blown head gasket mercruiser 140

[vstol]

Hello all, <br /><br />My buddy has a 82 Larson with a mercruiser 140 in it that he only paid $1500 for. Turns out while looking for an ehause leak we found a blown headgasket between pistons 2 and 3. The question is can we put J B weld in were the pressure from the engine erroded away metal on both the head and the block. We tried to price it to have it welded and no one will do it here locally and he really does not want to sink the money into a new engine, he would rather just buy a different boat. I have heard of using J B weld on the outside of a motor but never inside. So is it worth a shot if the motor is already junk?

 

[Bondo]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

There Aren't Any special Glues that'll Fix your buddies Problems.......<br /><br />Welding Isn't a Fix either,.....<br /><br />It's Either got to be Machined(there May, or May Not be enough metal to allow a Clean-up cut),..... Or Replaced.......

 

[thunderroad]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Machining probably wouldn't be all that expensive if he removed the block himself. I'd certainly get an opinion on whether or not it's fixable first. That should be a fairly easy unit to work on, not extremely large or heavy. He'd have a chance to check out the coupler area while he had it apart too. <br />If it were mine and I otherwise liked the boat, I'd look into fixing it.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

I'm with the others - I'm a big fan of JB Weld and use it for many things... but not to fill the gap between cylinders. <br /><br />Like has already been suggested, I would pull the engine and disassemble it, then take the block and head to a machine shop for their opinion. If it is trashed, you can then find another block and head and rebuilt that one. Then bolt your externals back onto the new block.

 

[vstol]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Ok all,<br /><br />Thanks for the input, I am in agreement with you but for as little as he has in the boat already, I am not sure if he will not just scrap it and find something a little bigger. In my opintion the block is behond machining repair, and the head is even further erroded away.

 

[captwoodshed]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

If it help, there's a place called pullapart that you could get that engine for $108. The only thing is that you have to pull the engine out of the car.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Before you junk the engine, buy, rent, or borrow a Dremel tool. Using a cutoff wheel, cut two shallow slots across the gap made by the combustion gases. Using O-ringing wire cut to the length of the slots tap them into the slot. The slots must be cut to the same depth or slightly less than the diameter of the wire. If the damage is deeper than the O-ringing wire you are probably out of luck. If not, add JB into the grooves between the wires. You don't want a big hump where the repair is. You want the wire to be just marginally above the surface of the block. If there is a cooling water passage in that area you essentially need to make a dam between it and the cylinders, and between it any any other passages, and between it and the outside of the block. When the repair is set up, grind the area flat as possible. Use a new gasket and a quality sealer. You won't be out a ton of money if it doesn't work.

 

[Don S]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

<br /><br />That is nothing more than a "Make it work-sell it-let the next guy worry about it" type fix. And I use the word fix loosly. That So Called fix may work ok to get a car home from someplace, but will never hold up on a marine engine.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

I agree Don -- but since he's on a tight budget why not try it. He would be out just a little time and a head gasket if it doesn't work. Lots of things are done by people who try bizzare things after being told that their solution won't work. It all depends on how long they want/expect the fix to last, where and how they boat, and whether or not the owner tells any prospective buyer about the repair. Since we can't see the damage who knows what he's dealing with. The damage may be a "ditch" or it may be a little "divot". If the money and skills aren't there, by all means he should probably sell the boat and move on. If it were mine I'd stare at it for awhile before I buried it in the back yard. If you haven't guessed, I hate thowing things away that may have just a little life left in them.

 

[searay3]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Here's another angle...if the jb weld is placed properly, meaning leaving some material to grap onto.....the head gasket will make the seal. Granted there will be a portion under the gasket sealing surface that will be vulnerable to pressure and heat. This would be the issue. Under combustion, the pressure and heat will blow the plastic out the hole. On a tight "let's try it and see" budget...heat the area with a torch, gently and in a large area to spread the heat throughout the block. Have the wire welder ready and lay some material around and into the the fault. Take it to a machine shop to level and finish. If the block took the weld, ( it does work sometimes, I've done it) then assemble and go. If it did not crack while welding, the machine shop will tell you if it did, what are you out? A couple of bucks. If it works...happy boating.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

There ya go! Another idea that just may work.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Originally posted by captwoodshed:<br /> If it help, there's a place called pullapart that you could get that engine for $108. The only thing is that you have to pull the engine out of the car.

except that engine was never used in a car.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

The engine is easy to remove.. just buy another one.. you can buy a complete one (used) for under $1000 and have all externals from this motor as a spare. Look:<br /><br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERC...ewItemQQcategoryZ50442QQitemZ4605610016QQrdZ1

 

[Silvertip]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

CPTKID -- You apparently didn't see the first post. $1,000 is hardly a low-budget fix. He already has access to a $108 motor but has to pull it himself and is balking at that. While everyone agrees the correct long-term fix is to spend major dollars, it isn't always within the financial means of some folks.

 

[paulie0735]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

The hard truth is that if you cannot afford to do the repairs properly than you cannot afford to go boating, as most of us know nothing soaks up funds like a bargain boat. My advice is to save up some bucks, if that means doing the next season on the shore than that’s not the end of the world! In the mean time pull the engine, take it to a couple of engine reconditioners in your area, these guys do head and block repairs every day they will tell you if it can be effectively repaired or not. Clever, unusual, different even unorthodox engine repairs are no problem in my book and are what I love most about this forum. But this is a boat not a car and in my opinion there is no room for unreliable repairs when it comes to boat engines. If that engine fails when you really need it, your in ‘serious’ trouble.

 

[Bondo]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Originally posted by paulie0735:<br /> The hard truth is that if you cannot afford to do the repairs properly than you cannot afford to go boating, as most of us know nothing soaks up funds like a bargain boat. My advice is to save up some bucks, if that means doing the next season on the shore than that’s not the end of the world! In the mean time pull the engine, take it to a couple of engine reconditioners in your area, these guys do head and block repairs every day they will tell you if it can be effectively repaired or not. Clever, unusual, different even unorthodox engine repairs are no problem in my book and are what I love most about this forum. But this is a boat not a car and in my opinion there is no room for unreliable repairs when it comes to boat engines. If that engine fails when you really need it, your in ‘serious’ trouble.

Exactly...........

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: blown head gasket mercruiser 140

Actually, nothing he is looking at is going to be cheap. To have the block or the head looked at is going to cost a hundred bucks or so.. Gaskets cost money...by the time a repair is even tried, he is looking at at least a few hundred dollars.. may as well buy another engine that has good compression.<br /><br />Just for experimental purposes, it would be interesting to have him slap some JB Weld in there with a new head gasket.. and let us know how much life he got out of it. I'm sure not much... but it would be interesting to see.