Rebel_Heart

Thanks for the replies. I will call the builder and request that he resurface the heads. I want to make sure that this problem is stopped. I don't know why he thinks the copper gaskets were the way to go. I know he does engine work on unlimited racing.

cstraub

Cometics or Performance Gasket Concepts. The latter you can get from Dean Gellner or I believe JC Performance can get Bob's gaskets.

Wobble

Sounds like you may be getting a little ahead of yourself. As suggested above, you should start with the basics.

Pressure check the cooling system including the power steering and oil coolers, pull a header to check for signs of water and make sure you have good crankcase venting.

Oil temps ideally should reach 212 and water around 140-150.

Oil will get slightly milky if your oil temps don't get up, there is always a lot of condensation at work with the wildly varying temps that boat motors see.

Rebel_Heart

I know the oil temp never reached 200. There is not a thermostat in the engine. Not sure about the water temp. Are you thinking that the cause might be reversion? The engine builder said that he found where the copper gaskets were leaking.

I called Cometic this am and the rep said they didn't have anything that would seal where the o-rings are. They would have to deck the block and then I might run into the problem of the piston hanging out of the hole.

I might need new blocks after all.

SB

Your blocks are o-ringed too ?

Can you collect damages and move on somewhere else ?

Heh, this builder may know high boost drag strip stuff, but in basic hp marine engines ?

Copper headgaskets w/o-ringed blocks in yhis build........oh my.

articfriends

If you go back a few post you'll see his "engine builder" found the copper head gaskets and block o-rings leaking,Smitty

Wobble

My bad, I was reading the posts as they arrived in my e-mail, not the first time it's skipped a few posts.

Thanks for pointing that out, I try and read everything before I post, but some days I get in a hurry.

How deep do they cut the grooves for "O" rings typically?

waterbum

Based on a reply in a different thread from a respected engine builder (Dean Gellner - see below), I would suggest that you pursue the use of a different gasket with the o-ring set up you already have before you head down the road of resurfacing anything (just my opinion).


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And for all you folks saying do not use o-rings and copper gaskets in a marine environment - why, what will happen, what has been your experience using this comination?

I think many of us are here to learn (I know I am), so educate away.

Thanks.

articfriends

Not having personally used copper head gaskets and o-rings on ANY block I am going to relay what friends of mine that have have told me-the set-up your asking about is for EXTREME motors,like ones running 20 plus pounds of boost and the copper gasket is really just a soft shim and is very difficult to get a perfect seal,especially on a marine motor that may see 25 plus psi of water pressure. The o-rings are really metal rings that you groove the block for and they are intended to seal the combustion chambers,not the water passages. The soft copper gasket is really just a shim to maintain cyl head to piston crown clearence and connect the water passages. They are leak prone,everything has to be perfect for them to seal,the guys I know using them don't even run a cooling system or any coolant when they use them so they are not concerned at all about water leaks.It would be azzanine to build a N/A 540 and put them on it for marine use. Look at rebel hearts problems,the engine builder chose to use them and they are leaking when pressure tested,its more of something you run to make 2000 hp on a short duration highly boosted motor like a tractor puller or top alcohol dragster. I also know a guy who had it done on a blown pontiac street strip car,he got water in his oil everytime he runs it (that was years ago). This is what I have been told,not personal experience,Smitty

Rebel_Heart

Spoke with the builder this afternoon. He said that the o-rings were not in the block, but attached to the heads. The heads are going back to the machinist to "fill in" where the wire was. They are looking at Fel Pro or Cometic gaskets to use. I spoke with Jim V., who worked on my heads, and he thought the engine builder was going to use 1057 Fel Pros. He said he worked the heads to use this gasket. Do they need to use this same gasket or will any gasket work?

I've spoken about this before, but should I invest in set of flappers with straight pipes through the transom? Will this prevent any possible reversion through the exhaust? Thanks.