It would take a little more evidence to state what it is or is not.
1940 Kiekhaefer Mercury K1 single had ID stamped into rope plate
1940 Kiekhaefer Wizard WB2 single also had ID stamped into rope plate
1940 Kiekhaefer Sea King single had ID stamped into port side of clamp
bracket.
1941 models had ID tag attached to tower/exhaust housing with rivets.
1940 Kiekhaefer, water pump housing had 16 square intake holes
1940 cylinder and water jackets are different from 1941 versions
Most if not all 1940 Kiekhaefers have the streamlined aluminum tower
exhaust housing.
1940 models have cylinder and water jacket held to crankcase by nuts and bolts 1941 models use bolts screwed into threaded holes in crankcase
Making absolute statements about Kiekhaefer made outboards is not
possible as Kiekhaefer at times used old stock to make new outboards
and also used carryover parts from a prior year to make initial run
of next years production. You have to judge what you see by asking
is it consistent (not altered with non original substitutions) is it the way
Kiekhaeger did things. Sometimes the answer has to await experience
and the opportunity to study other examples in close detail.
Steel gas tanks rust, so there are more old motors than tanks. I have
a K2 with that problem.
I have found that good clear digital photos need lots of extra light, steady camera and plain background. Even so, some photos turn
out better than others so take several. What you see is not exactly
what the camera sees…reflected light and different angle of view
have to be allowed for. If the background is to cluttered, viewing the
photo can be like finding a needle in a hay stack.
Louis
