johnson 1963 JW 18 R

[mrhabitat]

I’ve just started working on this motor. It starts and runs. I’m concerned about the water cooling system. When running I get a little water spray out of the 4 port holes just below the hanger bracket, is that enough or should that be addressed?

[fleetwin]

Well, you will only see a fine spray coming out of those holes, that is normal. It is hard to say whether or not your engine is overheating without checking the actual powerhead temperature. Keep in mind that it is normal for the exhaust manifold/cover to get “hot”.

[seakaye12]

If you hang around this forum very long you will notice that replacing the impeller should be one of the first things you do when bringing an old motor back. It’s cheap insurance against some very serious damage.

So; if you have not already done so…..I would suggest that you replace the impeller and have a look at the other parts of the water pump assembly. Sometimes you will find impeller blades broken or about to break. If that happens and those rubber bits get stuck in the cooling passages it can be quiet a task to clear them out.

If you need help feel free to ask. It’s a simple job and the parts are available and quite inexpensive.

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