Richard and reivertom are exactly right! If the engine is running normally, backing off to 3/4 throttle or even a little lower will make a BIG difference in fuel consumption. Also suggest that you figure how many gallons you will use in a season. I found that the number is around 80-100 gallons. It would be hard to save much money on that quantity of gas. I have run 1950,s 25 and 30HP and I think you may decide that gas consumption is not really a big problem with your very nice looking motor.