Flathead 6 - Replace Head Gasket

[desertrefugee]

The original Highly finished and Polished Mahogany is beautiful, but I sort of like that raised deck to be honest!

 

[Ansimp]

Raised deck is okay if you are vertically challenged. I loved being in a customers yacht that was built for his 6’4” height out of Tasmanian Huon Pine. Not only didn’t have to stoop to walk through it had the driest, cleanest bilges that I had ever been in. :good:

 

[DaveKamp]

I'll hafta go check my engine museum and see- most of the time, those plugs are either Oak or Mahogany. It is NOT unusual for a saltwater engine to get drained after each use, and if you're really type A, you'd flush it with a 'fake-a-lake', or with a tee and hand-valve with hose coupling... but...

The OTHER reason why WOOD is a common choice, is because the threads corrode to the point where you cannot remove a threaded plug, nor install it. The wood plug, once pushed in and twisted a little, will bite and hold.

Block pressure on a raw-water cooled marine engine is very low- it's not closed, no pressure cap... and once the water soaks into the plug, it tends to hold itself nice and snug.

On my hot-rod inline Chevy six, I fitted 90-degree hand-valves to all the drain ports.... because here in Iowa, towards fall, it's not unusual to have 65F days immediately interrupted by an 11F night, and then have a few more 65F days. My runabout spent it's time in a boathouse, at the top of a 'railless' marine railway (like the winch-equipped motorcycle-loader in another post here). If I was out boating, and brought it in for the night, and we got a warning... or... I had to leave on a biz trip and didn't know what to expect, I'd walk out, flip the lights on, open the engine cover, throw the dump valves, and pull the bilge plug, drain it dry.

It's never a good idea to leave an open hole on a boat engine... an uncovered carbeurator, an oilpan drain plug, cooling system, or even through-prop exhaust... because small things with tails, or wings, or long, skinny, legless bodies find places to hide. :rant:

 

[DaveKamp]

Oh, and although you won't find it in the ORIGINAL manual... if you want that Hercules to really be nice...

When you reassemble, wire brush all the head bolts, and when you thread 'em back in, paint the threads with PTFE (teflon) pipe thread sealant. it will keep raw water from attacking the space between stud and castings, and filling same with corrosion, sediment, and salt. You'll also find that the torque process goes (literally) smoother, and when you re-check the torque, they'll be much, much closer.

 

[mcgovern61]

desertrefugee » Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:57 pm[/url]":2s0udf8x]
The original Highly finished and Polished Mahogany is beautiful, but I sort of like that raised deck to be honest!

It has advantages and disadvantages. For one, everyone coming onboard (including my Wife) keeps hitting their head on the canopy when they come from the helm seats out to the open deck because the deck is too high. That is the area where I removed the plywood and re-exposed the original bilge deck and step (problem solved).

The advantage of the whole deck being one height is that you could easily set up additional deck chairs and a small table. However, the plywood was not properly treated or cut to fit. There are large seams that are starting to get water penetration into the end grain of the plywood. It will rot. I could cut it and paint it on the ends, but then the deck will really be out of whack.

Also, by decking over the center, they eliminated the original under-deck storage on the port and starboard sides. By lowering that deck, I was able to create hatches to at least access 2/3rds of the storage again and move the batteries back where they belong. Again, here is what would normally be there:

This is the storage that would normally be available:

When we bought the boat, the deck went all the way up to the helm chairs:

One of the first cuts I made last spring was to open up the center to at least be able to access the bilge. With the deck covering the center access, I could not get to the bilge (bad thing on a wooden boat!).

The hatch in that center deck was to access the batteries. Again, they were installed on the bilge access plate. For last season, I pulled the batteries, fought to get the bilge plate open and was able to clean the crap out of the bilge and restore water flow to the bilge pump.

 

[mcgovern61]

I pulled the plywood deck and found sleepers underneath:

Pulled the sleepers and found the original storage space and framework intact minus the 3/8" mahogany shelf that protected the boats bottom from storage items:

We are keeping the two small chairs behind the main helm chairs for other adults to have a place to sit out of the sun. So, I cut the plywood to keep a solid deck under the chairs, but created hatches to access the storage:

Cleared the center deck and exposed the original step:

 

[mcgovern61]

Don't let the ugly cuts, exposed plywood and old adhesive throw you off (ugly for sure), for this season, we are getting indoor-outdoor marine carpet to cover it all. Luckily, it is inexpensive and available at Lowes! Here is what it looks like on two other boats:

I did not mean to get so side tracked with the deck changes in this thread, but it all adds up to easy access to the engine now!

 

[mcgovern61]

DaveKamp » Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:12 pm[/url]":3nw7qpxp]
Oh, and although you won't find it in the ORIGINAL manual... if you want that Hercules to really be nice...

When you reassemble, wire brush all the head bolts, and when you thread 'em back in, paint the threads with PTFE (teflon) pipe thread sealant. it will keep raw water from attacking the space between stud and castings, and filling same with corrosion, sediment, and salt. You'll also find that the torque process goes (literally) smoother, and when you re-check the torque, they'll be much, much closer.

Great advice! :good: :thanks:

 

[dan filipi]

The original floor design restores character. Good choice IMO.

 

[mcgovern61]

dan filipi » Thu Apr 25, 2019 7:32 am[/url]":3dlztfwc]
The original floor design restores character. Good choice IMO.

:thanks:

BTW, it looked like demo day at one point!

 

[Ansimp]

As with all your projects Gerry you have made great progress. :good:

 

[mcgovern61]

On Monday May 13, I had my first epidural for my low back. Had to wait a few days before doing anything. Doc says it will be at least two weeks before it is really effective (if it works). I do see how it is helping the anti-inflammatory meds work better so there is hope!

In the meantime (and while laying on my side again!), I managed to get the block painted, head gasket installed and peripheral equipment re-installed. I will be headed down to the boat tonight to attempt a first start. Here are pics of the progress (of course not quite done yet).

Cleaning up the threads on the head bolts!

 

[joedrum]

Looking good Gerry

 

[mcgovern61]

Engine reassembled. New spin on oil filter added and new piping fabricated onsite. I am in the process of updating to new USCG/ABYC approved wire for the electrical system (still 6 volt).

This engine sure has come a long way from this:

To this:

 

[joedrum]

Really nice work

 

[brianinpa]

Nice work Gerry

 

[mcgovern61]

Thanks guys! I ran down there tonight (On the "SLUG"!!) and finished the connections. Primed the fuel system and started her up! At the beginning of the video, it sounds like an engine running but that is just a box fan I have been using to circulate air inside the boat while it is still under cover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b49GxuUJwa0

 

[joedrum]

Sounds good great project

 

[julimike54]

Very nice!

 

[dan filipi]

Sounds great Gerry!