Re: RDE-18 powerhead to exhaust plate/gaskets

Home Forum Ask A Member RDE-18 powerhead to exhaust plate/gaskets Re: RDE-18 powerhead to exhaust plate/gaskets


olcah

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Replies: 566
Topics: 94
#52712

Dan in TN provided better photos of the kit above (Kit 376786):




Where I think we are with this:

RD18: Use carbon seal on lower crankshaft bearing
RD18: remove the large baffle – reason – it was not used on RD19, or maybe because OMC went back to carbon seal on lower crankshaft bearing. Disadvantage – the large baffle deflects hot exhaust away from the exhaust leg. May cook paint on the port upper side. I am not going to use the large baffle on mine.
RD18: replace the small tube plate with a solid plate. Likely this was to prevent water from flowing up towards the powerhead when the pressure in the exhaust varied.
RD18: Drill thru poop hole. Then drill four holes thru the next cavity boundary. This is not easy. I will probably drill undersize and file to make a single oblong opening.

RD17: Use carbon seal on lower crankshaft bearing.
RD17: Cut 2 inch opening in pan so carb gets more air.
RD17: IF the water outlet is a 1/8 inch hole in the first cavity, do same as for RD18. If not I think this is sticky. The first kit in this thread plugs water outlet openings in other locations and then drills a 1/8 inch hole so the water outlet is in the same place as RD18. Discussed briefly with Dan in TN. Dan thinks that the outlet should be moved. Mumbles remembers a problem. If outlets are not moved but the solid plate was used, outlet water would splash directly against the solid plate and maybe up to the powerhead. Maybe it would be better not use the small solid plate or do the drilling, but put together without the large baffle plate and just put the small tube plate back in. It is an original 1955 setup. Billy J describes it above.