Riser Drain Plug

[Baldguy]

I have a 1997 5.7 Merc. I was draining the risers and the block this weekend. I have plastic drain plugs that are blue in color. When reinstalling one, the plug broke off in the riser with only the wing nut looking end in my hand. <br /><br />I'm sure I can get the plug part out, but my question is, where can I get a replacement for this part?<br /><br />Thanks!!!

 

[Don S]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Any Mercruiser dealer. The part number is 22-806608A1<br />They list at 3.40<br /><br />One note, they should not be used in the riser itself, only in the lower drain on the manifold.

 

[Baldguy]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Thanks Don....Yes...it's the lower drain on the manifold...didn't know how to explain it.<br /><br />Thanks again.....

 

[gibrown]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

hi baldguy,<br /><br />How do plan to get the broken part out of the manifold? Cold weather broke both in my son's motor. Block had been drained so there is now problem there.

 

[sumcat1]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Just a thought! Mercury says put the drain plugs back in after you winterize,keeps the threads from rusting. Could that have led to your problem. I see in the forum that some leave them out for the winter.

 

[Baldguy]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

yeoldebaldeagle,<br /><br />I was able to get an easy out on it and just backed it out. If I didn't have the easy out, a pair of needle nose pliers would have worked as well. <br /><br />I didn't even get a chance to tighten it down really before the wing nut looking part of the plug broke off in my hand. So it was pretty loose and there was a hole right in the middle of it so I would have been able to jam one side of the needle nose in there and then turn it out.<br /><br />I drain the risers and the block and then place all the plugs back in for the winter. I didn't see a need to leave them out for the winter and I probably just end up losing the darn things in the interim.<br /><br />Dave

 

[gibrown]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Thanks Baldguy<br /><br />Having trouble because the plastic is so brittle it just breaks when using an easy-out. Still working on the problem.

 

[Don S]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

The best thing to do is replace the complete elbow to one without that blue drain plug. Then in the winter, all you have to do is remove the hose to drain the manifold. Those plastic plugs were/are a joke.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Those plastic plugs were/are a joke.

That's something I Truely Agree with,.................. <br /><br />I Think the Best thing you can do is,........<br /><br />Go get a Full Set of Brass Drainplugs...........<br /><br />The kind that the center piece comes Totally Out of the outer piece,.....<br />That way you can Rod the drain with a screw or something to knock the Rust,+ Debris out...........

 

[gibrown]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Thanks for all of the great advice. My challenge is that the entire elbow was made of plastic and the elbow broke with a portion (threaded piece) still in the manifold. <br /><br />The plastic is so brittle (probably because it is so cold), that an easy-out just breaks out small pieces.<br /><br />I am going to try to warm it up using a hair dryer and see if it becomes less brittle and try the easy out again.<br /><br />If that doesn't work, I guess we will have to pull the manifolds.<br /><br />Thanks again.

 

[gibrown]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Finally removed the residual plastic elbow from manifold. Had to remove manifold and literlly burn out the plastic with a propane torch. It was impossible to remove any other way.<br /><br />To clear the threads, we used a home made device using a 3/4 inch pipe with vertical grooves cut (4 at 90 degrees) to permit material to move out as the pipe was carefully turned into the threads. <br /><br />Most of the material was removed by heating it and using a screw driver to scrap it out being very careful not to damage the threads.<br /><br />Don't know if anyone else has had problems with plastic elbows in the bottom of the manifolds, but when they break, the residual is really tough to remove.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

I think the blue plugsbut yes,the elbows are hard to unwind from the manifold.And the blue plugs are stuck.

 

[Baldguy]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Yeoldebaldeagle,<br /><br />Like your name by the way, I can simpathize.<br /><br />On my set up, I have a brass female fitting that is actually attached to the manifold and then the male blue plug goes into the brass fitting. In fact, all of the fittings for the drain plugs on my engine are set up the same way. <br /><br />I was thinking that if I couldn't get the blue plug out, then all I'd have to do is get the brass fitting off and work on it off the boat. Didn't turn out that way, but it would have made things a lot easier than what you depicted.<br /><br />If you can, you might want to think about how mine is set up and see if you can apply it to your engine. I could send you pics if you wanted.<br /><br />Dave

 

[gibrown]

Re: Riser Drain Plug

Thanks Baldguy.<br /><br />We must share certain characteristics.<br /><br />That's what we did. We installed new brass elbows in the manifolds. The elbows have plastic plugs (blue) in them as you describe. The problem that we had was that the old elbows were plastic and broke when the water in them froze.<br /><br />It was quite an adventure to solve the problem.<br /><br />Thanks again for your help.