Home Forum Ask A Member Thor opposed 2 cyl.

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  • #5991
    Alan Pelot
    Participant

      US MEMBER PAY BY CHECK

      I purchased a Thor last night. I think it is a 1936-37. S/n T-7347, it is a 2 Cyl.
      The only info I can find was a paragraph in the Old Outboard Book stating it is somewhat rare.
      It is complete and in good condition. The tank is rusted and has a dent
      If anybody has information or comments I would be interested. The flywheel is stamped Thor and Cedarburg Mfg Co. I think that is before Kiekhaefer purchased them?
      I am curious if it is rare?
      Thank you. Alan


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      #49958
      PM T2
      Participant

        Canada Member

        Rarity is a relative term. "Rare" might be accurate in portraying how many male relatives I have that don’t display the signs of pattern baldness, but I would not use "rare" as an adjective describing a Thor twin. I have owned a few Thor opposed twins in my time as a collector, and seen many others.

        The tanks are sheet metal, and prone to rust. They are also thin-walled stampings, so prone to dents and dings.

        Your motor is indeed pre-Kiekhaefer. He took the Cedarburg Manufacturing Company over in early 1939. Some early motors used a lower unit with an angled profile on the leading edge, others were rounded like yours. I’m not positive when or why they installed one style or the other.

        Thor outboards are built primarily out of steel stampings, which was Thorwald Hansen’s specialty. The rebuildable or replaceable bearing inserts (especially those in the powerhead) are prone to wear, and if the upper crankcase bearing gets worn out, these motors will not start easily or run properly. You can check the clearance by pulling the flywheel from one side to the other to verify if there is side wobble present or not. If you can see or hear the crankshaft clanking back and forth in the bearing, she likely needs some rehab work before it can be run.

        I’m not certain that your Thor has the correct carburetor on it. At the very least, I do not recall ever seeing a carb like that on any Thor but somebody else might be able to chime in on that.

        They were supplied with Eisemann and American Bosch magnetos, I think yours has the A-B type on it, just like the last of the small Caille single cylinder models used until they were discontinued in 1935.

        Here are some scanned images that I have on file.

        EDIT – I do not understand why this page will no longer allow me to attach JPEG files. When attempting to upload jpegs, I get an error message that files only with the .TIF extension are "expected".

        Error

        Image file type mismatch: expected extension tif but extension jpg given.

        WTF is up with that?

        ANyway – Hope this helps, but even I can’t view the attachments at the moment.

        Best,
        Chris S

        He's livin' in his own private Idaho..... I hope to go out quietly in my sleep, like my grand-dad did..... and not screaming, like the passengers in his car...

        #49959
        Alan Pelot
        Participant

          US MEMBER PAY BY CHECK

          Thank you for the information. i have never seen a 2 cyl Thor so I am pretty excited. I was very surprised how heavy it is. The steel stamping explain that. The carb did jump out at me, it looks out of place but I am not sure. Need to see a few more photos.

          Thanks again

          #50016
          Tubs
          Participant

            Your carb seems to have been used at some
            point during the years of production.

            A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

            #50021
            Alan Pelot
            Participant

              US MEMBER PAY BY CHECK

              Thanks for the photo. It seems everything is correct. Just need to repair or find a new tank.

              #50033
              Mumbles
              Participant

                The pre Kiekhaefer Thors used mixing valves. That’s why some of the first Kiekhaefer ’39 motors came with carbs while some were still using up the old stock of mixing valves. The rounded skeg appeared in ’38.

                #50041
                Alan Pelot
                Participant

                  US MEMBER PAY BY CHECK

                  Thank you for the information. So is my motor a 1938 with a mixing valve?

                  #50045
                  Mumbles
                  Participant

                    Yes, your motor falls into the 1938 serial number range. In the photo it looks like your motor does have a carb but it could have been installed at a later date.

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