Help with zinc anodes

[2ifbyc]

First timer here... I just bought my first boat. Its an 86 Wellcraft American 192 with a mercruiser 3.7 liter 170 hp engine. I noticed that it was missing all of the zinc anodes. My two questions are as follows:

1) The bolt for the trim tab anode is still there. It is mostly rusty and the allen key head is stripped. I tried to tap it out from the bottom but the head dosent fit through the top hole. Do i need to make that hole larger or drill out the bolt? Should it fit through the hole? Or do i keep it in there and try to screw the new trim tab to it?

2) I tried installing the gimbal housing anode, as there was not one on there when i got it. It dosent seem to be fitting flush and the old bolts that were there are not long enough to go through the anode and back into the old holes. Is this normal? What do i do?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[lmannyr]

Re: Help with zinc anodes

Pictures would help a great deal. You should also replace the old hardware too. Your diffentely doing the right thing by adding the anodes. Where do you boat?

pssss...update your profile and WELOME!!

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Help with zinc anodes

I am certainly no expert here, but on my 1984 Merc Stern drive, the hex head bolt hold the trim tab annode cannot be extracted without removing the lower unit.

 

[lmannyr]

Re: Help with zinc anodes

You must split the drive as Four Winns said in order to get the trim tab anode out.

 

[2ifbyc]

Re: Help with zinc anodes

Is that a tough job? Can you walk me through it?

 

[lmannyr]

Re: Help with zinc anodes

it's actually a hand full of nuts and the bottom half of the drive is off. Look under "Adults Only" in the Merc forum and look under the appropriate manual for more details.