Riser gasket replacement

[toddrswenson]

I am in the process of replacing my riser gaskets on my GT-40. I have the risers off, but what is the best method to remove the old gasket from the manifold and riser. I assume when I get the old gasket off I need to lightly sand the surface. I need everyone's expertise. I talked to Whitelake and they said after everything is clean, to place the gasket and bolt it back together. No gasket sealent required. I have attached pictures of both maifolds and risers. Looking at the new gaskets it looks like one of the ports is supposed to be closed off.

[jasper]

I used a stiff steel wire brush on the end of a power drill. Have the units placed such that the debris does not fall into the units.

[NautiqueJeff]

Do you have a gasket scraper? If not, any plastic scraper should be fine. Be careful not to gauge the metal, especially if you attempt to use a metal scraper. Just try to get the area as clean and flat as possible before placing the new gasket and bolting it all back together.

[crobi2]

The riser gasket has one port blocked. This goes toward the direction of the riser outlet. You can see it in your pictures.

Jeeze! you pulled your manifolds off the block! How hard was that? Your manifolds and risers look pretty good. Scrutinize the manifolds for any evidence of cracks while you've got them in your hands.

I've always used a drill and wire wheel to clean up the surfaces.

I've always chickened out and used sealant even with the sealant-less gaskets. I do not know if this is bad - it seems to have worked in the past.

[toddrswenson]

I did not remove the manifolds. I originally was going to replace the risers and manifolds due to the rust on the outside. I assumed the inside would have been worse. I talked to White lake and they suggested taking the risers off and inspecting everything before I decided on total replacement or just gasket replacement. Things looked way better than I expected. I was ready to buy new manifolds and risers from White Lake but they talked me out of of it. An $800 sale down to a $100 sale. I went ahead and bought the entire gasket set and bolts for the risers and manifolds. I replaced the riser gaskets this weekend and everything looks good. Thanks White Lake.

[peteSki]

I've got a 97 Ski with GT-40 as well and recently put a new riser gasket in. I removed the old gasket as described above and didn't use any sealant with the new gasket. Just went a whole summer an no leaks from the riser, so in my case no sealant is working fine.

Pete