Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 1955 Johnson 5.5 hp converted to single fuel line with pump puking oil or carbon › Reply To: 1955 Johnson 5.5 hp converted to single fuel line with pump puking oil or carbon
These motors called for a rich 16:1 fuel mix because of their design, which was using sleeve type bearings on the rods and mains instead of needle and roller style bearings. They also tend to run cold as they don’t use a thermostat to control engine temperature like the ’59 and later motors do.
A cold running motor can’t burn off as much oil as a hotter thermostat temperature controlled motor can so running it in a barrel is going to leave a big oily mess on the water and it will also run out of the exhaust onto the floor while being stored upright. It’s just the nature of the beast and wont be noticed much while running on a lake. Adding a bit of dish detergent to the water will help keep everything clean.