automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

OMC didn't recommend anything. All they said in the shop manuel was not to use an automotive head gasket. And as far as people like me smart guy, I've been keeping the same boat running since '92 with the original engine & outdrive. And never had to have a rebuild on either one. And no dealer wrenches for me either, or ever did.

i am not trying to convice you to change your ways, there are ones that do things by the book and will not see if there is another way, your way has done great for you and thats great, all i am trying to say, if your research it you will find that some parts on boats are auto parts also that they buy this parts and repackage them and call them marine parts, if i can be sure that the part is the same then why buy it from a dealer and get price gouged and they know they are, i have a very good friend that is the parts manager and one of the dealers here, and he agrees, even they when they can will tell their customers that a part can be bought some where else cheaper, it is something he does he is one of the owners he feels by doing this he has more of a return of customers willing to come back because he trys to help us save money boating is not cheap anyway, so every time i can i do buy parts from him, like he says his biggest part sellers are impellers and cables, cant get them from auto zone. we are all proud of our boats and the things we can do to keep them up, haveing your self kept yours running since 92 and no major repairs is awsome. i bought mine used and had alot of trouble from it when we first got it, with the help i got from here and the help i hope i dont need in the future it will stay running. so happy boating to you and your family and i hope all stay well

 

[sea wolf]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Oh, I've had my share, believe me. Owning a boat is a work in progress. Happy boating.

 

[jeff454ss]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

I also did research about the gaskets in question and argued with my buddies about automotive verses marine. I said they are out to rob you by holding you up with the word marine. When I bought my boat I found water in the oil. I got a sick feeling to my stomach. I did some research and then tore down the engine. I found two things wrong. #1 it had automotive head gaskets that were eroded away from plain water and #2 i had straight through holes for the head bolts that were not properly sealed. to be right you can go to Orielly's (like NAPA) and buy marine fel pro gaskets. I bought a valve grind kit for just over 100 bucks. they were not steel plus I punched an extra hole between the second and third cylinder for extra cooling. When you seal the head bolts look to see if you have through holes or blind holes on the engine deck. (area where the heads set on the engine) If you have straight through holes you need to use a locktite PST sealer on the head bolts. I used No. 562. I changed the oil and ran the engine out on the water and the remainng moisture evaporated. Did one more oil change and enjoying my summer. Go hear and read for more info http://www.perfprotech.com/store/articles/auto-marine.aspx

Hope this info isnt to late for you.

 

[oldtwainer]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

All I Can Say is being a gear head as well as a boater

I have a 76 120 horse Mercruiser and in 1992 I rebuilt it using FelPro gaskets, rod/cam bearings and pistons from a rebuild kit for a 64 to 68 Chevy Nova with a 151 ci engine as well as a few other parts I had on hand. Last weekend it still managed to pull both my teenage grandkids on skis at 30 mph. I did maintain the marine cam, crank and all marine external components as fuel pump, altenator and speciality manifold gaskets. So I guess I can say that mine has lasted 16 years so far of nearly every boatable weekend by someone in my family with only 1 problem of a coil failure that I know of. I plan to completly rebuild the boat/motor/drive this fall as it is finally getting some soft spots in the floor by the drivers seat.

I also have a 26 footer with an old 454 4 bolt main truck engine that had 300000 miles on it when I rebuilt it. It was used to tow a 40 foot travel trailer as well as my race car trailer both in excess of 24000 lbs usually around 80 MPH. I don't think a boat puts that much strain on an engine. I was given the hull minus a motor and drive and put this motor in its place. So far it has worked quite well on Mark Twain Lake in Mo where it sets. I must say that I did use a marine crank and camshaft in the motor also as well as closed cooling.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

According to the link posted, the differences are:

* The freeze plugs are of a corrosion inhibiting material.
Where I come from, we call this "BRASS"!
* The head gaskets also utilize corrosion resistant construction.
We call these head gaskets "Composite Gaskets".
* The valve guides utilize corrosion resistant construction.
Valve Guides and Seats of modern engines are all hardened. They started doing this when we got away from leaded gas.
* The water pumps are intended for a marine operating environment (seals and bearings).
Yeah, that's got nothing to do with the engine itself, that's an ACCESSORY. All of the accessories are "Marine-Specific"--especially the electrical ones!
* The camshaft is designed to marine duty requirements as needed to move a boat versus a car.
We've already mentioned this. But a truck cam will usually do the job just fine.
* The overall duty cycle of a marine engine is very different than that of an automotive application. When was the last time your thought of running your car at full throttle for a sustained period of time?
Okay, this one's just asinine! The "Overall Duty Cycle" How is that determined? Maybe by Cam Profile, and cooling ability? If I had an unlimited source of fresh, cool water running into my car, I'd have exactly ZERO problem running my car WOT for extended periods of time. Racers do this all the time, guess what kind of engines THEY use? I'll give you a hint, they're not "marine" engines.

So even with this blurb that's supposed to convince us that there's something "special" about a marine engine, it doesn't say anything different than what we've been telling people here. It just uses some "technical terms" like "duty cycle", to try and scare people into paying WAY more than they should for an engine.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

I also did research about the gaskets in question and argued with my buddies about automotive verses marine. I said they are out to rob you by holding you up with the word marine. When I bought my boat I found water in the oil. I got a sick feeling to my stomach. I did some research and then tore down the engine. I found two things wrong. #1 it had automotive head gaskets that were eroded away from plain water and #2 i had straight through holes for the head bolts that were not properly sealed. to be right you can go to Orielly's (like NAPA) and buy marine fel pro gaskets. I bought a valve grind kit for just over 100 bucks. they were not steel plus I punched an extra hole between the second and third cylinder for extra cooling. When you seal the head bolts look to see if you have through holes or blind holes on the engine deck. (area where the heads set on the engine) If you have straight through holes you need to use a locktite PST sealer on the head bolts. I used No. 562. I changed the oil and ran the engine out on the water and the remainng moisture evaporated. Did one more oil change and enjoying my summer. Go hear and read for more info http://www.perfprotech.com/store/articles/auto-marine.aspx there is two things wrong here, 1 you bought a used boat that i am sure you do not have a history on, 2 the head bolts were not sealed right, had the head bolts been sealed then the gasket would have held! now how did you come by it was a auto head gasket? why was the gasket put on in the first place, was it tightened to specs??? there is a lot more goes wrong with the way things are installed. gaskets just dont fell just because!!! they fell because something went wrong, either at install or over was heated, it wasnt the gasket that did it, who had owned the boat did it and that was why he sold it,

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

According to the link posted, the differences are:

* The freeze plugs are of a corrosion inhibiting material.
Where I come from, we call this "BRASS"!
* The head gaskets also utilize corrosion resistant construction.
We call these head gaskets "Composite Gaskets".
* The valve guides utilize corrosion resistant construction.
Valve Guides and Seats of modern engines are all hardened. They started doing this when we got away from leaded gas.
* The water pumps are intended for a marine operating environment (seals and bearings).
Yeah, that's got nothing to do with the engine itself, that's an ACCESSORY. All of the accessories are "Marine-Specific"--especially the electrical ones!
* The camshaft is designed to marine duty requirements as needed to move a boat versus a car.
We've already mentioned this. But a truck cam will usually do the job just fine.
* The overall duty cycle of a marine engine is very different than that of an automotive application. When was the last time your thought of running your car at full throttle for a sustained period of time?
Okay, this one's just asinine! The "Overall Duty Cycle" How is that determined? Maybe by Cam Profile, and cooling ability? If I had an unlimited source of fresh, cool water running into my car, I'd have exactly ZERO problem running my car WOT for extended periods of time. Racers do this all the time, guess what kind of engines THEY use? I'll give you a hint, they're not "marine" engines.

So even with this blurb that's supposed to convince us that there's something "special" about a marine engine, it doesn't say anything different than what we've been telling people here. It just uses some "technical terms" like "duty cycle", to try and scare people into paying WAY more than they should for an engine.

next time you take a boat out how long do you run wot???????????????????? once skiers is up you back off throttle and ride, most times my engine never runs more than 3200 rpm for around 10 to 15 mins then it idles and then you go sit and enjoy the day, i have the 4.3 in my work van i am on the road all day long rpm at around 75 mph is 2800 rpm, this engine gets around 1500 miles put on it ever week, out of 4 hrs on river i bet my boat is 2 hrs, i still thing a car get more of a beating than a boat eninge does at least the small boats do

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

That was what was posted on the site. I didn't say it. But I agree, I believe your average car engine takes more abuse than your average boat engine. For a lot of reasons. Idling is actually harder on an engine than higher revs, and cars spend a LOT more time at idle than boats ever do...

 

[John_S]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

I just replaced the heads on my Merc/Chevy 350. The motor has never been pulled apart before and I found stainless steel head gaskets when removing the old heads. ???

Yes, I found the graphite/stainless steel head gaskets in my '96 1/2 5.7L, and used the GM graphite/SS ones when I went to vortec heads.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

That was what was posted on the site. I didn't say it. But I agree, I believe your average car engine takes more abuse than your average boat engine. For a lot of reasons. Idling is actually harder on an engine than higher revs, and cars spend a LOT more time at idle than boats ever do...

i am sorry i didnt mean that you was dis agreeing i was talking about the post that you had answered too.