Pulled my port header to replace gasket last night, and saw some deposits in the #1 exhaust port. Other ports had nothing like this - just the usual carbon. Anyone seen anything like this before? I'm thinking that I may have the beginnings of a leak in one of the primary tubes, but the brownish colored deposits are puzzling to me, since the heads are aluminum. Either way, I guess it's time to pressure test that header.

that is 100 % water reversion.i would pressure check the headers soon.

I agree. Water.

Well chit, that's what I was afraid you all would say. And the fact that it is just in the #1 port pretty much points to a leak, doesn't it? I pressure tested these things last year, but I guess they all start leaking at some point. I wouldn't even know where to begin as far as pinpointing the leak. Probably not something that is easily repaired, is it?

I'm just about done with this boat. Seriously thinking about selling the complete motor and dropping in stock power so I can just put my stock exhaust back on it and enjoy the boat. I'm pretty much tapped out right now, so it's either let it sit or risk running it like it is, and knowing my luck I would get bit in the ass. OK, rant over. Time to start drinking.

Big deal.
Here`s some real header leakage



If yours is water, wheres the rust?

I ran my "sprinkler" Stellings for 2 years , they reverted too and nothing happened.


Just buy this shirt and you`ll be fine

Iron heads rust, aluminum heads get the white spots. You can even see the water streaking on the port walls.
What brand headers. If they are Lightning they like to leak at the header flange. Easy fix sometimes.

Budman you're not a hydrocondriac are you, lol.
hey you've worked through worse , don't give up man.

Ahh yes I forget I have Iron heads .

Yes, they are Lightnings. Trouble is, I can't figure out a good way to pressure test this thing. The last time I did it I bolted a piece of flat stock to the flange sealed off with a rubber gasket and a plumbers rubber plug in the collector. Now that thing shoots across the garage with a loud boom every time I air it up. It's like a cannon - I could have killed someone with that thing!

I was able to air it up to about 25 PSI, and it has held pretty close to that for an hour and a half. Seems to me if there was a water leak that air would leak through the crack much faster than water. Kind of puzzled by this. Maybe I'm worry about nothing, but there had to be some water getting into that port to leave those deposits. Any chance it was leftover condensation from sitting all winter?

Might try to come up with some way to pressurize the water side of it and look for leaks while applying some heat.