BoneyardExpress

I finally gave in to the weather today and winterized my engine. Part of my procedure is removing the CMI e top headers, draining them out and storing them. Upon inspecting the exhaust ports i found cylinder no. 5 and all cylinders on the starboard side had traces of rust. Just little specs. I have been running the boat right up til last Sunday, in mostly salt water. IS this normal? or are the headers at the end of their service life? The cam is longer duration than stock, but shouldnt have reversion problems the long headers.

HyFive578

iTrader: (3)

If you boat in salt water and the headers were leaking you would likely see salt deposits around the exhaust ports too. A little rust might not be the sign of something ominous but as a precaution, you should definitely pressure test the headers for leaks. What kind of shape was the gasket in when you removed the headers? If you have saltwater being ingested through the exhaust, it might look like this.

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BoneyardExpress

Thanks HyFive, you put my mind at ease.......The exhaust gaskets were in good shape, the exhaust ports were all black with like a light sprinkle of orange rust specs around. Probably caused from a little mist coming back in when the valves overlap. Could even just be from salt in the air. The boat is in my driveway which is two blocks away from the Chesapeake Bay. We're south of annapolis and the water starts to be saltier than fresh. Ill pressure check them for sure before I put them on.

Pismo10

Don't forget, the largest product of combustion is.....co2 and Water.