Have you ever broken a gimbal ring by overtightening???

[muskyfins]

I have a thread on here regarding the worn gimbal ring issue on my Bravo outdrive and possible fixes. I have done a lot of internet research and some folks say you can over tighten and break the ring. (even below the 53 foot pound torque spec set by Mercruiser) I can't really see it breaking, but I tend to be better at demo than thinking things through. So I ask---have you or do you know anyone who has broken one? Outcome? Tightened like crazy and never broke?

 

[Bt Doctur]

overstressed maybe

 

[muskyfins]

overstressed maybe

Sure, but not from over tightening the clamp bolts

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... It's a cast aluminum alloy, that has little to no Bendability, what so ever,....

Kinda like Cast Iron,..... Neither will Bend, instead, they Break,....

Those bolts are to reinforce the clampin' power of a known dimension,... from static, to a few thousandths of an inch,....

Tightenin' beyond that point, the castin' can't bend, soooo,... Clink,....

 

[Fun Times]

We had the stainless steel U-Bolt snap when over tightening the two nuts...But the ring didn't break but it has to be removed to re-install a new U-bolt.