What else to replace when replacing a Powerhead Gasket? 1987 Evinrude 88hp

[kfogart3]

Hello everyone,

Long story short, my local mechanic pointed out a leak in the powerhead gasket on my 87' 88hp evinrude which is contributing to a rough idle. They quoted me ~8+ hr of labor, so I am doing it myself. The engine looks pretty clean, considering its older than I am, and compression is all 115-120, so I am hoping I can keep it going for a while.

After wrestling around with the studs for a couple days, I have the powerhead completely removed. Needless to say, I don't want to do it again, so what else should I look at and replace while I am in here? I already did the water pump and got new thermostats. Should I dig into the exhaust housing more to replace any other gaskets?

I have been taking a lot of pictures just in case I want to do a write-up when i am done, but here are a couple that show the adapter plate condition. I also included a picture of the hose fittings that go to the thermostat housing. It looked like there was some buildup, is this normal? I was going to just clean it up as best as possible.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[healey8390]

I wouldn't worry about the lower exhaust gasket unless you suspect a leak...

When I did mine I used high tack sealant and put the gasket on the powerhead so I would't have to worry about lining correctly/stabbing the gasket if it was on the base etc.

 

[kfogart3]

Thanks for the gasket tip, sounds like a good way to avoid problems. As far as the lower gasket goes, is there any way to test? The mechanic said it was leaking exhaust from the powerhead gasket, but not sure he would have been able to tell the difference.