Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

[79Rude115]

Questions on installing the heads on a 1979 Evinrude 115

1) The factory manual says to use sealant but I am not sure that is the right thing to do. Should I use sealant and if so what kind?
2) Is there a trick to getting a torque wrench down to the bottom head bolds on the left side when looking at the motor from behind? My torque wrench does not want to fit down there. Torque to 20 ft/lbs?

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

One more question, do I need loctite (or anything else)on the head bolts?

 

[Solittle]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

Most any of the gasket sealer products will work. Most commonly recommended is OMV/BRP sealer "M" or sealer 1000. Any with the brush is an integral part of the cap. Use it sparingly.

I also use it on bolts and it seems to help them from coming out on their own or getting frozen. i wopuld not use any of the locktite types.

I would "torque" the bolts you can't get the torque wrench to by feel. I am a driveway wrench and maybe one of the pros will chime in.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

While some gaskets may be made so that sealer is "not required" it is not a problem to use sealer on them. I have used the same "hand" method and it will work on those couple of bolts way at the bottom. It is a good idea to retorque the heads after you cool the engine down after the first start.

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

Thanks for the Info guys, this forum is great.

The gaskets seem to be tacky as if they have some form of sealer built into the gasket material already and given the low water psi in the heads I highly doubt any sealant is needed. I might go ahead and put a little sealer around each bolt anyway.

I am certain the cylinder itself shouldn't have any sealer on it as this portion of the gasket is metal.

I am also assuming it is necessary to use anti seize on the head bolts, is this correct?

Can someone recommend sealer that I can get at Lowes or Auto Zone? Not sure I have seen sealer with the brush built into the lid.

 

[ezeke]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

As long as you have the cylinder heads off, there are a couple of other housekeeping tasks that may help: check the water deflectors to assure that they are correctly placed and in good condition; and secondly, make sure the bolt holes are clean to the bottom so that they don't stop the bolts. After all these years, junk can accumulate to stop the bolts before they really hold the head tightly enough - even if the bolts are torqued to specs.

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

Good suggestion - I hit the bolts with a wire brush and cleaned the holes out with a little carb cleaner followed by compressed air. Water deflectors look fine and I assume they are in the right place as this is the first time the heads have ever been removed.

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

I got the permatex gasket sealant in the can with the brush on the lid, that stuff is great, put a nice very thin layer on both sides of the outer water jacket portions of th heads and also used it on the bolts.

Next question - should any sealant be used when re-building the carbs?

 

[Theoutdoorsman]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

79Rude115............When I rebuilt the carbs on my 1979 140, I didn't use any sealant anywhere. Just be sure to clean them and blow them out really really really well after soaking them overnight in carb cleaner. Be prepared. A one gallon can at NAPA, with a parts basket inside, was $40. But this should last me for a good long while should I need to do it again with other projects. Others here tell me it really isn't necessary to seal those core plugs unless you have a leaky one. You can tap the core plugs in with the but end of a socket extension. Do use new kits when rebuilding. They are rather inexpensive. Oh yeah, have any luck with finding the paint and/or decals?............................ ALAN

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

Thanks Alan - Carbs are all done, I just used a little sealant on the perimeter of the core plugs per the manual.

I am on to the Fuel Pump now. I know that the fuel pump diaphram is very sensitive to solvents, sealers etc. When taking the pump apart it seems to have been put together with some sealant because the gaskets are very hard to remove.

Should I put any sealant on any parts of the fuel pump?

I have not found the paint or decals yet but I have not looked too hard.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

You said "I am also assuming it is necessary to use anti seize on the head bolts, is this correct?: - - I wouldn't. I would put a thin coat of gasket sealet though.

I run salt water engines so busted bolts are an issue. I just pulled the lower leg from one engine and took the thermostats out. I had done this service 4 yrs ago and used gasket sealent on the bolts. Getting them out was no problem.

 

[MJ76]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

My two cents:

The head gaskets that you'll get shouldn't require any sealant on the gaskets themselves. I usually use Perfect-Seal on the bolt threads. (Perfect-seal is Mercury's name for it, but it's a brown, gooey, non-hardening gasket sealer, and I think Perma-tex makes it.) It won't get dry and corroded if you try to take it apart later. Most times I won't disturb the core plugs on a carb unless it's particularly nasty; if you do, Loctite makes a green "wicking" type sealant that works great on these. And as far as the diaphragm-type fuel pumps, don't use any sealant at all! The stickiness you mention is just from the deteriorarion of the rubber and the deposits from the gasoline. And by all means, if you take it apart, don't put it back together without replacing the rubber diaphragms. The kits are usually dirt cheap, and pay attention to any springs that may eject when they come apart!

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Installing 79 115 Cylinder Heads

Thanks for all of the advice - I am almost ready to start her up.

So far I have:
-Pulled heads, everything checked out, put on new head gaskets (used permatex in the white can with brush in lid)
Replaced Spark plugs
-Rebuilt Carbs (used sealant on core plugs only)
-Rebuilt fuel pump (No sealer)
-Replaced fuel lines and T fitting

Just need a gas tank and a battery and she is ready to fire up!