Has anybody tried???

[JGREGORY]

Craftsman screw-out for broken and stripped screws. Went to take tha cap & rotor off of the mercruiser and one screw broke and the other the head stripped. Why they don't use SS or hardened material for stuff that is in a marine enviroment I'll never understand, different topic for a different day. <br /><br />Looking for some imput.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: Has anybody tried???

I've got a set but haven't used them yet. I'll be watching for feedback as well. Best of luck!

 

[JB]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Non-boating Tech. topic.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Since the cap is usually in need of replacement I have cut the screw heads off with a dremal tool, lifted the cap off and used a vice grip on the remaining stud.<br /><br />Use lots of pb buster or lquid wrench so you don't snap the screw.<br /><br />You can replace the screws with stainless once the old ones are out... just match them up at a hardware store.

 

[JB]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Ferrous materials have no place on a boat.

 

[DJ]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Are you sure it was a genuine MerCruiser marine cap?<br /><br />Auto stuff has no place on a boat.

 

[Laddies]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Mercury just save a buck on the caps, I've seen a bunch of them with the screws broken over the years---Bob

 

[Mark42]

Re: Has anybody tried???

The trick is to drill the hole straight and not drill into the threads. Then be sure to align the the easy-out with the hole and carefully un-screw so that it bites in straight. If it get crooked, it will snap off and then you have a real mess on your hands.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Has anybody tried???

i have a craftsman screw remover set as you state above and it sucked major arse straight outa the box.<br /><br />i used to work for sears hardware and people would always bring them back complaining all day long. biggest farce ever! what a rip. <br /><br />i like the vice grips method, or the "easy out" method myself

 

[JGREGORY]

Re: Has anybody tried???

To be honest I do not know if this is a mercury cap or not. Its irrelevant at this point, it came with the boat I purchased in Nov. I am a firm believer in replacing everything that should be done at a tune up with a new to me / used item before I use it. That's why the tune up and the cap problem. Everything I'm replacing is with Mercury replacement parts. been on the water and around boats for 37 of my 37 years. Learned by watching Dad and found out the hard way many times when he went the cheap route with automotive it came back to bite him. <br /><br />Refresh my memory, I was asking about screw-outs, not if I can use automotive parts in a marine enviroment. <br /><br />I know the answer to that especially since I will be in a predomintly salt water enviroment.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Has anybody tried???

jg, have never used one on a boat engine or a dist. cap matter, but have used the Craftsman screw extractor on a couple other jobs and have to concur with myoutboards, get something else to try. They sure don't live up to their reputation.

 

[JGREGORY]

Re: Has anybody tried???

For thoise who where quick to critisize about automotive parts and ferous materials on a boat be advised across the top of the cap was molded Mecury Marine. Mercury was using weak metal for their screws. <br /><br />I bought the screw outs before I saw the real negative feed back on them and your right, not worth the money plan on returning them ASAP with a piece of my mind.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Has anybody tried???

In my experience easy-outs or any type of reverse thread removal setup is a total waste of time. They expand the bolt you're trying to remove when you screw them in and lock it in worse than before. <br />You'll usually end up having to drill out a hardened steel easy-out as well as the cheesemetal bolt that's snapped. Twice the work-and a lot harder to do without damaging the threads in the original hole. <br /><br />Drill it as wide as is safe and then freeze the remains of the bolt. You might even find in doing this it'll unsieze.<br /> Just putting the drill bit in with the drill in reverse once it's frozen sometimes winds the remains out-but if you're not that lucky you may be able to collapse the remains and pull them out.<br /><br />At the worst you'll have to put a thread insert in.

 

[Realgun]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Nos4r2 how does 1 freeze the screw?

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Use a freezing spray-there's quite a few available. The only brand names that spring to mind is 'rost off ice'because Dunaruna was talking about it, or 'Freeze mist' but there's various other sprays like it for use in electrical component testing. Just spray it into the hole- don't breathe it in-it's toxic.<br /><br /><br /> A google search for "electrical freezing spray" will find you some.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Originally posted by Realgun:<br /> Nos4r2 how does 1 freeze the screw?

Why, Rost on Ice of course, Realgun! Where ya been?? <br /><br />Don't have time to go find the post but I think it was Tinkerer that posted it.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Has anybody tried???

To be honest I'd be tempted not to use a spray with a lubricant in it<edit>-on a bolt that's been drilled-<edit> though- it'll make it harder to get a purchase with a tool while the bolt is frozen.<br /><br />I see it quite often where people have found a siezed bolt, rounded it off a bit then sprayed WD40 around it to try and unsieze it.<br />Then they mangle it even more because after lubricating it the tool grips even less

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Has anybody tried???

Freezing the bolt will help to loosen rust/corrosion. It cause micro cracks AND shrinks the bolt as opposed to heat which expands the bolt. The creeping agent penetrates better through the cracks, often it allows the reverse drill trick to easily spin the remains out of the hole.<br /><br />"Rost off ice" (Made by the german company 'Wurth') is one of a few freezing/penetrating products available but it is by far the best one I've tried.<br /><br />BTW, older mechanics will know that a dose of propane or aircon gas often got the job done - but I wouldn't recommend it!<br /><br />Aldo