Re: 1969 Johnson 25 HP forward gear upgrade

[DAN ANDERSON]

Don may remember it differently, but many things were done over the years to help this gearcase take on more horsepower and torque as the engine it handled grew in cubes. The final fix was the three lug setup, but was expensive! On the early attempts they were trying to keep the forward gear in place so that it could not move forward away from the clutch dog (shifter). This was done better by a radial bearing and thrust washer than a bronze bushing. Especially if some water was present in the lube. I think everyone has taken one of these gearcases apart and found the bronze bushing oblong and wollered out.

Dan in TN