Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 57 Johnson 7 1/2 Starts but won’t run › Reply To: 57 Johnson 7 1/2 Starts but won’t run
Like Frank said, it is common to see some water leaking from the shift handle shaft area. It might only be a bad O-ring but it’s also possible that when you take it apart, the exhaust housing where the shaft lives, is worn out and oversize. If it were me, I would let sleeping dogs lie, on that one.
As for fuel mix, if there was EVER an engine model just dying to throw a connecting rod through the crank case, it’s a fifties 7.5 OMC product. Ask me how I know this. I would strongly, VERY strongly, advise AGAINST a 25:1 ratio on that engine. Use 16:1, like it was designed to use. Spend an extra nickle and save an entire engine.
Long live American manufacturing!