Reply To: 1956 Johnson RDE-18E

[Don]

OK, well it is refreshing to hear of such an honest guy like the seller…. Sounds like you are hunting down needed pieces, you will find everything eventually. Next, I would do a compression test to make sure the powerhead is serviceable. Then, I would drain the gearcase. There are two large fill drain screws, one is just about the ventilation plate, the other is well hidden under the snoot in front of the gearcase. Please do not remove the phillips screw that is on the skeg, this will cause the shift linkage to fall apart inside. Remove both fill and drain screws and let us know what you find…
Let’s approach this problem slowly, and not rip into too much at once. Will text you. Don