do you have to use marine gaskets like head gaskets and stuff like that? and what about distributer and carbarater and air filter? do they have to be sertain kind or can u use what you want?

Marine dist, alternators,starters are enclosed for spark explosion and carburators have a J tube in lieu of vent tubes. Electric fuel pump have saftey switch shut down .Now that is necessary for enclosed engine compartmants. Most ,if not all , open cockpit use only automotive equipment.

To add to this, marine grade equipment "should" be used whenever possible.

As for the gaskets and whatnot, marine head gaskets and brass freeze plugs should be used in a marine motor that will use "raw" water to cool the engine (closed cooling it's less important).

As for air filters, they are really not required for a boat, but people do sometimes run them, especially on some high dollar engines for protection of getting some debris in the motor, there is a such thing as a marine "air filter" but more often than not a flame arrestor is used in a closed compartment deal, should still be utilized on an open motor as far as I am concerned...

GT

ok so sence my engine goes in a closed compartment with sun deck that goes over engine i need to use all marine stuff?

To be Coast Guard legal (not to mention safe), I would make sure everything is Marine SAE approved.

The list is endless.....

Solenoids, relays, alternators, starters, distributors, chokes (elec.), fuel pumps, carburetors, hose, flame arrestor/air filter, bilge blower, bilge pump, battery enclosure.....

There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of Marine rated products and all should be researched thoroughly to be sure you wont have an event, that is if you are trying to create a marine engine from scratch...

Most engines built by a reputable supplier (ie. Marine Power, Mercruiser, Indmar, and so on) already have the necessary components on them and should be legal, but if buying used, everything should be verified....

Gaskets are a longevity thing, has literally nothing to do with safety, same goes for freeze plugs. FWIW if a freeze plug fails on a jet boat and there is no way to shut the water off from the jet pump, she sinks to the bottom....

Do the homework like you have already started and you will be fine.

GT