Home › Forum › Ask A Member › Newbie Questions Restoring 1957 Johnson 18hp FDE-11 › Re: Newbie Questions Restoring 1957 Johnson 18hp FDE-11
Sure is a mystery how that crank got bunged up that way….No signs of rust on the bearings, so the bad lower seal theory does not hold water! That one piston is done for sure, finding a decent used crank should not be difficult or expensive.
Resealing those crankcase halves is an extremely important step that must be carefully done, or you will have crankcase leaks. The 847 sealer or the anerobic stuff (OMC gel seal or equivalent) is fine, but the gel seal is much more sensitive to proper prep than the 847. In either case, there will be crankcase leaks if the halves are not properly cleaned, mated, and prepped.