Dick’s passion was racing model boats, and when it came to building his own engine, he started with a set of “Water Witch” castings. Unhappy with the Westbury design, he made several engineering changes, which include a custom machined hollow sleeve that he sealed to the cylinder so water could be circulated through it for better cooling. Another innovation is his uniquely machined engine mount that doubles as a high-capacity oil reservoir. Finally, he machined a light-weight aluminum connecting rod and piston that was engineered to increase compression. Finished in 1983, the engine burns gasoline on spark ignition. This is the first model engine that Mr. Pretel built.
“Water Witch” Single-Cylinder Marine Engine
