White deposits on spark plugs; water in fuel?

[GPI Racing]

Never had any problems with the vaseline except the look I got when I purchased the big jar of it at the store. The clerk was looking funny as it was the only thing I had on the counter :shock: . Actually we have used it for over 15 years on the sleds and other engines we do. Putting the head and the o-rings in the freezer works great and I can't remember where I picked that trick up. The nice thing about vaseline is it dissolves with heat. The next time you remove the heads it is pretty much gone. Why our body oils and such make them expand and the vaseline doesn't, I couldn't explain. Spray one with carb cleaner or acetone and it grows real big! I watched a factory Suzuki guy use a 600cc engine 0-ring on a 700cc engine that way. He sprayed it down 'till it fit and away they went.

Randy

 

[fishnfireman]

I would like to know WHY you would do this (5--yes--five ) times a year. Unless your drag racing and turning about 10 grand every weekend. Then maybe you should do it after every race.

Yes the vaseline is a must when putting the old ones back.
I also was told that is why Merc. went to the O-rings ------so you could reuse.

 

[2fast4mom]

Things to avoid if you're NASA:

1) Stirring the tank
2) O-rings + freezing
3) Jar of Vaseline onboard if all the other astronauts are male

 

[John Richied]

Dusty, I actually take my heads off one time a year to decarb and inspect the pistons and cylinders during the winter.

Then I change my heads at least one time a year (35cc to 26cc) for the Western Allison Rally Bassboat Drags… so I go through three sets of head gaskets a year and I thought that was a lot. Just curios why you would pull the heads five times a year?

Yeller, I saw in B&W where Darris sells drag racin boats… they call it a XR-2001, so now you don’t have to try and make an XB-2003 into a drag boat. Your XR-03 is purty, but it ain’t PURTY FAST! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Randy said,

Never had any problems with the Vaseline except the look I got when I purchased the big jar of it at the store….

Randy, ya should have bought a Playboy Magazine too…

Lou, if in the event my boat engine blows up at the W.A.R. next year… I AIN’T RIDIN WITH YOU!

 

[alli ss]

Dusty, I actually take my heads off one time a year to decarb and inspect the pistons and cylinders during the winter.

I am doing it for the same reason. I have caught side pins coming out before they do much damage. I run dino oil so I clean the tops. I run nic sleeves so I check for scuffing and such. now if I had a promax I wouldn't do it. I am paranoid about these fine mercury motors to the point I am VERY cautious and like to be in tune with it. if you ran a nic motor, and side pins and took your heads off once a year- how you gonna feel when you see that side pin groove (not that dance yeller does) and now you gotta replace the sleeve instead of just replacin the piston and doin a lil honin or just re- nic? maybe ole dusty is just stupid- but then again, maybe I'm not :roll: who knows except me :wink: I'll keep on pullin mine, and when I wear the studs out I'll git some mo :lol:

 

[John Richied]

That’s cool Dusty I was just wondering why…

I thought that maybe you had some high compression o-ring style heads actually…?

My pistons have the same side pins and it’s a 1996 that still full of fire!

Now why you run dino oil is a mystery to me IF you are that paranoid… to each his own and we don’t want to start an oil post, Well not until December or January, that’ll give us something to do.

PS taking your heads off five times a year and paying $120 each time for the head gaskets is $600 a year … do that for three years (($1800) and I think ya could have just rebuilt that baby every three years. :wink:

 

[2fast4mom]

Q: Why do motorcycles, snowmobiles, go-karts, and chainsaws never have problems with side-pinned pistons? These 2-stroke applications in many cases spin much faster than the 6-cylinder 2.5 liter outboard. You don't hear of failures from side-pinned pistons in these applications, or any others.

A: Because Mercury uses a low-bid piston! It is simply a matter of quality, in my opinion.

Sorry for bringing this up before December. :x

 

[John S]

John, youre forgetting the cost of all the beers it will take to shut up all your buddies when they see you gettin pulled in by some tuna can alumacraft with a 50 horse tiller, the guy tellin you how he gets 5 more mph before dinner. Just my opinion, but I agree with Alli SS, maintainence in the garage is a lot cheaper and well worth the peace of mind. Im a maintainence freak though. Oh well, I gotta go now, and check the torque on my crapper flapper! :lol:


John S

 

[2fast4mom]

John S, you got my 03 confused with an Alumacraft???? :lol: :lol:

WAR 2004, towed Pinkie in after he whooped my arse... :wink:

 

[John Richied]

Wasn’t that the last time bassboats raced... in 2004?

Oh yeah that’s right, I still have the fastest drag bassboat at the Western Allison Rally… :mrgreen: aint anyone gonna do something about that? Who is ya Redding XB21? Does ya race and fish or just fish… hehehe :wink: Damn, I did it with a little 225 and those 280’s taste like chicken…LOL Yeah I'm talkin to you XB03 owners.

Maybe Bryan or Jimmy will come this year... ya think>? Jimmy got a new XB-03 and I know he wants SOME. :wink:

Kick it back baby… winter is on the way!

 

[alli ss]

I do have hi comp o-ring heads. and it seems like I need to sell you some parts- I buy em from my former best friend and merc dealer. they are $54/ set :lol: just a maintenance freak. I do all my own work and have seen what neglect will do to one. I also run dino oil for a reason- I run the merc racing oil. now if I ran premium plus I may think of switchin. we'll get into the oil post later but til then just remember- all the best engine builders highly reccomend synthetic oil except randy. I'll keep runnin my dino oil :lol:
oh and at $54/ set I thought I was gettin shafted. and he keeps me a set in stock :lol:

 

[GPI Racing]

Hey,

What do you mean they all recommend synthetic oil except me? :?

All oil comes from the ground and synthetic is not 'man made'. Granted there are some additives put into oil 'base stocks' to give it the synthetic badge, I can give some very good documentation on oils that would be quite entertaining to read. The point I most stress is use something that is proven and you are comfortable with. At the ratios we run in these 2.5s they are very well 'oiled'. We have been racing some 125cc karts the last few weeks and mix a castor based oil at 16 to 1. These little engines run 16800rpm and make a little over 30hp. I thought the Merc's were stressed but I'm continuing my learning curve. I do think Amsoil is good oil (for example) but I don't believe it's good to run it at 60 to 1 in a 2.5 EFI. I have no problem with it at 32 to 1, it would just be expensive.

Use the net, study up on it and you'll find out there is more to the oil story than your led to believe. Look what the engine mfg's are using in the Motocross bikes and the GP bikes (the closest thing to our engines) Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki won't compromise their 100 milion dollar budgets by using oils because someone pays them to use it. They have some very specific needs that they find solutions for. Look up the info, it's quite interesting to see the directions taken on oils.

Randy

 

[chad202]

Speaking of Amsoil, is 40:1 good at 7500rpm or below.

 

[John Richied]

Chad, as long as 40:1 @ 7500 or below provides the proper amount of lubrication to your engine… it’s good! LOL Okay, I was just trying to be funny. :lol:

An oil post can strike up the longest post on a site over night… :wink:

 

[JR]

Randy

Randy,
I too was into Kart racing and originally used the 125 cc Mac 101b [b as in bomb] and later the Yamaha 100 cc motors. We were racing on dirt using methanol/nitromethane/castor for our fuel. We were turning 18,000 rpm due to not being allowed to run gear reductions [jack shafts].

The class was unlimited except a 125cc limit , to keep the Euro B-Bomb 130 cc motors out of the class. We were still at a disadvantage to the Comet rotary valve motors, even with the reed packs, super Burco carbs and welded block with direct transfers going from the reed cage directly into the crankcase instead of being blocked by the piston skirt.
JR

 

[chad202]

John, smartA$$. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

 

[alli ss]

has anybody ever measured the o- rings to see the diameter and thickness? I could get a hundred of them for 54.00 probably :roll: