test stands, promotional products and one of the engines (all 4 lined up).
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/c...-Johnson-s-Quad-Engine-41-Record-Breaker-1964
 
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