Help! I'm at a dead end.

[bbfrs1]

I have a '90 Force 90 hp. I've been getting water in my top 2 cyl. I milled the head and replaced the head gasket and I'm still getting water in the same cylinders. I checked compression all 3 are 119#. I put a straight edge across the sleeves and everything is flush. I'm stumped I don't know what else to check. Please if anyone has any ideas let me know. Thanks

 

[john from md]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

Was there anything leading up to this like overheating or overreving?

John

 

[bbfrs1]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

No, everything was normal. I was just out on the lake and lost power. Figured out what it was doing, and can't seem to figure it out.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

Pull the exhaust chest cover and check those gaskets. Check the stainless plate between them, it may be cracked.

 

[bbfrs1]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

I pulled the exaust cover and plate has no cracks, however the gasket between the plate and the head had sand between it. So I believe that could be the culprit. Should I replace the plate, while Im replacing gaskets.

 

[bbfrs1]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end. Update!!

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end. Update!!

I replaced the stainless plate and the gaskets and I'm still getting water seeping out of my middle cylinder. Should I try using silicone with a new head gasket. Or should I look for something else. Thanks.

 

[john from md]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

Since you really have no idea where the leak is coming from, you can try this old trick we used in finding oil leaks on turbine engines.

Spray the head and exhaust chest area with isopropal alcolhol and dry it real good. It must be clean and dry for this to work.
Next, fill a squeeze bottle of some type with talcom powder. ( a ketchup squeezer will work)

Run the engine and spray talc around the head and the exhaust chest. If you have a small seep, the talc will stick to the area even though you may see the drip someplace else.

You can always wash the talc out of the leg with clean water.


The only place on a head you should use silicone is on the head cover if you have a two piece head. Normally, I put a light coat of white lithium grease on the head gasket and torque it down.

Good luck,

John

 

[bbfrs1]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

John, thanks for the help. I tried the powder, it worked great, but the only place I could see leaking was from around the middle spark plug, then water drops to the lower plug. I also just noticed I have water spraying out of my exaust port, is that normal on the muffs.

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

Sounds like the cover on your head is leaking. Your head is actually two pieces. The head cover (Item 73) in diag. below is heald on by the head bolts and a couple of smaller bolts. There is no gasket between it and the head (# 82). Take the head off, remove the two or three remaining bolts and remove the cover. You may have to pry a bit. Clean the surfaces well with a solvent like carb cleaner. Apply silicone sealant and reassemble. Use some high quality silicone sealant like Permatex Ultra Grey. That should cure your problem.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury_parts/1329/10.cfm

 

[john from md]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

Water always comes out of the exhaust relief ports. You don't see it because of the smoke but it is normal.

Do you have head with an external head cover? My engine has such and it gets rtv. You can always pull it off and re rtv it. If you have a one piece head, you probably have a fine line crack. Depending where it is located, sometimes they can be TIG welded.

If the crack is in the spark plug threads, it may be possible to put a helicoil in it.

The best way to check for a crack would be to have the head dye checked. Any good hot rod or engine shop will be able to do this check.


John

 

[bbfrs1]

Re: Help! I'm at a dead end.

I took apart the head cover and put new rtv on it. And there is no more water seapage. Hopefully this cures my problems. Thank you to everyone who has helpled me through this project.