TOPIC: Don't Use Easy-Outs on Powerheads

Started reassembling the power head stuff on my twin 1962 Evinrude 40 hp Larks that will go on the Powercat. Discovered that one of the plug threads was bad on one head. Have a spare motor so pulled the head off it to swap out, but in removing the head from the motor I want to run, broke one head bolt off. Drilled out the bolt and tried an Easy-out to extract the stub. Ended up snapping off the Easy-out in the hole. So now I'm done. The Easy-outs are hardened steel. No drilling those. Consulted with chinewalker. The stud needs to come out. Will call our NAPA machine shop and see if they can fix this. Worst case scenario I strip my 3rd 62 Lark and move all the new fuel lines, rebuilt carb, and lower unit to it, and use it instead of the one I had planned on. The other motor is all reassembled and ready to test. Spark on both plugs. Next comes a little paint to clean then up.

Recommendation from chinewalker...don't use Easy-outs on outboards. I use them frequently on wood boats....big difference. Chinewalker says he's yet to be successful in getting a bolt stud out using an Easy-out. Lesson learned.

As some of you may remember my main staple business is Import Auto Repair, Mercedes, BMW, Jag.. on and on.

Almost all use aluminum heads/blocks and steel hardened bolts.
It can casue a problem over time. Technical and Chemical proceses take place, Not going into why.

If you can without risk of fire, heat the "area" the stud is in.

If not,,,,, lots of soaking with penetrating oil. Over time Aluminum and steel will over time bond via corrosion in a way that will snap most any bolt or just slap rip the threads from the aluminum cast.

Time and oil or Fast with heat.

I feel your pain, Ive been a mechanic over 35 years,I have had luck using easy outs,and I have had failures also. I was also a Matco tool dealer and sold many sets of them, BUT a freind of mine told me of a tric to get any bolt out of an outboard motor,Since I have been rebuilding McCulloch 60-75hp I have had a lot of broken bolts. Ya Im gettin there its simple.....give your wife or who ever some cash and send them to the store.....then disasemble say the pwr head so NO plastic parts are left and put it in the oven @350 for 45 min. While its still hot simply remove the frozen broken stubern nasty bolts, sometimes I have used wd40 and or pb blaster as a pre soak, works for locked up motors too. Oh and remember never cook from the living room.....lol

I feel for ya crosby, been there! ('64 Barracuda valve cover bolt.) I even made it worse by trying to drill out the easy out. You're right, they're SO hard. The bit wandered off the easy out and went into the head like it was butter. Ended up having to pull the head and take it to the local machine shop. (ie: expensive valve cover gasket job!) Haven't used 'em since.

The machine shop should be able to help get it out, good luck.

Actually this is the first bolt in an outboard I have ever broken off. Call me lucky. I've got the wiring harnesses ready to go so the motors are close. This little setback won't get in the way too much as by mid weed they're calling for sun and temps in the 70's! I just move on to move sanding and fairing until the motor comes back, assuming they can fix it. Otherwise, I'll strip down #3 and move all the new stuff to it.

Headed to Long Island Sound for Easter, and to help my nephew get his Catalina 30 ready for the season. He wants the transom painted, the boat gets renamed to "MOLLY MALONE" (the pub he worked at in London while his bride to be was working at the Royal Botanical Garden), and he's got some dings below the waterline he wants repaired. Will teach him how to do some of these things.

Have a good week all!

A trick I have used to remove various items from threaded holes is to place a nut over the hole then weld in the center of the nut to what ever you are trying to remove, the concentrated heat also helps to loosen frozen bolts.

Crosby, have you read the thing on Heather's website about renaming a boat? Actually, it's a link but I found it amusing;
boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm
Food for thought.....

Yup, I've seen that. Not a believer in superstition. More a believer in you know it when you see it. My Powercat 18DC has already had a name stick to it "DOUBLE WIDE". Never thought about being a trailer dweller and it never sat real well with me. But while thinking about the color the old song "MELLOW YELLOW" came to me. More like it. Still undecided. And like Chinewalker did for me, sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. Was struggling with a name for the Glen-L Missile. Am from the 1000 Islands. Hello..... "Miss Isle". Done! My 1958 Crosby Capri was named REBEL. Kept it, great name. Our 1967 Hydrodyne.....FINE DYNEING (one of my favorites). Our Cruisers, Inc. lapstrake.....KEEPSTRAKE (get it...Keepsake?). Very individual taste on a boat name, make it yours, not prior owners. Then throw salt over your left shoulder...

abw wrote:

A trick I have used to remove various items from threaded holes is to place a nut over the hole then weld in the center of the nut to what ever you are trying to remove, the concentrated heat also helps to loosen frozen bolts.

Yup! Was wondering if anybody would touch on that. Great method. Outstanding. They actually sell special rods for that.

Not to say you shouldn't soak the crap outa the broken bolt with PB blaster or whatever beforehand ...

A good automotive machine shop can electric arc burn the bolt out, there is a special tool specific for this use, doesn't matter if the easy out is in or not. It's not cheap but less than block and parts are worth.
I use splined easyouts rather than the spiral kind, RIDGID makes them. Heat, lots of heat in the area is a must, the aluminum expands more than steel so it helps loosen the corrosion welded area. Penetrating helps but I use brake cleaner on the hole and the easyout insert to get maximum traction between the two. The spline style easyout gets tapped into the drilled hole so they bite good....bummer it only takes one bolt to kill all the fun.
Randy

Aw shucks! Still having fun! I have multiples of everything so the last 2 nights I spent stripping down 62 Rude Lark 40 hp #3. It's now ready to have the new stuff bolted onto it. 2 day setback, and now we're moving forward.