Outboard head gasket fitting advice for a first timer...

[FairweatherDave]

Yes. I've never done it before. The time has come. Reassembling my outboard with a new headgasket and blue hylomar ( a non-setting gasket sealant).
Q 1. A thin bead or smear all over very thin with a finger?
Q 2. My inclination is to be pretty gentle tightening up the bolts, having had the shearing off issue when undoing the leg. The bolts are greased. I am aware you should retighten a while after the initial tightening but what sort of torque, or should I use common sense, be gentle but firm and just look for leaks?
Q 3. Once tightened up can I fire up the engine straight away?

Really appreciate the advice I get here, even when it conflicts
Cheers
Dave

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

can't help with the torque.... your manual (hunt online?) should answer that one.... there will also be a tightening order to make sure the head sits down properly...

With a decent new gasket, you shouldn't need any hylomar (although it wont hurt)

Yes, you should be able to start it immediately afterwards

...and finally.... make sure you get the gasket on the right way up!

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks for the reply. Just found my manual (should have specified the outboard is a Suzuki DT2.2) and nothing is mentioned about torque.....
My googling lead me to go for the bead of hylomar rather than a smear. But I could redo the job and smear (the beauty of non-setting). What lead to my post was as I was tightening up the bolts (evenly, a bit on each going round gradually) I felt I was continually tightening and not getting to an obvious tight point (which might have been due to too fat a bead of the hylomar, perhaps a miilimetre max on each side of the gasket). Anyhow I guess the worst outcome by being overcautious is the gasket will simply leak, in which case what would I expect to observe? (I said it was my first time ). (My worst worst outcome would obviously be shearing a bolt).

 

[VicS]

Yes. I've never done it before. The time has come. Reassembling my outboard with a new headgasket and blue hylomar ( a non-setting gasket sealant).
Q 1. A thin bead or smear all over very thin with a finger?
Q 2. My inclination is to be pretty gentle tightening up the bolts, having had the shearing off issue when undoing the leg. The bolts are greased. I am aware you should retightening a while after the initial tightening but what sort of torque, or should I use common sense, be gentle but firm and just look for leaks?
Q 3. Once tightened up can I fire up the engine straight away?

Really appreciate the advice I get here, even when it conflicts
Cheers
Dave

There is a manual at http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html
but it does not list the torque for the cylinder head bolts for a DT2.2 which is presumably the engine you are talking about . I suggest you use the torque listed generally for the size and material of the bolts in question

See http://boatinfo.no/lib/suzuki/manuals/suzuki_1988-2003.html#/260

There may be more information in the text but I have not read it

 

[Lakesailor]

No sealer. The lacquer on the gasket should be sufficient. Mention of sealer in the Tohatsu manual refers to the crankcase gaskets, not the cylinder head. In the Suzuki manual it simply says "Install cylinder head gasket". You should really use a new gasket every time.
Tighten the head bolts in the sequence, diagonally opposite, in turn (yes, it isn't possible really, but as near as you can).

Tighten to the correct torque. The Tohatsu is 85 lb/inches, (not lb/ft!). Your engine is very similar. Do them in stages, not to the full torque straight away.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks both. Vic that is an interesting link, will study it when my eyes aren't closing.... and now to source a torque wrench (oh do I have to see my brother and family on BH Monday??).