'58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

[wjteegarden]

OK, so I bought a '58 Gale Buccaneer off eBay, got a great deal. Check the fuel fitting ??? call seller... NOT a pressure system (coulda saved the $50 he charged me for a pressure tank!) but equipped with a fuel pump (YAY!) Put the motor on the boat (14 ft Starcraft, rated to 20hp, pushing it a little! I know, I know...) row to the middle of the lake, then spend 45 minutes twiddling with the (unmarked!) mixture knobs and yanking the cord until I get it running. Determine the big/bottom knob is Fast mixture, left=rich, right=lean and top/small knob is Slow mixture (same) so now I'm King O' the World cruising around (careful! full throttle makes it porpoise something awful!) but the mixture knob keeps moving back toward rich and killing my power. Oh, and BTW my big butt plus that huge Gale on the back of a 14ft. car-topper means only the back 7ft. of hull is actually touching the water, so I can't even slide forward to the middle bench without losing the mixture setting.<br /><br />I'm automotive, not outboardish, so someone please explain to me why OMC ***HAD*** to put the mixture settings where one could twiddle them and the vibration could reset them??? Is there a way to stiffen up the knob action, or make it a click/detent thing to keep them from self-unadjusting?<br /><br />Also, am I running too much stoosh and in danger of going down stern-first? Any plane/angle adjustment to help keep the bow down?

 

[bigbrownbuku]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

where the screws enter the carb there is a firm plastic grommet meant to hold the screw in the location you set it. likely these are worn out.<br />pretty sure they are still available.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

Welcome to Iboats, Da_Buccaneer!<br /><br />Try tightening down the brass packing nuts just aft of the control knobs. If they're down hard and the controls still turn easily, then your best bet is to pick up a carb kit (~$25) and rebuild the carb. It's pretty easy and it gives you the chance to clean & update the innards.<br /><br />There ought to be a tilt pin built into the transom clamps like on small outboards. Sounds like you need to adjust that out a ways.

 

[bigbrownbuku]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

ooo even older then the plastic grommets. ive found sometimes the packing behind the brass gets gooey and wont hold tension on the mixture screws anymore.

 

[wjteegarden]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

Paul Moir: <br />Thanks for the reply. Tightening the packing nuts that the knob shafts go into sounds worth trying, but they are actually brass tubes with hex ends threaded into the carb. <br /><br />When I bought the motor there were rubber grommets on the shafts inside the cover, but those are just cosmetic, so I slid them outside the cover underneath the knobs (the fast mixture grommet had a shoulder cut into it to seat into the two cover halves).<br /><br />Any hints where I can get a carb kit for a '58 Gale? I hate to mess with the carb since the motor's running so nice (except for the mix knob creep).<br /><br />As for the tilt pin setting, out??? Won't that tip the prop up more and direct the thrust up and out, causing the bow to ride higher? Don't I want the thrust parallel with the keel? Or do I need to stamp "New boat-owning moron" on my forehead just below "Loser Engineer"? ;o)<br /><br />BenC:<br />Still puzzling your replies. The mixture settings are external knobs on long brass shafts that go into brass tubes before going into the carb, not screws.

 

[wjteegarden]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

Also, are the rich-lean settings below correct? <br /><br />Slow Mixture, Left/CCW=Rich, Right/CW=Lean<br />Fast Mixture, Left/CCW=Rich, Right/CW=Lean<br /><br />There were no decals on the knobs or cowling, so I experimented and guessed.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

I belive your Gale carb is the same as a '55 Johnson/Evinrude 25hp. So get johnson/evinrude dealer pn 439075 (aftermarket 18-7024). <br /><br />Take the knobs right off to adjust the carb properly. CW is lean for all controls. You're just cutting off the supply of fuel to the respective jet with a screw.<br /><br />The brass hex head at the base of the mixture shafts is a packing nut. If they're down hard, you need new packing.

 

[wjteegarden]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

Tried tightening the nuts, and they tighten plenty but tend to loosen with use. I guess it's time for a carb kit??

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: '58 Gale Buccaneer 25hp Mixture knobs

It would be a good idea. <br />Get the carb kit from the dealer. It comes with a new plastic float to replace the troublesome cork one. The carb is very simple and easy to clean & rebuild. Be sure to pull & replace the soft metal plug on the top of the carb so you can directly clean the low speed orifaces.