Fleetwin,
I knew about the ice damage concerns from a blocked weep hole, but your crack doesn’t seem like a place that could ever trap water. Even if it somehow did I would think it would just stretch the intake plate out before the casting split.
I know you were suggesting a cracked or corroded casting creating a direct path for exhaust into the water pump. I did not find any evidence of that.
With the gearcase leaking badly enough at both the shift O ring and the driveshaft seal, the exhaust path could be literally through the gearcase.
Since there is no real harm in doing it, I’ll get the motor put back together and mounted on my boat for a lake test. I’ll change the oil again right before I launch and I wont stay out long.
Rapier,
Wow, crusty. This motor had no blockage in the big water channels and none of the white AL oxide buildup inside. It may be that the salt exposure to this motor was so little that it should not be considered a factor here.
