Gale Model 35DE13 Outboard Motor Specs & Overview

Overview of Gale Products & OMC

Gale Products was a key division of the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), operating alongside famous sister brands Johnson and Evinrude. Known for manufacturing dependable, straightforward outboard motors, Gale produced both their own branded engines (such as the Gale Buccaneer) and private-label motors for major retailers like Montgomery Ward (Sea King) and Goodyear. The Gale Model 35DE13 is a mid-1950s 35 HP outboard built around OMC’s rugged 40.5 cubic inch twin-cylinder powerhead, offering robust performance, electric starting, and smooth full-gearshift operation for modernizing family runabouts of its era.

Engine Specifications: Gale Model 35DE13

Below are the factory technical specifications for the Gale 35DE13 outboard motor:

• Model: 35DE13
• Horsepower: 35.0 HP @ 4,500 RPM (O.B.C. Certified)
• Operating Range: 4,000 – 5,000 RPM
• Cylinders: 2-cylinder, alternate firing
• Bore & Stroke: 3-1/16″ x 2-3/4″
• Displacement: 40.5 cubic inches
• Powerhead Type: 2-cycle, 2-port design
• Gear Ratio: 12:21
• Gearshift Control: Forward – Neutral – Reverse (F-N-R)
• Propeller: 3-blade, 10-3/8″ diameter x 13-1/4″ pitch
• Cooling System: Positive displacement and centrifugal synthetic rubber impeller
• Ignition System: Built-in flywheel magneto
• Carburetor: High- and low-speed adjustable needle valves, concentric float, electric choke
• Speed Control: Synchronized spark and throttle via tiller/lever control
• Starter: 12-volt electric starter with manual recoil backup
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 6 gallons (separate pressurized/remote tank)
• Approximate Running Time: 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours at full throttle
• Weight: 133 lbs (dry, excluding tank)
• Recommended Transom Height: 15 inches (standard short shaft)

Fuel Mixture & Oil Ratios

Because the Gale 35DE13 was engineered in the late 1950s, its internal bearings rely on a richer oil-to-gasoline ratio than modern outboards. Do not run modern 50:1 pre-mixes in this engine.

• Recommended Fuel Mix: 24:1 ratio (1 quart of high-quality TC-W3 two-stroke outboard oil to 6 gallons of gasoline, or roughly 5.3 oz of oil per gallon of gas).
• Fuel Type: Regular unleaded gasoline (87 octane). Whenever possible, use ethanol-free fuel to protect vintage rubber carburetor diaphragms, fuel lines, and float bowl gaskets.

Maintenance & Mechanical Service

Keeping a vintage Gale 35 HP running reliably requires attention to a few key mechanical systems:

Ignition System: The high-tension flywheel magneto utilizes twin coils, points, and condensers under the flywheel. Cracking or degraded insulation on vintage coils is extremely common. Inspect ignition coils for hairline cracks and replace them with standard OMC vintage tune-up parts if necessary. Set spark plug point gaps to .020 inches and use Champion J4C or J6C spark plugs gapped to .030 inches.

Cooling System: The synthetic rubber impeller located in the lower unit water pump housing must be inspected and replaced prior to putting a newly acquired motor into service. Never run the engine dry, as even a few seconds without water will destroy the rubber rotor blades.

Carburetor & Fuel System: The carburetor features dual adjustable needle valves (high-speed at the bottom, low-speed/idle at the top) and an electric choke solenoid. Initial baseline settings for tuning are typically 3/4 turn open from gently seated for the high-speed needle, and 1 to 1-1/4 turns open for the low-speed needle. Fine-tune both needles while running under load in the water.

Restoration Tips

• Lower Unit Seals: Drain and inspect the gearcase lubricant. If milkiness or water is present, replace the lower unit seals and re-fill with quality marine 80W-90 gear lube (or Hi-Vis lower unit lubricant).
• Wiring Harness: Vintage 12-volt electric start models often suffer from brittle, cracked insulation on the wiring harness. Inspect all battery cables, choke wiring, and starter solenoid connections before hooking up a battery.
• Parts Availability: Because Gale motors shared powerheads and gearcases with OMC’s mainstream Johnson and Evinrude lines, core replacement parts like impellers, ignition components, carb kits, and lower unit seals are readily available through vintage outboard suppliers.