Reply To: Mercury KE4 Assembly

[green-thumbs]

Mr Grubb or Mr. Thurwachter may know for sure. As for me, I would leave plate out entirely
if the copper stamping is not used. I use Permatex # 2 gasket sealer with the two gaskets
laying down the large gasket first then positioning the smaller water tube gasket before joining powerhead to driveshat/exhaust housing.
That may seem to be leaving out items , but, that is how the Mercury Parts Manual for KE4/Mark7 illustration shows it. No * indicating a change, so it seems fair to assume
it will work.

The copper stamping bonded to gasket and the cover plate were used ,but, from what
parts manual shows they were later made without either of them. The water jackets
show no change. Very early production KE4 use KD4 cylinders, pistons and rods
with the 4 leaf reed block and later crankshaft. Using up old stock parts is another
Mercury thing.
Some lower cylinders are not machined on face that contact driveshaft/exhaust housing
so that may be how the cover plate fits in. Mercury is also known for listing later
parts and not mentioning earlier patterns that were No Longer Available.

Louis