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Exhaust Manifold gaskets AQ120B

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pugetsounder

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Curious about different brands. The Beck/Arnley have a steel (stainless?) innner ring on their gaskets but the Volvo-Penta brand doesn't. They are about the same price. Would the Beck/Arnley last longer? Or will the steel rust and corrode faster hence the non steel ring on the VP? Curious before I buy.
 
Thanks kimcrwbr1 I ended up buying VP brand from CJ marine in Marysville. I have the dreaded #4 cylinder exhaust leak and I haven't pulled the manifold off yet. The leak wasn't bad last fall but over the winter while tuning and things it's gotten worse. I hoping it's just a bad gasket and not a rotted out port. Either way I will need gaskets. Have you heard of anybody in the Pugetsound area that does the VP exhaust port fix? There is a thread on this board about a guy in the bay area that does it in the boat.
 
Yeah discobayken I read your post. Do you happen to have the mechanic's name and number? Worse case scenario I can mail the head down to him for a fix. Thanks
 
I had it done At Oakley Stern Drive. Ask for the owner, Chad. Maybe he knows someone in your area that has the hone kit? OR, if you have time you could do a bit of research and ask the VP parts rep in your area which shop buys a lot of those sleeves from him. Just a thought.

oakleysterndrive.com
(925) 779-0707 6001 Bridgehead Rd, Oakley, CA

If you are taking the head off... I would think that most any machine shop could repair it. And might as well have the valves done, etc. while you are at it...
 
discobayken said:
I had it done At Oakley Stern Drive. Ask for the owner, Chad. Maybe he knows someone in your area that has the hone kit? OR, if you have time you could do a bit of research and ask the VP parts rep in your area which shop buys a lot of those sleeves from him. Just a thought.

oakleysterndrive.com
(925) 779-0707 6001 Bridgehead Rd, Oakley, CA

If you are taking the head off... I would think that most any machine shop could repair it. And might as well have the valves done, etc. while you are at it...
Click to expand...

Thanks discobayken. I still have to take the exhaust mani off to see what the problem is. If it's just a leaky gasket, no problemo, if it's a corroded exhaust port than I'll be calling this guy. I'd rather not take the head off this winter but if I have to then I have to.
 
Update:

I took the exhaust mani off and found considerable corrosion at the #4 exhaust port. I had done a compression test and it came out way better than I expected: 150lbs on the nut for all four cylinders. With that I really didn't want to crack the engine a part, why mess with a good thing? After pondering my options and getting no no where finding someone in the pugetsound region that does the 'port fix' decribed above, I ended up using JB weld. I cleaned the port out with a brass brush wheel on a drill using carbon cleaner and then acetone. I bolted the exhaust gasket onto it after spraying it with silicon lube, using it as a form. I heated up the area with a heat gun and using my finger I pushed JB weld into everywhere I could and then smooting it out around the port exit. It will set and cure for days before I get around to starting it up. In the meantime I'm wating for a new water pump, T-belt, and tensioner bearing. I'm only looking for a temporary fix at this time. If it lasts a season I will be happy. My thinking is the JB weld is good for 600 degrees and being an aluminum head I can't imagine the exhaust port reaching that temp. Also if it fails it won't be catastrophic, it wil develop a leak and I will have to start over. Hopefully this will buy me some time to find a good head and have it refurbished by next winter. I'll let ya'll know if it works since this is a common problem with the VP OHC aluminum head 4 bangers.
 
I don't blame you for trying that fix. JB is amazing and hopefully it will work. Worst case... you are back to square one.

Best of luck and please let us know how it works out...
 
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