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LMR Engine (APPCO 1977 ad)
#1
LMR Engine (APPCO 1977 ad)

Will this be the engine to replace the McCulloch? This is the period where McCulloch announced leaving karting and returned with Horstman's comittment. 

.jpg   PW WK 197702 14 LMR APPCO.jpg (Size: 1.6 MB / Downloads: 42)
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#2
I very seldom see an LMR these days, so I guess they didn't take off.  Why?

Reeds or piston port?
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#3
Reeds with a lot of porting in that cylinder. Castings were crappy compared to the Italian engines. I had one of the very first LMR's off the line. Dan Lumello was at APPCO in those days, and he personally modified my LMR. I took the HR off and replaced it with an alky Mikuni. I also made a manifold plate so I could use two HL293A Hartman blueprinted carbs for short tracks. The engine was truly a rocket, but it was very unreliable. Mr. Lumello eyebrowed the exhaust port a bit wide, and the Dykes ring tended to hook on the edge. When that happened, usually at top RPM, it would rip the top ring land off the piston and pound the pieces of the ring into the head. I went through about five pistons and heads. It was fast as lightning when it ran! I had George Pollock build  me an open Atlas as soon as they came out. It was fast, but never as fast as that LMR! If it had had a driver better than me, it'd have been unbeatable. Someday I need to get the pix of my '75 Wasp/LMR scanned. Ted
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#4
They are out there. I saw one this weekend at Adams. Howard Kaplan has a pile of them left. Terry Ives has one he drug out to Davis Ca. vintage meet 2 or 3 years ago.
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#5
i have a bunch of lmr's. 
haven't run them as i have been running the mccullochs mostly.

four i bought from one fellow who i haven't talked to in years.
he was a good driver his wife better and they had a guy too.
he gave me the build notes direct from margays engine builder.
using those notes he built a fast motor.
he told me his lmr set up was undefeated an entire season till they blew the head off it in new hampshire. 
they were excellent design with crappy casting for sure. 
i'd love to see margay repop a few of these a whole sustainable vintage class could be built.

i've been told running them on gas tends to stick them they heat up pretty fast but randomly.
with better quality casting i'd bet they'd be pretty bullet proof .

d Cool
Dave L.
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#6
Dave, the castings would be the ticket. As I said, my open LMR was a rocket until it would let go. The port design was great. If IAME had made these, they would've won a bunch of championships. Mine was quicker than an open Komet K88, and as fast as a PCR Atomik. Charlie only sold my old open 100cc LMR, and my open 125cc LMR a few years ago. I bought the 125cc from Franklin Motorsports. They'd bought a semi trailer load from some guy, and the big LMR was in the stuff. Never figured who modified it, and I never ran it, but the mods were nicely done. I once outran a Kathey Hartman K88 at a backwater street race in Florida. You know me, I can't drive for $hit! TJ
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#7
hmmmm ted, 
methinks you are a little quick to deny skill. 
my guess is you were a holy terror back before time got ahead of you.

theres a possibility i'll pull a few of my lmrs out , maybe even soonish. 
not sure of my direction on gear yet still getting used to it being so quiet around here.
i do have some unexpected rough roads dealing with probate but that too will pass.
anyway we'll see what happens when it does!
d Cool
Dave L.
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#8
Dave, my Pop could drive well, but I made up for my mediocre driving talent with fast engines. It's like when you're a small kid, carry a stick for an equalizer! At our old Rockledge, Florida track, I knew the thing like I knew the back of my own hand. I did O.K. there. When we went to the big Casselberry Checker track, I wasn't very good. It's like Tucson. Either Bob Kurkowski, Pruit Ginsberg, Sue Cubel or Terry Ives can lap in my Photon far quicker than I can. What the heck, I still have fun. Ted
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#9
Ted,
 you represent exactly what i love about vintage karting. 
it doesn't matter if your fast slow or even drive much.
 the spirit of having fun doing what you love is what is great to see. 
because we all are like that to some degree , is why vintage karting is so fun . 
d Cool
Dave L.
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#10
Dave, you need to join Bob Kurkowski and come out here for Dean Kanocz' event in November. Some good karts, some good driving and some great barbeque! We have a good time and a lot of bench racing. Plenty of karts for you to drive! TJ
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