Every time the boat is used in salt water, a small amount of salt builds up on the galleries of the water. Over time, the amount of salt increases. Even with an engine flush, you don’t remove all of the salt. Eventually you will need to replace the power head gaskets.
What do they do and how much?
When a shop performs a gasketing job, it involves removing the Powerhead or engine part from the outside. The shop will clean the Powerhead base gasket area and surface. (This is where the engine attaches to the midsection on the outside.) While the powerhead is off, it’s a good time to replace the lower crankshaft seals.
Depending on the manufacturer of the exterior, the exhaust or side panels will be removed and the water halls will be cleaned and inspected and new gaskets installed. Heads will also be removed, cylinder blocks and water heads will be cleaned, and water deflectors in the water showrooms will be inspected or replaced at this time. The thermostats are usually replaced and the heads are usually surfaced before refitting.
Almost all of the gasket jobs I’ve done have required the use of an air or battery drill to drill out salt buildup in the water galleries. I’ve seen some engines with salt build up so bad they actually blew out the side of the block due to the pressure of the salt build up. These engines could not be repaired and the customer had to purchase a new engine. It’s a very important part of servicing, so find out when the gaskets were last installed for your engine before it’s too late…
It’s an expensive job, and it pays to book the boat in the shop during the winter. It’s better for the shops because it’s quiet. It helps them by giving them work, most stores are usually very busy in the summer and may struggle to fit you in. Sometimes some stores run winter specials…so with a great job like fillers, it’ll save you a lot of money if you can get the winter special.
If you’re not sure if you’ve had gaskets done, or if your engine is about 5 years old, ask your dealership when they recommend gaskets. Get it sorted before it’s too late and it will cost you a lot of money.
