What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

[bobjoe1]

1989 E40TLCEC---I had water getting in lower unit and took to local shop for new seals and impellar change. I had this done 3 years ago and was not happy with the mechanic so I decided to change shops. Anyway upon tearing down the mechanic called me to take a look at something wrong. The previous shop had broken off two of the three bolts holding down the upper drive shaft retaining nut He left the one in that was broken and tried to drill out the second one. He drilled crooked and penetrated the inside wall and just left it and proceeded to bolt this assembly down with 1 bolt and lots of silicone. Needless to say this threw everything out of whack. Now I'm told that I need a lower gearcase assembly to the tune of 2 grand. My ? is. Can the 1 hole he drilled out crooked be heli-arcked welded to fill in hole and then retapped for bolt. The mechanic seems to think the heat would distort the metal. The other broken bolt can still posssibly be drilled out and removed with any luck at all. And by the way, the old mechanic said that nothing would ever leave his shop that way. This is the only shop that has ever worked on the boat and he even went so far as to blame the new mechanic for doing this .

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

I would think that it would be near impossible to fix that kind of mess, and then on top of that the labor cost to do it would be pretty hefty. What all is messed up in the lower is it possible to scavange the lower for parts then by a used lower to put on it, seems that would be the best option.

 

[James R]

Re: What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

It's going to be difficult if not near impossible to weld that up. Contamination of the material and poor quality of the metal will make it so. You have nothing to loose however so it is worth a try. The other option is look for a good used unit perhaps on Ebay.
To remove the other bolt weld a washer to the bolt and then weld a strong bolt to the washer/bolt, head up, and use an impact wrench while everything is still hot.Going to be tricky to drill a hole in the correct position. Might try using the shaft retainer as a guide.

 

[wifisher]

Re: What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

As Sig said, look for a used lower. If the used lower is in good cond, I would use it as is, and save the one you have now for parts when you need them. You may also be able to get a good deal on a used lower that has a broken shaft or other major problem, then swap parts over, but that will cost more labor.

There is not really much you can do as far as making either shop help you with it, as you have no way to prove who did it.

To weld inside a case like that would be VERY difficult. If you know a good welder in your area, you could show it to him and see what he thinks. A good welder will know more about metal distortion than a mechanic will.

 

[Cofe]

Re: What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

What a mess. Here are some lower units on ebay to look at. By the way Johnson and Evinrude are the same except for paint.http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_kw=evinrude&_kw=40&_kw=lower&_kw=unit&_dmpt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear

 

[jonesg]

Re: What to do? BIg BIg PROBLEM

Its time to talk to a machine shop, they will have a different approach.
One method that works is to tap and install a bolt into the misaligned hole to seal it, cut it off flush and re-drill.
Thats a cheap simple job for any machinist. Less than $100 fix.