gasket on air silencer

[tlgustafson]

Hello engine experts,

I want to thank everyone who pointed me in the right direction on troubleshooting my starter on my 35 HP Johnson (1981). I managed to check out a shop manual from the library, remove the starter, bring it to an auto electrical shop and have it rebuilt. This cost me $70 instead of the $240 it would have cost to bring it to a marine shop. Plus, I learned quite a few things along the way!

So now I'm putting it back together and I have the starter on. The air silencer unit is next, but there is a gasket between it and the carburetor that is ripped. I can manage to get it back in, but my question is this: should I find a new gasket to replace it, or is it ok to fit it back in, with a possible small leak next to one of the screws that holds the air silencer unit in place?

If I need to find a new gasket, where it the best place to go?

Your feedback greatly appreciated!

 

[iwombat]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Don't worry about that particular gasket. Most of the motors you'll encounter will have a missing or mangled gasket on the air box.

 

[jtexas]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Just get it situated where none of the cork can tear off & get sucked in to a carb - replace it whenever you get around to it. I try to use 'em until they break into 2 or more pieces.......

 

[offshore100]

Re: gasket on air silencer

This gets back to my original post: whether air silencers are even necessary. I have an 85 30hp w/ no silencer. Runs like a top.
I'll say it again, I'm not a big fan of air silencers, I like to see the carb throat.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: gasket on air silencer

If your motor comes with a silencer, remove it and run at your peril! Motor will run too lean and burn a piston for sure.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Don't worry about that particular gasket. Most of the motors you'll encounter will have a missing or mangled gasket on the air box.

Yep, and a lot of old motors don't even have the airbox anymore ..lost in space over the years...its mostly is a silencer anyway

 

[HighTrim]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Then why do the manufacturers reccomend replacing the silencer screws after carb work?

 

[jtexas]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Then why do the manufacturers reccomend replacing the silencer screws after carb work?

it's because those are single-use screws: torqing 'em to spec distorts 'em so much that they can't be re-used.

Ok, I just made that up.

But I can tell you that, about half of the time required to rebuild the carbs on a '79 3-cyl is spent removing the 18 screws from the airbox and cover, and putting 'em back in. That is about the most fastened-on part on the whole motor.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: gasket on air silencer

Ive never actually changed em myself, but lock thread on em to hold em tight, but if i were to follow my manual im suppose to....

 

[iwombat]

Re: gasket on air silencer

I think it's because of the potential danger for sucking one of those things up into the carb.

I've never changed them out myself. Just a little blue locktite and I'm good.