How To Maintain The Cylinder Heads On Marine Engines
August 7, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Boat Engines And Sailboat Hardware, Questions Visitors Are Asking And Answers
Pistons and cylinder heads, get more wear than any other marine engine components. Without regular maintenance the following signs need to be monitored:
- Overheating
- Distortion
- Leaking
- Coughing
- Power lose
cylinder heads providing an air tight seal - the cover
Overheating
This can mean cracking of the cylinder head. The reason for this is adding cold water to an overheated engine. If this is the case, then change your cylinder head.
Distortion
The seal between cylinder head and engine block is not strong. Any unevenness will lead to air, oil or coolant transfer. The temperature differential means added stress and so distortion occurs. Avoid this by tightening the bolts frequently.
Coughing
The gasket beneath the cylinder head maybe leaking. The coughing is due to engine coolant mixing with oil. The worse this gets, the less likely your engine will start!
Power lose
If you experience this then this demonstrates a lot of cylinder wear
Filters
The air intake filter is important to regulating the engine heat. Make sure it is clear at all times
The above signs and reasons, are associated with cylinder head trouble. Usually they are contributory factors, that if monitored as part of the marine engine maintenance process, prolong the lifespan of your motor.
once cover removed, here are the heads
If your analysis leads you to wanting to do a cylinder head compression test, then here is an outline. You ought to be aware, that this test requires an understanding of the comparasion of cylinders and that the outcome may not be totally accurate.
In other words, if you determine that a cylinder is faulty - get it checked by a mechanic before going further!
Compression testing
- Take a dummy injector with a gauge measure
- Remove the injectors, test each cylinder individually. Turn over the starter engine to develop compression and whilst the dummy injector is in position, watch the pressure gauge
- Perform the test with out oil first - dry on all the heads write down the pressures as you go
- Now do the same again - wet, this is were you may notice the gauge pressure increase much quicker!
- If there was no significant increase in pressure, then your problem could lie with the valve seats
- If there is then consider the piston rings
Bare in mind: changing over these parts is tricky and if you are not experienced, could lead to bad experience! (Talk about killing off the fun!)
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