well i screwed up things real good now

[BeerMonkey]

so im taking the lower unit off my 89 40hp i never did this before bu thave the service manual, after finally figuring out that the shift fork bolt is BEHIND the starter and get that out. i get to the last bolt the one above the prop and of course it snaps. well i get the lower unit off only to take it to a guy to look at to tell me he thinks all my problems are from a spun prop so today i get a new prop and go to remove the snapped bolt with a easy-out of course the easy out breaks off in the bolt, so now i try everything i know of to get a snapped bolt out and nothing will get it out i even tried to weld another bolt onto the snapped end and i cant get a good enough weld to hold. so what would happen if i didnt put that bolt back in and ran the motor without and just the 4 bolts around the front. its on a pontoon boat so its not like im at full throttle ever, jusr puttin around the lake

 

[Reggie08]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

Have you tried PB Blaster and/or vice grips? Or maybe adding a little heat via a torch?

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

yes,yes and yes. problem is that there is only about 1/8" of the bolt sticking out so you cant grab it with anything. im almot read to just put it back together with out that bolt and see what happens

 

[jonesg]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

EZ outs are useless !, I've done the same thing, .

The heat from a welder usually does the trick.
weld a nut to the threads.
Or have the local machine shop or garage do it.
The welder will vaporize the corrosion and often the bolt can be unscrewed by hand, machinists do it all the time on broken exhaust studs.

 

[dimock44]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

I will never use them again. Which bolt broke? There all there for a reason. I s The ez out still in there? I removed my broken ez out with a dremel tool. When I drilled the first hole I was lucky and taped back into the original threads after the ez out was gone. I was ready for the insert route just in case. Good Luck

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

the bolt that broke is the one above the prop there is a total of 5. 4 are around the driveshaft/waterpump area and then the one above the prop. the easy out is still in there along with a small drill bit that also snaped. i think i might try the dremel route next along with seeing how much a prof welder would charge to weld a nut on it

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

so im taking the lower unit off my 89 40hp i never did this before bu thave the service manual, after finally figuring out that the shift fork bolt is BEHIND the starter and get that out. i get to the last bolt the one above the prop and of course it snaps. well i get the lower unit off only to take it to a guy to look at to tell me he thinks all my problems are from a spun prop so today i get a new prop and go to remove the snapped bolt with a easy-out of course the easy out breaks off in the bolt, so now i try everything i know of to get a snapped bolt out and nothing will get it out i even tried to weld another bolt onto the snapped end and i cant get a good enough weld to hold. so what would happen if i didnt put that bolt back in and ran the motor without and just the 4 bolts around the front. its on a pontoon boat so its not like im at full throttle ever, jusr puttin around the lake

Generaly speaking the top housing where the bolt goes through is not threaded, the bottom housing is. If all the other bolts are out, grind the bolt flush with not threaded housing. take a pry bar or screw driver and insert between housings and twist a little at a time all the way around . Try not to pry it , you do not want to damedge the face of housings use penetrating oil or heat around bolt in unthreaded part of housing. when apart you will have more of the bolt to work with ( equal the thickness of removed housing.) Then decide if you want to redrill and tap it to the next larger size. Use a new SS bolt.

 

[guy74]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

EZ outs are useless !

I disagree with that statment. Any tool has an expected use, I use EZ outs all the time to remove bolts that have broken due to vibration or had the head sheared off due to everstressing. I would hate to be without a good set. They were never designed to remove a bolt that was corroded in to the point that you twist off the head, if the bolt wasn't stong enough to remove itself how can you expect the EZ out to be? It's like expecting to be able to cut of an inch dia bolt with side cutters.
BTW, to the OP, did you use stainless steel welding rod to weld the nut onto the broken bolt? I'm pretty sure that bolt would be stainless steel and normal weld won't stick to it enough to get it out.

 

[dimock44]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

BeerMonkey
For what its worth the mechanic I asked what they did when this happened to them (after I finished fixing it) Asked "which bolt?" When I told him one of the front ones. He replied Oh you need that one. So I guess he meant if it were the hidden one They probably put it back together with out it and not tell the customer. I don't think I would do that unless the motor was a POS and I didn't care if I broke it or not. I worked very slowly over a two week period so I didn't get impatient. Good luck It can be done

 

[mikesea]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

The best fix at this point is drilling out the old one using cobalt bits.If you can,get a reverse bit for the last drilling.Often a reverse bit will twist the threads out .Then chase the threads with a tap.That said.I have run across MANY lower units including 6 cyl. with that bolt missing.Good idea,not.But I know for a fact many run without. In South florida broken bolts are common and MANY backyard Mechs. go with whats easy.BUT NOT in our shop.Although we use heat when bolts wont give.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

ALL bolts are there for a purpose, and it wasn't to break and irratate anyone, but it happens.

Rapidly heat the surrounding area with a torch. Spray the broken bolt with a quality penetrant such as PB Blaster, and just like the shampoo commercials, repeat as necessary, until the stub comes loose. Allow the part to cool completely before heating again, time, patience, and perseverance, and you will get it. DO NOT get in a hurry, that's how we damage either the part, or ourselves. We've ALL been there, and done that.

4" vise grips are great in small places, E Z Outs are great for many applications, left hand twist bits sometimes work, but for stainless steel bolts into well corroded aluminum, heat, heat, and MORE HEAT , gentle tapping on the tool to let the vibrations crack the corrosion away from the stainless, keep wetting with the penetrant and eventually it will break loose.

There is NO EASY fix.

Take your time, be careful not to injure yourself.

 

[Basszilla4]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

Never had to do this on any outboard engine. Nor do I ever want to. But as a welder by trade, I like the applying heat idea. Even though I have no idea where this broken bolt is located or how thick the metal is, I do know someone should say to be careful while applying the heat. Apply the heat slowly. Aluminum doesn't heat to red hot like steel does. Aluminum will heat to the point of instant melting. Very hard to tell when thats going to happen. They make a hard wax stick, looks like a crayon, that you touch to the aluminum while heating. When stick melts, you are getting hot. Get that aluminum TOO hot, and I think you would be really scr*wed Just a thought.

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

thanks for all the help. just to clarify a bit the head snapped off so i did get the lower unit off and these is only about 1/8" of threads sticking out. how do i know if its a stainless steel bolt? i think im might try using a dremel to cut out the broken ex-out and drill bit out and heat the crap out of it and try another bigger ez-out. and iff you look at a diagram its the bolt right above the prop at the end of the lower unit.

 

[iwombat]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

Is it on an outboard?

If so, then it's a stainless bolt.

Don't try another EZ-out. Trust me on that one. You're far better off trying to drill it out w/ a left handed bit.

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

so my best bet is prob to use a dremel or cobalt bit to get the old easy out out and then a reverse bit? or if i get the broken ez out out to just drill and tap the hole?

 

[iwombat]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

Dremel to remove the ez-out & then left-handed bit to remove the remains of the fastener. The heat generated by drilling often spins out the old bolt.

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

im gonna do this monday when i have the whole day to do it

 

[BeerMonkey]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

well i didnt even try anyhting yet, but i did take the boat out sunday (it was to nice not to) didnt have anyproblems but i never went over 1500rpm anyway

 

[kjdunne]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

Which Dremel bits work best for EZ Outs? I have one broken in a 3/8" stainless bolt that is broke off flush, nothing to grab.

 

[iwombat]

Re: well i screwed up things real good now

If there's room, you can drill about 4 or 5 little pilot holes around the broken bit and then knock it loose with a hammer and cold-punch. If not, you need a hardened bit and some patience.