i need some gearheads help...I have merc cruiser 350 '04 and this weekend started hearing what i belive to be a exhaust leak. I was just wondering what you all thought. It sounds like pressured air and increases in noise with the gas or when pulling someone. Could it be a Head gasket??...but i have never over heated my boat though I am the second owner. I seem to have isolated it to the driver side manifold area.
That is super common on that motor. Exhast gasket leak. They had a larger number of motors where the gasket was not installed properly and they leak at around 100hrs. It is an easy fix, took me and the mechanic about 40mins.
ya i opened the cover and ran it. defiantly the driver side. my boat is at 171 hrs so i am thinking thats what it is. How easy of a self install is that? Could I really mess it up if I try by myself? Oh and is there a manual for that engine for my torque settings or any instructions?
Having seen it done its not hard at all but I would take it to a shop unless you are very mechanically inclined. We took the bolts out and replace with two with long studs. That allowed us to slide the manifold horozontally away from the block without removing the exhast pipe. From there repacing the gasket is a matter of pulling the old one out and sliding the new one in. You have to remove the "sliding studs" one at a time to get the new gasket in position. Once the new gasket is in push the manifold home and replace the bolts. Easy!
ok for you guys that care it was like Darren said so easy, don't ever pay to get this done. My local shop was a month out. I couldn't handle that!! The gasket was only 7 bucks and a hour of my time and i am right behind the boat again.
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