out of topic, but I trust this newsgroup

I would make absolutely sure they used a straight edge to make sure the heads weren't warped. Best gaskets in the world won't stand up to something like that and it happens.............. If you have the time, remove the head, look closely at the gasket then use a straightedge on the head and see what you find. This is usenet, so make up your own mind about how good that advice is, or is not as the case may be.....

And don't forget to check the top of the block for what he described.

Al

Usenet or not, you're absolutely right. I'd check the block mating surface for trueness as well.

Doc

I'm not sure how this thing is set up, but I'd be much more inclined to think the salt water got in through the exhaust system. Does the exhaust exit under water? Bob

Bob:

MOST of the time the exhaust exits above the water line - by about three inches; in a high or following sea, it's often under water - and when the boat is healing over a lot , the vertical drop from the point where the gas and water mix in leaving the engine down to the muffler is not much ...what's odd is that I'm sure I was in seas as rough last year, when none of this happened ...if you're interested (!?!) there's a good diagram here

Hard to be offended when I have no freakin' clue what the hell you're talking about.

Doc

If the engine ran fine while under way only to have problems when restarting after sailing I would be VERY suspicious of the exhaust system. Bob

And check for corrosion on the mating surfaces, saltwater for cooling-thats scary stuff. I hope you are flushing the engine with fresh water when youre done playin, you should......

Salt water cooling shortens engine life, you probabally have porosity in your engine block casting. It will look like swiss cheese under a microscope and bubble to beat hell under a pressure test. There is no fix for porosity, you will have to change the engine, while your at it put in a fresh water cooling system.