Its taken a while but I finally got around to pulling the powerhead from the Mercury 200 so that I could address the leaks around the crankcase seam. This is my first time working on an outboard motor so I was cautious about getting in over my head. Finally I got the courage.
This also gave a a chance to make sure the exhaust relief chamber was cleaned and clear. It was fairly dirty, but not blocked, so I don’t think there were any issues with the exhaust back pressure before now. Still good to know that it is cleaner than it was previously and should be for quite a while in the future. The gasket for the exhaust relief cover is NLA. Is there anything special I would need to consider in making a new one?
The photos from the previous post clearly show leaks on both sides of crankcase, and as Jayzon this was causing a lack of idle performance. Now that I’ve got the case split, I can see that there is essentially nothing the keeps the two halves of the case sealed other than a perfectly matched fit. Jayzon stated Loctite 518( anaerobic gasket sealer) would work to seal the two halves upon reassembly. Loctite 518 is tough to find locally, but everyone has lots of Permatex products. Does anyone know what the equivalent Permatex product would be, and if its an acceptable substitute?
How much of the Loctite or Permatex should be used? I am assuming that I would need the absolute minimum amount.
Also I was considering replacing the single upper and the dual lower crank seals at this point, but the current ones seem to be in good condition. Should I pull the flywheel and magneto so I can replace the seals, or just run the ones I have?