Where's all them old Engineers ??

mcbob · Post by **mcbob** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 10:56 pm

Well fellas there out there somewhere i know i ask where have all the fellas who designed these old Mac's gone yet their the ones who designed and gave us the engines we use today.

I know as the engine evolved it gave bigger and better power but the origional design had these basic ideas built in taking the odd gifted mind to unravel more improvements leading to bigger and better performance.

So again where are these fellas ??

Mc Bob.

Post by **Jeff Campbell** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:15 pm

Bob,
I think you really are asking who the engineers/designers where that designed the chainsaw motor lines that eventually were turned into kart engines around 1959? Those chainsaw lines used the standard and super motors motors, what year did those basic standard and super motors first appear on Mac chainsaws? It was after the move to California around 1946. These original engineers/designers must have been at McCulloch in CA, between the very late 1940's and mid 1950's. Of course, the guys that engineered the kart motors were forced to use motor designed based on the original standard/super saw motor designs, limited by the flexibility of the tooling in place to make those saw motors, and financially limited by defined max prices imposed by early karting organizations.

Jeff

Rob Voska · Post by **Rob Voska** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:12 pm

Lets do the math. The engineers were probably in their 40's to 50's back in 1960....+ 49 years makes them a cool 89-99 years old. Did ya check out retirement homes McBob? The rest of them are probably racin upstairs!

mcbob · Post by **mcbob** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:46 pm

Sorry fellas seems as though i need to take my shoes and socks off a bit more often and do do a little more advanced counting.

At times i sorta forget my age ........ and at 20 was in Vietnam and still serving my country while you guys were have a different type of fun on four wheels.

Mc Bob.

steveohara · Post by **steveohara** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:28 pm

Bob,

One of the Mac engineers in the mid 70s was Doug Milliken. He was a successful kart racer and he shows up each year for the vintage karters reunion in Riverside. I expect to see him at the end of January when the next gathering is held.
Was there a particular reason you were interested?
Regards,
Steve O'Hara

mcbob · Post by **mcbob** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:59 am

steveohara wrote:Bob,

One of the Mac engineers in the mid 70s was Doug Milliken. He was a successful kart racer and he shows up each year for the vintage karters reunion in Riverside. I expect to see him at the end of January when the next gathering is held.
Was there a particular reason you were interested?
Regards,
Steve O'Hara

Just wondering what they thought of our whizz bang ideas and mods to our engines and did they have any ideas that we haven't discovered yet .......... Thats all.

I have the need for speed so stay tuned folks ...............

Mc Bob.

Tom Luttenbacher · Post by **Tom Luttenbacher** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:04 am

Hey McBob, I turned 21 in Viet Nam, thanks for the reminder of my age....

Tom L

mcbob · Post by **mcbob** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:02 pm

Tom Luttenbacher wrote:Hey McBob, I turned 21 in Viet Nam, thanks for the reminder of my age.... Tom L

Same here Tom .................

Mc Bob ............ Phan-Rang 1970 -71 ............ 12 months in Uncle Ho's funny country.

Tom Smith · Post by **Tom Smith** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:47 am

McBob, I have a Mcculloch Facilities brochure that says the engineering department was staffed by over 45 engineers and draftsman responsible for turning out the tremendous number of blueprints for the saws and other products. Over 2000 people were employed by Mcculloch. I know there are very few people from the kart engine program still alive and the ones that are still around stay in touch with each other. Most of them were involved in product marketing and sales.
I like the scope of Mcculloch's LA plant. 11 buildings on 62 acres that contained 500,000 sq. ft. of office, manufacturing, warehouse space, auditorium, lounge, cafeteria, and 12 bowling alleys. They had a room where one guys job was to port and modify engines constantly, so I'd guess Mcculloch would have had as much knowledge as anybody about their products performance capabilities. The specially designed Research building had dynamometer rooms and testing stands that were used for a continuous program of research in metals, chemicals, and electronics. There may still be some retired Mcculloch engineers in Arizona. Tom

mcbob · Post by **mcbob** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:15 am

Thanks Tom.

Well i suppose time is catching up with those fellas but i marvel at the facilities Mac had and used no little pip sqeek group here i'm afraid, pity i didn't get the chance years ago to pay them a visit what a shot in the arm that would have been and to those who did get the chance i envy you.

Mc Bob.

Where's all them old Engineers ??

Where's all them old Engineers ??

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