Head Gasket Removal

[amahaork]

I do not recommend to do anything with cylinders, small amount of carbon is ok. Later use yamaha ring free in gas. Glad you took heads off without broken bolts. Follow Yamaha service manual on heads bolts torque procedure. Have good wrench. New thermostats also good to have.

[Jason2tpa]

You may want to replace the anodes in the block while you have it apart. Scratch the deposits from the philips screw lines and then use a light tap with a hand impact driver if you have one.

Is that what they are?! I was wondering what the screw heads were for, figured it had to do with disassembling cylinders further. Good to know, thanks.

[Jason2tpa]

I do not recommend to do anything with cylinders, small amount of carbon is ok. Later use yamaha ring free in gas. Glad you took heads off without broken bolts. Follow Yamaha service manual on heads bolts torque procedure. Have good wrench. New thermostats also good to have.

All the head bolts came off without incident. I was very stoked about that, assuming I'd have trouble with at least one or two. Definitely getting my torque wrench out for this job, using yam's 2 step method. Purchased new stats, gaskets, and plugs for this head gasket job. Good to go, thanks. Finish up tomorrow.

[amahaork]

Is that what they are?! I was wondering what the screw heads were for, figured it had to do with disassembling cylinders further. Good to know, thanks.

just scrape calcium deposing from anodes to bare metal. don't go into replacing them. risk of broken screw here very high. if anodes were good from 1998, I would leave them.

[cpostis]

just scrape calcium deposing from anodes to bare metal. don't go into replacing them. risk of broken screw here very high. if anodes were good from 1998, I would leave them.

Light tap, like a doctor testing reflexes is all it took to turn the screws about an eighth turn. From there, they all backed out very easily.i bought new screws as well and used them although the old screws came out like brand new.
Not to argue with amahaork, up to you

[TownsendsFJR1300]

As noted, it all looks very clean, ESPECIALLY for an 18 year old engine!!

I wouldn't bother with putting anything down by the rings.

The anodes and water jackets don't look a couple years old. Perhaps the previous owner only used the engine in fresh water!

I don't know why you have those couple of "clean spots" on the pistons, I've never seen that before. I wouldn't worry about it thou.

I would still clean the tops of the pistons / combustion chambers. (Bring the piston to TDC when cleaning so excess carbon doesn't fall in my the rings..

Just make sure all the gasket surfaces are spotless and super clean.

[Jason2tpa]

Final Update:

Removal and installation of head gaskets went off without a hitch. So for my first time needless to say I was pleased.

I mentioned earlier that there wasn't a lot of corrosion built up in the water passages, but enough to keep me scraping at it for an hour. In addition to the new water pump I installed a few weeks ago, cleaning out the head's water passages definitely made a difference. I took the boat out today and I swear there must of been a giant race horse under the cowling...the force by which the water was coming out of the TT was something to be impressed with.