Troubleshooting order- water in one cylinder
05-24-2024, 08:32 AM
#21
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Thread Starter
Not tearing into this just yet. Need to clear a work area and get access to boat. I did find plenty of YouTube videos on sealing difficulties with Vortec heads. I looked around on eBay to see what pictures I could find of some used Merc intakes. Seems many of the used ones are rusty. Picture shows a lot of rust around #1 and I suspect my project intake is same or worse as it is an 04 salty. There is a good distance from water passage to #1 but I can now see how this could be a very likely source of the water injestion. We will still very closely inspect the exhaust manifold again or just replace them with some new aftermarket for piece of mind. I keep thinking back to the original first fail day symptom. Complaint was rough running at end of day while putting on trailer. Once home and spark plug pulled a good amount of water ran OUT of #1. No way was that much water present when it was running so I am assuming it leaked into #1 while at rest. This would point more to intake than an exhaust riser.
Pic of used intake from FleaBay, not my intake,or pic of #1 area, just an example of a random intake found on FleaBay. This has me wondering if I do find rust around #1 if I can have the intake resurfaced to clean it up. Would resurfacing (depending of course how much they machine off) cause other difficulties with sealing? I know I am getting the cart in front of the horse here but just trying to get a plan together. I need to get off the keyboard and into the bilge!
Pic of used intake from FleaBay, not my intake,or pic of #1 area, just an example of a random intake found on FleaBay. This has me wondering if I do find rust around #1 if I can have the intake resurfaced to clean it up. Would resurfacing (depending of course how much they machine off) cause other difficulties with sealing? I know I am getting the cart in front of the horse here but just trying to get a plan together. I need to get off the keyboard and into the bilge!
05-25-2024, 02:04 AM
#22
Registered
Not tearing into this just yet. Need to clear a work area and get access to boat. I did find plenty of YouTube videos on sealing difficulties with Vortec heads. I looked around on eBay to see what pictures I could find of some used Merc intakes. Seems many of the used ones are rusty. Picture shows a lot of rust around #1 and I suspect my project intake is same or worse as it is an 04 salty. There is a good distance from water passage to #1 but I can now see how this could be a very likely source of the water injestion. We will still very closely inspect the exhaust manifold again or just replace them with some new aftermarket for piece of mind. I keep thinking back to the original first fail day symptom. Complaint was rough running at end of day while putting on trailer. Once home and spark plug pulled a good amount of water ran OUT of #1. No way was that much water present when it was running so I am assuming it leaked into #1 while at rest. This would point more to intake than an exhaust riser.
Pic of used intake from FleaBay, not my intake,or pic of #1 area, just an example of a random intake found on FleaBay. This has me wondering if I do find rust around #1 if I can have the intake resurfaced to clean it up. Would resurfacing (depending of course how much they machine off) cause other difficulties with sealing? I know I am getting the cart in front of the horse here but just trying to get a plan together. I need to get off the keyboard and into the bilge!
Pic of used intake from FleaBay, not my intake,or pic of #1 area, just an example of a random intake found on FleaBay. This has me wondering if I do find rust around #1 if I can have the intake resurfaced to clean it up. Would resurfacing (depending of course how much they machine off) cause other difficulties with sealing? I know I am getting the cart in front of the horse here but just trying to get a plan together. I need to get off the keyboard and into the bilge!
Depending on the depth of any oxidation porosity, a good cleanup and using a large flat sanding board often works.
If eroded where you don't think it will seal, having the intake surfaces machined is no big deal. It just starts to mis-align the intake port match-up a little. That could be offset with a thicker intake gasket.
You can often find used Stainless Marine exhaust manifolds.
