95 Johnson head gasket questions

[Crudy]

Hey folks, just got my first boat! 94 Key West center console with a 95 Johnson 88 SPL V4. Boat sat for about 3 years and then was taken out once and then sat for another 4-5.. Anyways new battery and gas got it running on the muffs but the overheat alarm went off. alarm was probably on for 20 seconds or more (couldnt hear the alarm standing back by the motor). I noticed it overheating because the tell tale was scalding hot so I went to turn it off.

So I replaced both thermostats and thermostat housing gaskets that was nothing short of a PITA (forgot to put new therm gaskets on the therms... gotta pull the housing again..) and replaced water pump impeller. Old water pump was in decent condition definitely capable of pushing good water.

Started the motor after completed thermostats and water pump impeller and the alarm didnt go off which is good but the heads did feel really hot. The thermostats are 143 degrees which probably does feel pretty hot. So Im thinking it wouldnt be a bad idea to replace the head gaskets, and it seems like a pretty do-able job for a novice mechanic? Also ive read about replacing water deflectors? Havent heard of them but im sure I could find them.
Anyways I was just curious whether yall knew if there was anything else i need to replace when im in there so i order the right parts. I planned on ordering both head gaskets, water deflectors (which apparently is 4 per head) and all new bolts most likely.

Also the engine leaves a decent amount of gray watery oily mix underneath of the prop after running it, not the black 2 stroke oil sludge that drips every now and again, if anyone knows why it does that, that would be very helpful.
Thanks for your time and any information!

 

[racerone]

Just 2 deflectors per side for a total of 4 in the engine.----And no you do not need new bolts unless they are horribly corroded.

 

[oldboat1]

Can't do much diagnosis on muffs. Test it in the lake at low to moderate speed only, checking top of heads with an infrared tester. A big trash can will work if you run the water lever well above the water pump and run the motor only at idle or high idle (good to leave the hose running to keep the water cold and the level up). Check the smell of leaking fluids. Gear oil smells like sulphur. If it smells like gas, don't worry about it.

 

[Crudy]

Ok ill just try and clean up the bolts, hopefully not break any. Ok i might try and stick it in a trash can, also will probably go try and grab an infrared thermometer from harbor freight. The gray fluid doesnt have much of a smell since its so watered down, but i know its not gear oil because i dropped the oil and it was clean not a lick of white init at all. Also pressure tested the gearcase and it held up fine. Im thinking of replacing the head gaskets anyways just of a preventative measure, and because theyre starting to corrode it looks like on the outside of the head. Does anybody know of anything else i might need other than the gaskets and the deflectors? Loctite? Also would anyone happen to know the torque specs and tightening pattern of the heads? Thank yall

 

[Crudy]

Bump. Would anyone happen to know the torque spec or tightening bolt pattern for the heads and the water covers? Also what about loctite on bolts or adhesive on gaskets? It doesnt say in my seloc manual. Thanks

 

[emoney]

Before you go far, change out that LU fluid. Sounds like you’ve got some water instrusion in there. You’ll know after guy change it because the milky will show up pretty quick. A complete seal kit would make sense, especially since the prop shaft seals are often overlooked. Sitting is bad.

 

[Crudy]

I dropped the oil in the lower unit and it was really clean without any white in it thankfully. And also pressure tested it and it held pressure for a while without dropping any so I believe it should be good to go. Thanks