Parts can be picked up easily online. Went through mine couple of years ago and had no problem finding parts for it. My dad bought it new in '63 for his '57 lonestar semi -v. I still fish and duck hunt with the same combo. He was a boat motor mechanic for years at the old aeromarine dealership when it was located by the Birmingham Airport in the 1960's. He had a heart attack when he was 28 and went through a state program that sent him up north to be trained by Johnson as a boat mechanic. For years people used to bring him old motors to work on and it was almost always fuel related issues with these motors. By the way, he turns 80 next month and is still going strong, fishing about once or twice a week. I will ask him what he thinks based on the info you shared and get his opinion.