Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

[Brooksie]

Hi all;

Ok, I'm going to sound like an idiot here for a second.

I overheated my engine and had to replace the head gasket. All went well. I bought a torque wrench from Crappy Tire for $69 for putting the head back on. Followed the instructions for torquing to 90 lbs.

I thought the 90 lbs felt awful light - but it's one of those ones that 'click' when they hit the setting and I did not want to over-torque.

Fired her up and had water/steam seeping from all sides of the gasket. Bought one of those cheap torque wrench's with the sliding bar over a gauge - found the head bolts to be only at 30lbs!!!!!

I removed the heads again - no damage to the gasket - cleaned it all up - put the 'same' gasket back - torqued to 90lbs - runs great but now I get water in #2.

Are these gaskets unable to seal back up a 2nd time if 'no' damage is found?

please let me know.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

Gasket is a 1 time use only,
could have cracked the head or block. was the head serviced or just cleaned and installed?

 

[Brooksie]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

I just cleaned it. I looked it over with a fine tooth comb and could not find any signs at all of cracks.

In actual fact, I'm really impressed of how little wear I find on the whole motor.

I think I trashed the gasket - when I took it off the first time, it was not 'sealed' to block or head at all. Without this, I'm guessing the intake stroke is able to suck in some water.

What do you think? Any suggestions on how to find a crack?

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

Head gasket=1 time use. You fired the engine without properly torquing the gasket, the only thing foe sure is the gasket is now junk. Replace the gasket and try again.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

sounds like yer L6 is giving ya the blues. bummer.

have ya done a compression test on this engine?

ya can find leaks in the block by isolateing the water jacket while it's sealed up and injecting air. so i hear. i've not done it personaly, but it sure seems like the way to check for a leak to me. ya just listen for the air and where it's leaking out. i think if i as doing that to mine i'd block it off at the riser, and injet air where the main water hose from the transom goes into the tstat houseing.... others will correct me if theres a better way to do it i'm sure.

ya can check for flatness of yer block with real straight edge. machinist quality. ya can do that to the head to or have it may get planed a bit during refurbishin it....get hard valve seats if ya do that so ya can run unleaded fuel.

i had a crack in my L6. it was in the ft. port headbolt hole. from the inside the bolt hole, out. ya could hardly see my crack from the outside. it was there though. i had bad compression in 1 and 2. + air leak test revealed a leak between 1 and 2 thru the plug holes....straight accross.

i also have had a bad manifold. i believe it leaked water into my cyl. thru open exhust valves. 1 sign was it turned over real slugish. i got lucky and didn't damage anything. maybe you did and thats why yer knock on yer other thread... maybe.....2nd sign was water in engine oil. i suppose it leaked by my older rings into the pan....

i reckon someone will straighten me out if i'm leading ya astray........

what service manual ya got? the mercruiser one..........

 

[Brooksie]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

some really good points there - thank you. I'm pretty convinced the gasket just needs to be replaced. Ah well - live and learn lol.

I will do the air test - sounds like a good start! Thank you!

 

[mystro]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

When you blew the head gasket did you have the head mag fluxed and trued..that's usually done?

 

[mystro]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

..and replaced with a complete head gasket set which includes seals?

 

[Brooksie]

Re: Water in #2! Help!! Mercruiser 165

you mean have a machinist smooth it out? No I did not - I did not see any signs of wear and checked it with a straight edge.

What chemicals are best for cleaning the heads?