Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

[iceangler]

Anyone know what the torque is on the water cover or if there's a sequence?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

What water cover are you talking about? You can google ASME torque specs and knowing the bolt size and grade, get the torque. However on most marine engines of the type, you are screwing into alum. not cast iron and I wouldn't use those specs. I'd put anti-sieze on the threads (Locktite blue does 3 jobs: Anti-sieze, lubrication for installation, and thread locking) and torque by hand: Most plates are squeezed from the inside out, side to side. So basically you make an X in the center then alternating top to bottom side to side you keep increasing the size of the X till you get to the end of the plate. Do it in 3 steps where 1 is just where the bolt feels friction on the head, next round is moderate torque (good and snug), and 3 is a hard snug with the wrench grasped in the middle. If you don't get it tight enough and it leaks after you run it up, just put a little more on where it leaks.

I just looked up a 5/16" fine thread, lubricated torque (Locktite does the lube) for a Grade 5 bolt (3 marks on top) is 14 ft-lbs.

In alum. I personally wouldn't put more than 7 ft-lbs which on a 6" wrench is 7 x 12 = 84 (inch-lbs) /6" out from the bolt is 14 lbs which is about what you can do with your hand grasping a 6" boxed in wrench in the middle. You can always put more whoopie on but you are in deep po if you put too much on and either strip out the block threads, or break off the bolt.

My 2c,
Mark

 

[iceangler]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

22 is the cover. I changed my impeller and upon checking my work with muffs I noticed water leaking around the plug holes in the cover. :mad-new:



I would assume the torque and sequence you mentioned would do the trick. They seemed to come out difficult, but that may have been due to mild corrosion. No stranger to this type of thing, just a little leary around aluminum and used to having a manual..Maybe I should break down and buy one.

On the other hand I do have some blue loctite and a 1/4" inch pound torque wrench, so I may go for it.

I have another day or two before the gasket arrives to think it over I guess.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

That particular leak was the only problem I had in 7 years of owning a 1988 115 tower. I don't know how you feel about wet vs dry gaskets but on a gasket like that I like to use some sealant. RTV blue is great.

I know people and OEMs talk about putting gaskets on dry, and spec them dry but when your engine was built it had no corrosion on the alum mating parts and had a specific gasket supplier. After use and years that is no longer the case and I have learned to put them on wet.

The other reason for dry in my opinion is the supplier doesn't know what or how you will glue it down and obviously the glue becomes part of the seal and there is a possibility of it causing a leak which the seal mfgr has no control over. That's ok for them, but not for me.

I don't even put head gaskets on dry. I know we are talking about a water jacket cover here but on the topic of wet vs dry. I use a head gasket glue by the name of Copper Coat. Made especially for head gaskets and it works. Never had a failure using it.

Mark

 

[iceangler]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

I was already planning on a light coat of blue rtv. I've heard all the arguments but never chose a side, it depends on each individual situation in my opinion.

 

[sidenberg]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

On the 115 Seloc manual says 60 inch lbs cross pattern

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

On the 115 Seloc manual says 60 inch lbs cross pattern

Take it. Sounds perfect to me. Other thing I'd do while you are there, if you have a blind tap of the thread size required (auto stores have them for a few bucks) run it thru your block threads to clean out the corrosion which will make reassy easier and torque more accurate.

Mark

 

[iceangler]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

Sweet, thanks guys.. The gasket is in my hands now, headed home to slap it together and off to the lake for the weekend.

 

[iceangler]

Re: Merc '01 optimax 115 water cover torque

I just wanted to thank you two again. I got it together and it ran like a champ. Fished hard a couple days before being blown off the lake the 3rd, landed many of these and had a great time.