Re: oil/fuel ratio on '56 30 hp Johnson
I wouldn't use straight 30 or 40 weight (automotive) to lube the wheels on my lawnmower.<br /><br />Fireman, no offense,

but the reason your engine has done OK with it is because you run the engine a lot and it spends most of its time at operating temperature.<br /><br />They (OMC) recommended it back then because, that's all that was available.<br /><br />The lubricity of todays TCW-3 oils is light years ahead of that old stuff. The molecular structure is much smaller which lets it get into places that straight 30 or 40 can't dream of. It also has useful additives to help prevent nasty things happening, such as ring sticking.<br /><br />True, the ratio is 24:1, however, I've run my 1958 Evin. 7 1/2 for years at about 40:1 using modern oils. One heck of alot less smoke and it idles better.