automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

[Bansheex13]

I know to use brass freeze plugs,but is it ok to use auto gaskets for a boat that doesn't ever touch salt water?

 

[sea wolf]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

If it's a head gasket, no!

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

based on threads here yes, they say you can pull a junk yard motor and put all outside marine stuff on and you can run it just fine, there has been many threads that say this, fresh water cooled eninges are no different than a car eninge running water to cool it, even freeze plug in freash water woulod work just fine, after all what does a car run to cool it air???? car engine sit in water all day long for years and years, if you are in salt water thats a different thing

 

[thumpar]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

fresh water cooled eninges are no different than a car eninge running water to cool it, even freeze plug in freash water woulod work just fine, after all what does a car run to cool it air???? car engine sit in water all day long for years and years, if you are in salt water thats a different thing

Car engines use antifreeze. Much different than straight water.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Yes you can. Even the head gasket can be automotive - just use one of the newer composite material head gaskets and you will be fine.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Yeah, make sure the head gasket is a non-metalic one. There will still be metal rings around the piston, but the rest of the gasket should be composite. Fel-Pro head gaskets seem to work the best.

I just bought this complete gasket set for $42 when I did my engine build. Still gotta replace a gimbal bearing and a starter before I can give it a water test... http://store.summitracing.com/partd...4294889107+4294925237+400150+115&autoview=sku

 

[CharlieB]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

they say you can pull a junk yard motor and put all outside marine stuff on and you can run it just fine

Who's 'they'.

And did 'they' tell you that a year later 'they' had to go get another engine?

Automototive engines do NOT last under marine loads.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Who's 'they'.

And did 'they' tell you that a year later 'they' had to go get another engine?

Automototive engines do NOT last under marine loads.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Sorry but no, they will rust away. In a car, if you put plain water in it, the water will eventually reach a point of chemical inactivity because the minerals/chemicals react with the metal until they are exhausted and then it stops. In a fresh water boat you are constantly changing the water and the chemical process continues until something is eaten away.

are you nuts or what???????? car engines was running on pure water and not rusting out before you and i was born, use your head man for something besides a hat rack, do you think anti- freeze has been around for oh 150 yrs?????? when i use 18 we used pure water, in all cars , yes anything will rust but give a good reason,

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Who's 'they'.

And did 'they' tell you that a year later 'they' had to go get another engine?

Automototive engines do NOT last under marine loads.

oh gee bondo here has said that and lets see dons has said that i could go on and on but if you rerad enough old threads you will see that, if you cant do it then dons and bondo and others are liers??????????? i dont think so, most boat engines are modified car engines,

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Who's 'they'.

And did 'they' tell you that a year later 'they' had to go get another engine?

Automototive engines do NOT last under marine loads.

did you also know that the 2.5L and the 3.0L was still in fork lifts today!!!!!!!!! canmt think of any more of a work horse than that. merc bought the 2.5L as a lot right out of chevy warehouse and put the marine stuff on it, wake up this were not built for boats they was built for cars that merc used not the other way around. do researce before hand

 

[joseph.signore]

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. ???

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

are you nuts or what???????? car engines was running on pure water and not rusting out before you and i was born, use your head man for something besides a hat rack, do you think anti- freeze has been around for oh 150 yrs?????? when i use 18 we used pure water, in all cars , yes anything will rust but give a good reason,

Pure water will do a lot better in an engine, than raw lake water will. It's not going to be that bad to run fresh water in an engine with steel plugs, but salt water would kill them in no time!

Anyway, a set of brass freeze plugs costs the same as a set of steel ones, so I would just as soon use brass in ALL the engines I build... This is a silly argument.

We've got a real genius telling us that under no circumstances is an "Automotive" engine, built to withstand the extreme rigors placed on it by a marine application...

Afterall, it's not like ANY trucks are ever subjected to the kinds of conditions a 20' ski boat is subjected to, when trying to get on plane and towing a whopping 200 lbs of person behind it! Lets stop arguing brass vs. steel, and listen to this guy! He really knows what he's talking about!

 

[sea wolf]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

Yes you can. Even the head gasket can be automotive - just use one of the newer composite material head gaskets and you will be fine.

Well, I have the original OMC shop manuel & it specifically states to use a marine head gasket & not to use an automotive head gasket. When I pulled the head off of my '87 3.0 about 5 years ago to have it magnafluxed & planed, I used a head gasket for marine use, which by the way the shop that did the work also recommended. And I haven't had a problem with it. You do what you want, but I will use what the manufacturer recommends & what the people that do that kind of work everyday recommend.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

And what is it that the manufacturer recommends? They recommend that you use THEIR part! How convienient...

You can pay $60 for a $13 head gasket if you like, but the ONLY difference between a "standard" automotive head gasket, and a "marine" head gasket, is the use of steel in it.

Fel-Pro doesn't use steel in their gaskets anymore either, so it's literally the EXACT SAME gasket.

Like I said though, do what you want. If not for people like you, the marinas wouldn't be in business to sell the rest of us the parts that really ARE "marine" parts...

 

[J JACKSON]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

are you nuts or what???????? car engines was running on pure water and not rusting out before you and i was born, use your head man for something besides a hat rack, do you think anti- freeze has been around for oh 150 yrs?????? when i use 18 we used pure water, in all cars , yes anything will rust but give a good reason,

well i have worked on several model A fords that just kept running hot after pulling the water pump apart we would find no fins left on the cast impeller. no to mention these old engines had low compression and after a few years of straight water they would have head gasket problems all that said would you really want to have to do the job again over a few hundred dollars?

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

just so everyone knows, i agree with the brass plugs all i was saying is the steal can be used and they wont rust oout in a matter of hours, now i call felpro cust rep, they say that feplro makes the gaskets for merc and sends them to them in bulk and they re package, i have said before when i went to buy my gaskets at the local shop the stamping number were felpro i took that number to auto store and bought the same gasket as the dealer had and at half the cost, now if felpro is telling me the truth and not i dont know if they are, then the gaskets i bought had the same number on them as did the dealer dealer part number on package was different but the stamped number on part was the same,so how can the dealer part be any different than what i bought. the felpro man said the only differance in there gasket kits from auto to boat, is the fact that boat use some gaskets that cars dont and cars use some gaskets that boat dont,

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

i dont know about omc but the way i see it if they were that good merc would be out of business instead of omc. go figure, now on to the engine. if you ever pull your eninge down for a rebuild look on the back of the rod and main bearings the part number is stamped there, i just got back from helping a friend pull down his master craft, he bought brand new from the dealer, and guess what the part numbers where the exact same numbers as the 350 chevy. dealer wants a leg and half a arm for those parts we got both at the auto store and still had enough left for gas.

 

[buggiedad_67]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

well i have worked on several model A fords that just kept running hot after pulling the water pump apart we would find no fins left on the cast impeller. no to mention these old engines had low compression and after a few years of straight water they would have head gasket problems all that said would you really want to have to do the job again over a few hundred dollars?

i dont dought that but modle a fords ran hot anyway and had nothing to do with steal freeze plugs or what water you used i have many friends in the car shows and alot of them have modle a and ts, i show cars also and you are talking about cast fins and not steal fins. but that was normal for that era cars move up the 40s and 50s when they were starting to learn what cools better and what doesnt. anti freeze when first come out was just what it was called anti freeze for the north but at the time it did not have rust perventive additives added.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: automotive gaskets ok for freshwater?

And what is it that the manufacturer recommends? They recommend that you use THEIR part! How convienient...

You can pay $60 for a $13 head gasket if you like, but the ONLY difference between a "standard" automotive head gasket, and a "marine" head gasket, is the use of steel in it.

Fel-Pro doesn't use steel in their gaskets anymore either, so it's literally the EXACT SAME gasket.

Like I said though, do what you want. If not for people like you, the marinas wouldn't be in business to sell the rest of us the parts that really ARE "marine" parts...

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.