Parts and service for Homelite 55 and Bearcat 55 and Bearcat 85 4 stroke outboard motors
Bearcat 85 Photos
The Fisher Pierce Bearcat 85 outboard story, abbreviated version:
First off, nearly every one of these is broken.
If you have one we have parts for them, & the expertise and experience to service them. However, if you want to sell yours (recommended) we purchase them. Send an email to outboardr@yahoo.com to inquire about parts, service, or to sell yours if it is broken (likely).
There are only a few of us in the country that run Bearcat 85hp outboards. I know of 4 people in the country that have running examples, & every single one of us has had a steep learning curve replete with numerous equipment failures. They were made in limited numbers, and during their short production run suffered many design revisions.
I am often asked about the difference between the 55 and 85 Bearcats. Bottom line is the 55 is a much more technically refined workhorse. The 55 has 5 main bearings and a gear-driven camshaft whereas the 85 has only 3 main bearings (no kidding!) and chain-driven camshaft. The 55 was a vastly better product, suitable for the masses. The 85 is suitable for a small number of skilled mechanics that are hopeless Bearcat enthusiasts. End of story.
First off, nearly every one of these is broken.
If you have one we have parts for them, & the expertise and experience to service them. However, if you want to sell yours (recommended) we purchase them. Send an email to outboardr@yahoo.com to inquire about parts, service, or to sell yours if it is broken (likely).
There are only a few of us in the country that run Bearcat 85hp outboards. I know of 4 people in the country that have running examples, & every single one of us has had a steep learning curve replete with numerous equipment failures. They were made in limited numbers, and during their short production run suffered many design revisions.
I am often asked about the difference between the 55 and 85 Bearcats. Bottom line is the 55 is a much more technically refined workhorse. The 55 has 5 main bearings and a gear-driven camshaft whereas the 85 has only 3 main bearings (no kidding!) and chain-driven camshaft. The 55 was a vastly better product, suitable for the masses. The 85 is suitable for a small number of skilled mechanics that are hopeless Bearcat enthusiasts. End of story.
My friend Scott & his sister have two running, here are a few pics. His sister also has another incredible speedboat, we'll get pics of that soon, I hope...!
Port front of Bearcat 85
Starboard front view of Bearcat 85 outboard
Port side of Bearcat 85 powerhead
Starboard view of Bearcat 85 power head.
Stern view of Bearcat 85.
Port front of Bearcat 85
Starboard front view of Bearcat 85 outboard
Port side of Bearcat 85 powerhead
Starboard view of Bearcat 85 power head.
Stern view of Bearcat 85.
BillR's 85 Bearcats.
I have owned several Bearcat 85 outboards over the years.
What these pics do not show is all the calls and emails back and forth between Scott and myself sorting out all the problems. There are at least 4 different manifolds for these engines, they were released from the R&D Lab too soon. Bottom line is they are tricky, and not recommended for anyone but a skilled mechanic. In fact, there was never a service manual nor even a completed owners manual for them.
Shot of my first Bearcat 85 pushing my Skagit 20 cabin cruiser in Saratoga Passage off Whidbey Island WA.
Shot of Bearcat 85 running at dock. You would not believe how many hours it took to get to this point.
Another Bearcat 85 nearly ready to run summer 2008.
Starboard side of Bearcat being prepared for functional test.
I have owned several Bearcat 85 outboards over the years.
What these pics do not show is all the calls and emails back and forth between Scott and myself sorting out all the problems. There are at least 4 different manifolds for these engines, they were released from the R&D Lab too soon. Bottom line is they are tricky, and not recommended for anyone but a skilled mechanic. In fact, there was never a service manual nor even a completed owners manual for them.
Shot of my first Bearcat 85 pushing my Skagit 20 cabin cruiser in Saratoga Passage off Whidbey Island WA.
Shot of Bearcat 85 running at dock. You would not believe how many hours it took to get to this point.
Another Bearcat 85 nearly ready to run summer 2008.
Starboard side of Bearcat being prepared for functional test.
