Mercruiser carburetor gaskets?

[turbodriven]

Had to tear down my 6 month old carb (on a 1991 mercruiser 3.0L) because some sand slipped by the screen filter. When I separated the bowl into two halfs the gasket separated also. I only need this one gasket (all others are intact and near new looking) but the only thing I've found are $45 rebuild kits that have EVERYTHING in them (see picture below). Jets, gaskets, springs... everything. I only need one little $5 gasket.

Any ideas? Can I use a RTV type "gasket in a tube" on this?

I need the large odd shaped one near the top left corner. The one with the square hole (for the float) punched in it.

 

[searay3]

Re: Mercruiser carburetor gaskets?

no way around it. buy another kit. By no means use sillycone to seal your carb. It will sqeeze out and close the small holes and you will never get it cleaned out again. If sand got to the screen filter at the carb, you must have more issues. Clear the tank, change the inline filters, fuel pump could be crudded up as well. Not sure how the sand got past the filters/pump and got to the carb inless they have been removed. You should have a filter prior to the pump, at the pump and in the carb inlet.

 

[turbodriven]

Re: Mercruiser carburetor gaskets?

The "sand" I speak of was parts of the stone filter that was in the fuel pump. I guess it was old and started to break apart. Nice filter eh? It's supposed to protect the carb from debrit, not create it. I have since removed that filter and installed a canister style fuel filter/water separater in front of the pump.

I was a bit baffled as to how the "sand" could get past the screen filter on the carb though. My only guess is that when enough "sand" collected IN the screen it caused the spring to push back and allow additional sand to slip by the gap. *shrug... all in all though the carb looks very clean now that I've dissassembled it and blown everything out. I just need to put it back together. Looks like I'm buying gasket with a bag full of spare carb parts tonight.

 

[turbodriven]

Re: Mercruiser carburetor gaskets?

For anyone interested... here is the outcome. As a blessing in disguise, none of the boat stores had the $45 rebuild kit. So I bought a 12"x12" sheet of gasket material for $10 and cut out my own gasket. I smeared a light coat of grease on the part... then pressed the part against the gasket material. Then I cut out that grease template. Took a while with an xacto knife but it came out just as good as a factory gasket. And I have enough material for 4 more d