12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

[restornator]

All i know is that it's a Gale Buccaneer, 12HP (known from what's left on the starting intructions decal), has this style cosmetics:

The ID plate on the transom bracket is missing, and i can't locate anything on the powerhead. This motor has both a fuel pump and on-board gas tank, also there is a motor flush at the top of the exaust housing, under the throttle gears

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Well, that's strange. The side of the engine shroud says 5. It looks as though it is a 5hp because it has the same motor leg as the CD Johnson of 1954-55. A built in gas tank is a cool feature on that. Does it also tank a remote tank as well?

 

[ezeke]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

12 HP was available in the following models/ years:

12D10B 12 1951-53
12D11B 12 1954-55
12D13B 12 1956
12D14B 12 1956
12D15B 12 1957
12D17B 12 1958
12D18B 12 1959
12DE13B 12 1956
12DE15B 12 1957
12S10B 12 1951-53
12S12B 12 1956
12S13B 12 1957
12S15B 12 1958

My guess is 1957.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

I can't believe that is a 12. That has the same motor leg as the 54-55 Johnson 5.5 and 54-55 Evinrude 7.5. A 12hp Buccaneer full shift would have the same leg as the 54 Evinrude 15hp Fastwin or Johnson QD of the same year. They typically are behind the other OMC models a couple years, when it comes to the parts. A lot of Gales/Buccaneers are built with leftover Johny/Rude parts. The engines that Gale builds for Seaking are typically direct drive motors and a totally different design that what is built for the Buccaneers. The Gale/Seaking 12hps were direct drive with built on tanks, but 12hp Gale/Buccaneers were full shift with remote tanks. The Gale/Seaking 5hp was a direct drive and sometimes with the older Johnson TN lower unit, where as the Gale/Buccaneer was a full shift lower unit and like yours, a built on tank.

 

[F_R]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

That is a 1956 Buccaneer 5hp Deluxe, model 5D12B or 5D13B. One differeance between the 5D12b and 5D13B is the throttle gears. But it could have been upgraded.

The fuel pump kit was a factory accessory kit.

I was a mechanic in the Buccaneer dealer's service shop when that thing was new. Does that date me?

The "left-over parts" story is a myth. Phooey.

EDIT:
restornator, I doctored up your photo so I could see it.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

I don't know. That motor leg says otherwise. Johnson and Evinrude quit using that style of leg in 1955. If they're not built with left over parts, then obviously, the tooling is sent over to Gale, when Johny/Rude upgrades to newer. Nissan did this a lot and their old tooling went to Mexico

 

[bktheking]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Does that date me?

No F_R, you're still young.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

No F_R, you're still young.

Hey, you're only as old as you feel. It's when you remember when the A-25 came out, is when you can say you're old

 

[bktheking]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Hey, you're only as old as you feel

You got it! F_R can still type, make cool stuff using metal and machinery, he makes perfect sense and remembers everything under the sun. If you still have your marbles your young IMO.

 

[F_R]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

True, Johnson and Evinrude used that style up through 1955, then went to the quieter rubber mounts and full hood. Gale used it through 1959. Do you really think OMC produced a four year supply of excess parts? Somebody would have gotten fired if they did. In 1960 Gale went to the same leg as J/E, side by side. Hardly "left-over" parts. The tooling never went anywhere. Johnson had the biggest die casting machine in the country at the time, and made all the castings for all three divisions. Evinrude made all the crankshafts and stuff.

The REAL reason they didn't make the switch to the rubber mounts earlier was because Gale made motors under store-brand names like Sea King, etc. There simply HAD to be some difference between them and J/E because nobody would have bought J/E if they could get the exact same thing for less money at Wards. And J/E dealers would have been furious. They weren't too happy anyway and it was they that started the "old parts" myth. And they killed the Gale line in 1963.

Besides, the particular 5hp Gale we are discussing here did not have the same powerhead as J/E. Nor the same nice flip-up cowling.

I was there.

 

[restornator]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Sorry for the confusion guys. It's a 12 hp. The color, decal, and the emblem with the pirate are the same as that little 5 hp. The picture isn't mine. I can't find any pics of 12 HP Buccaneers, just the goodyears and sea kings. If the 54 Evinrude 15 had no rubber mounts, then i guess this would be like that

 

[F_R]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Sorry for the confusion guys. It's a 12 hp. The color, decal, and the emblem with the pirate are the same as that little 5 hp. The picture isn't mine. I can't find any pics of 12 HP Buccaneers, just the goodyears and sea kings. If the 54 Evinrude 15 had no rubber mounts, then i guess this would be like that

OK, with that added information, if the color is exactly the same, brown and green, then you have a 1956 Model 12S12B or 12S13B or 12S14B. The numbers vary according to certain mid-year engineering changes. The "S" in the number means "Standard".

They made both a "Standard" and "Deluxe" model. The "Standard" had the old spring mounts and the intregal gas tank. Again, fuel pump was an accessory. The "Deluxe" came with a fuel pump and remote tank, no built-in tank. And it had the same rubber mounting system and lower unit as Evinrude and Johnson.

The powerhead is similar to the 15hp J/E, but it is NOT the same.

EDIT: This is the 1956 Ad. Can you spot the errors? The advertising dept was way ahead of the production dept and the ad is full of goof-ups.

EDIT EDIT: Here is the page from the brochure for the 1956 Deluxe model. Sorry about the quality of the picture, I can only do so much with what I received.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

Well, you know how it goes when you hear and read different "myths" or stories. I can see why the J/E dealors would be upset, when a lot of the Gales were pretty much the same thing at a lower price. I had a 5hp once which was about a 1963 vintage and like you say, the powerhead was quite a bit different. A lot of Gale built 5hps didn't have detachable heads. The later 5's actually had water jacket covers like the Mercs of the 60's. So I see what you mean about differences in the engines.

 

[restornator]

Re: 12 HP Gale Missing ID plate

OK, with that added information, if the color is exactly the same, brown and green, then you have a 1956 Model 12S12B or 12S13B or 12S14B. The numbers vary according to certain mid-year engineering changes. The "S" in the number means "Standard".

They made both a "Standard" and "Deluxe" model. The "Standard" had the old spring mounts and the intregal gas tank. Again, fuel pump was an accessory. The "Deluxe" came with a fuel pump and remote tank, no built-in tank. And it had the same rubber mounting system and lower unit as Evinrude and Johnson.

The powerhead is similar to the 15hp J/E, but it is NOT the same.

EDIT: This is the 1956 Ad. Can you spot the errors? The advertising dept was way ahead of the production dept and the ad is full of goof-ups.

EDIT EDIT: Here is the page from the brochure for the 1956 Deluxe model. Sorry about the quality of the picture, I can only do so much with what I received.

Nice. That's it. I must have the standard model, there's definitely no rubber mounting on it. You've already told me the difference from the J/E powerhead, smaller pistons and cheaper connecting rods, plus the motor cover mounts