SeaKing head gasket question

[Givey1982]

I am still working on the SeaKing 6hp and the excessive white smoke issue. I ordered a head gasket and removed the head. I am fairly certain that This is the first time it has been off since it was built. How do I get the actual gasket off? I don’t want to gouge the head bit it is on there good. It really does not look bad but the head is off now and I have one ordered. Any help is appreciated.

 

[maintenanceguy]

steel gasket scraper or a putty knife. Take your time and you won't damage anything. They make an aerosol gasket remover that will soften the gaskets but it works much better if used after you scrape most of the gasket off and just soak the remaining crumbs. Most of the time they come off without needing to use the aerosol at all.

If this is a 2 stroke, are you sure you have excessive white smoke? The oil mixed with the water can smoke a lot.

 

[Givey1982]

The back yard looked like I was spraying for mosquitoes if you know what I mean. I feel that is a bit much. If you were in the boat and the wind shifted you would be in trouble.

I posted a video link below

 

[nccatfisher]

How long did you run it in the test tank? If the head gasket was blown the piston should be almost white on top where the water was getting in and blowing the carbon off?

 

[Givey1982]

Not very long. Maybe 60 seconds

https://youtu.be/pzVqsvN5INM

 

[Givey1982]

Here is a couple seconds when I first got it going and no water pumping.

https://youtu.be/kY6jUWeq4Aw

 

[maintenanceguy]

Watched the videos. That is a lot of smoke! But, if you were mixing at 25:1, it might not be that much smoke. At 50:1, I would say it's a lot of smoke. But, doesn't matter now. Changing the head gasket looks pretty straightforward on this model.

 

[Givey1982]

According to my paperwork it should be a 50:1 ratio. I am going to replace the head gasket but do you think at 50:1 that is reasonable smoke? My 96 Mariner 25 hardly smokes at all and that is why I am concerned. Maybe I am chasing my tail.

Thanks


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[nccatfisher]

I had an old one that ran at 16:1 quite honestly it didn't smoke as bad as yours did in that short vid and when it did it wasn't that white. It was hard to tell what was going on in that vid as short as it was with no sound. It did indicate water in the combustion chamber but again with no sound I could not hazard a guess.

Just get it cleaned up, button the head back down and see where it goes. I would have wanted to see what the compression was prior to pulling the head but that is all water under the bridge. It wasn't that hard of a job nor a great deal of expense.

 

[Givey1982]

Thanks for the response. The first YouTube video has sound to it. As you said it is not a hard job. Head is off and I have the new gasket. It will take longer to remove the old gasket than it did to pull the head.

Thanks again

 

[Pappy]

Guys - It is not necessarily the oil ratio that makes the smoke! I also have engines that run on a 16:1 ratio and they are much larger engines that the one we are talking about that do not smoke as much as this one does.
The most common culprit is the air/fuel ratio! The engine in the tank looked like it was producing more steam than smoke. A rich running engine, however, will produce volumes of bluish smoke!!
Stop with the oil ratio discussion for a minute and go back and adjust your mixtures! You will be pleasantly surprised at the difference it will make.

Edit - I uploaded a video of a 1958 Johnson 35hp on it's first run. Engine is running on 24:1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAihULrp-eY

 

[Givey1982]

Head gasket replaced with no real difference. I am chasing the air/fuel issue now working on the correct initial setting for the carb and idle adjustment screw. I just reinstalled the rebuilt carb and will work on adjustment tomorrow.

Thanks for the input