Exhaust shutter project

Liberty44140

plan for today was to change all 4 exhaust shutters on my 350 mags. It didn’t happen. I could not for the life of me get them apart. There is zero corrosion or rust, I am fresh water, but could not budge the exhaust elbow. I did use a hose pick to get the boots separate, I could wiggle it, but no dice. Thinking I may just pay a mechanic to go change them. Thoughts?

aero3113

Can you slide the boot up or down to gain access to the shutters?

Liberty44140

Wouldn’t slide. I worked on it for an hour, for the boot loose but it wouldn’t slide. Is there a trick to get it to slide?

Cableguy Greg

Buy the gasket for the top of the exhaust elbow and remove the entire elbow. Much easier that way.

Liberty44140

Thanks, may do that. 

Cableguy Greg

Once that is off, it makes the job much easier.

Liberty44140

Thanks, pull 4 screws and pull the entire thing up? Obviously the clamps on the lower boot loose of off. May try that before paying someone. Looks like 4 gaskets can be bought for under $40 delivered. 

Cableguy Greg

Yes, remove 4 bolts and pull up. Make sure you get the correct gaskets. When I did my exhaust manifold, it was pretty easy pulling that apart.

Liberty44140

Thanks Greg!

GMSLITHO

I used the merc perfect seal on the riser to manifold and torqued to 33# then  re torqued  after about 10 hrs run time 

Michael T

I have heated the rubber sleeve with a hair dryer (carefully - to loosen them and have worked dielectric grease (clear grease that will not harm automotive rubber) sold by Ford for use on spark plug boots, under the edges. 

Trashman

MT is correct. I used a hair dryer to warm up the rubber boot.  Then used a little screwdriver. Slid the flat screwdriver slightly under the rubber then placed a small piece of wooden dowel under so not to scratch too much paint, then pry up.  When there was enough gap I sprayed a little pb blaster in there.  Worked it around a little and it freed up. 

Liberty44140

Thanks guys, I may try heat. Can not slide boots up, there are notches to prevent that, they only go down. I like Greg’s idea to just remove the elbows. Other than having to buy new gaskets, why not just remove the exhaust elbows?

Trashman

Liberty44140 said:

Thanks guys, I may try heat. Can not slide boots up, there are notches to prevent that, they only go down. I like Greg’s idea to just remove the elbows. Other than having to buy new gaskets, why not just remove the exhaust elbows?

FYI.   Those gaskets are around $35 each   

rasbury

70 per motor vs time and paint saved? Plus a good look at the inside of the manifold? Boat has o be out of the water right?

rasbury

I was going through the same for the motor pull and just pulled the risers....

Trashman

rasbury said:

70 per motor vs time and paint saved? Plus a good look at the inside of the manifold? Boat has o be out of the water right?

Good point.  A good look at the elbow may be in order.  

Liberty44140

Yep boat is out of the water. It looks like I can get after market gaskets for under $10 each. Not sure that oem is really needed here. In pulling back the boots on the exhaust elbows the elbows looked pretty good but would be good to check. Again I am fresh water.
Ras- what do you mean by paint saved?

rasbury

Prying those boots off- I gave up pretty quick! Pull the boots off the risers- found mine were toast so the list gets longer but in way, good thing I'm looking at this stuff now. Elbow was fine and I think not replaced often- manifolds and risers is what needs inspection. Mot sure if mine have ever been replaced...

Liberty44140

Thanks! I think I get your point... just pull the darn exhaust elbow and be done with it 

Liberty44140

Ok - so this is the beauty of this forum. Awesome to get different opinions and make your own plan. As @Trashman said, these gaskets are $30 or more each so a min of $120 for full replacement. The $10 gaskets I saw were for older RWC 350's, not my post 2002 closed cool. My boat has always been in fresh water, never seen salt, and from what I read online manifolds and elbows on freshwater boats last decades. The chances of any issues there are incredibly slim so I am less concerned with inspection. 

New plan - I am going to try to use the hairdryer method this weekend to slide the boots down. Any other ideas on sliding the boots down? dishsoap & water? I wont spend the $120 in gaskets because it wont be much more to just pay someone to do this. 

212rowboat

those boots have a slight bend formed into them.. one side (lower) is slightly shorter than the (upper) side when they are installed.  

use dish soap.  when its wet it's slick, when it dries it's sticky... meaning, you can get them off easier and reinstall them easier, but when it dries you dang near don't require the and clamps (by law you do, and by any reason... i'm just saying they stick a lot better)... 

so here are the tricks: 

1. remove or loosen ALL the clamps on the boot.  dip a plastic knife in dawn soap and slip it between the boot and the elbow on both sides.  

2. don't try to slide the boots up or down yet... simply grab them with both hands on either side, and twist them left and right... you're taking advantage of the slight bend shape in their form.  when it twists/turns, it will open a small gap on either side.. add water (which will mix with the soap already in there from the knife)

3. twist some more.. when it starts to turn easily, and it will, simply push rearward toward the Y pipe as you're still twisting.  there ya go. 

Liberty44140

Thanks Drew! I will have this printed and ready

212rowboat

oh... i should have added:  on the Y pipe behind the boot, wipe some dawn on it too- with a bit of water. make it nice and slick, and the boots will slide right down them.... using soap makes it a self cleaning mess.  it won't hurt a thing to let it dry on there when you're done, whereas if you used petroleum based or synthetic type lubricant, you gotta clean it up else endure the smell as it burns off.  

Stodge

I just got a call from my mechanic saying mine need to be replaced.  Must be something in the water.  

Liberty44140

Any idea how old your are Stodge? Original?

zaverin1

Stodge how did he come up with that conclusion 
noise at idle or other work being done 

Stodge

I didn't ask.  The boat is still on blocks and the outdrives came off for service.  If I had to guess someone else had a problem recently and he thought "wonder what this one looks like".  

zaverin1

That’s weird
You usually hear a tick when rubber wear out down to metal.
other would be a severe over heat condition that just melts the flaps.
checking flaps would make sense to make sure they are still there.
not having flaps can cause a hydro lock 

aero3113

@Stodge If your flaps fell apart your mechanic probably saw them in the exhaust when he took the drive off.

Stodge

Wow, and here I thought he was just psychic.  Burst my bubble.