Gale Model 22D11 Outboard Motor Specs & Overview

Overview of the Gale 22D11 Outboard Motor

Gale Products, a division of the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), produced durable and reliable outboard motors throughout the mid-20th century. Marketed under the Gale name as well as department store house brands like Sea King (Montgomery Ward) and Buccaneer, these motors shared significant mechanical architecture with contemporary Johnson and Evinrude models. The Gale Model 22D11 is a robust 25-horsepower two-stroke twin built to deliver heavy-duty performance for fishing boats, runabouts, and family utility craft.

Technical Specifications

• Model: 22D11
• Horsepower: 25.0 HP @ 4000 RPM (O.B.C. Certified)
• Engine Type: 2-cylinder, 2-cycle, 2-port, alternate firing
• Displacement: 35.7 cubic inches
• Bore & Stroke: 2-7/8″ Bore x 2-3/4″ Stroke
• Gear Shift: Forward – Neutral – Reverse (F-N-R)
• Gear Ratio: 12:21
• Ignition: Built-in flywheel magneto
• Carburetor: Float feed with adjustable high and low-speed needles
• Speed Control: Twist grip control with synchronized spark and throttle
• Starter: Automatic rewind recoil starter
• Cooling System: Rubber blade combination displacement and centrifugal water pump
• Propeller: 3-blade, 10-3/8″ diameter x 12-1/2″ pitch
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 6.0 gallons (remote pressurized or pump-fed tank)
• Weight: 119 lbs. (without fuel tank)
• Transom Height: 15″ (Standard short shaft)

Maintenance, Restoration, and Fuel Mix Guidelines

Two-Stroke Fuel/Oil Mix: Vintage mid-1950s 25 HP powerheads from OMC use a combination of needle bearings and bronze bushings. It is strongly recommended to run a 24:1 fuel-to-oil ratio (1 quart of TC-W3 marine two-stroke oil to 6 gallons of fuel). Avoid modern 50:1 lean mixes, as they do not provide adequate lubrication for the wrist pin bushings and crankshaft journals on these older powerheads. Always use non-ethanol gasoline whenever possible to prevent carb gumming and damage to fuel lines.

Ignition System: The 22D11 utilizes OMC’s standard flywheel magneto setup. When restoring, pull the flywheel and inspect the twin ignition coils. Vintage green coils from this era are notorious for cracking; replace them with standard OMC/Sierra replacement coils. Check and dress the contact points, setting the breaker point gap to 0.020 inches, and replace the condensers to ensure a hot spark.

Cooling System Maintenance: Before running a resurrected motor, inspect the lower unit water pump. The original rubber impeller hardens or cracks over time. Never run the motor dry, as running even briefly without water will destroy the rubber vanes. Ensure the cooling passages in the powerhead are clear of silt, salt crust, or bug nests.

Lower Unit Gearcase: Drain the lower unit oil to check for water contamination (milkiness) or metal shavings. Refill with high-viscosity marine gear lube. If water intrusion is detected, replace the prop shaft seal, drive shaft seal, and gearshift rod O-ring, along with new drain plug washers.