Re: RDE-18 powerhead to exhaust plate/gaskets

[William Jatzek]

OLCAH, maybe I can shed some light on the little plate with no tubes on it as compared to the plate with the 2 water tubes on it. First of all my 1956 Johnson was my first attempt to bring a old outboard back to life. The man who helped me was John Dodge He lived on one of the Bass islands in Sandusky Bay Ohio. He was was giving a short seminar about 1950’s OMC engines at a wood boat festival in Huron boat basin. He inspired me to revive my 1956 Johnson 30 HP. which did not run for years and was seized up. He spent many hours on the phone with me and taught me how to properly go over a 50+ year old engine and make it reliable again. Every time I use this engine( and it does runs sweet) I always think kindly of him and how as a stranger he took the time to help me. But getting to the little plate. My engine when I took it apart had the plate with the 2 water tubes but the tubes were corroded short so at the time the part number was still good at the Bombardier ( Evinrude ) dealer where I was buying my parts so I ordered it. When I got the part it was the plate with no holes in it and it had instructions that the part with the 2 Tubes was superseded by this block off plate and the instructions said to install this plate and take a drill bit I think it said 1/4 inch diameter and drill about three or four holes inside of the above water exhaust outlet hole to the inside of the lower leg to let the exhaust gas out. I did not want to do this modification on my engine so I just got another used plate with the 2 water tubes in good shape and installed it in my motor. If you could look in the above exhaust outlet in the leg that the plate with no holes came off of if the exhaust I would be curious if this modification was done. Let me know. Hope this helps. Bill,