HELP 73 165 Mercruiser Pre Alpha bellows change

[73Marauder]

I am attempting to remove the "NAILS" that retain the pins for the bell housing and have broken off the head of the nail. I have tried everything I can think of to loosen the pin. Made a needle nose vice grip plier slide hammer puller, tried to drive the pin through, gently heated the gimbal ring around the pin and it hasn't moved. I am at my wits end any other ideas? and yes I did take the time to straighten the pin where it protrudes from the front of the gimbal ring.

 

[alldodge]

I am attempting to remove the "NAILS" that retain the pins for the bell housing and have broken off the head of the nail. I have tried everything I can think of to loosen the pin. Made a needle nose vice grip plier slide hammer puller, tried to drive the pin through, gently heated the gimbal ring around the pin and it hasn't moved. I am at my wits end any other ideas? and yes I did take the time to straighten the pin where it protrudes from the front of the gimbal ring.

Only messed with one that old (1965-66 model) one time and I thought the hole, not the pin went clear though. If it does take a drill bit of the same size and use the bottom end to drive it though. Were safety glasses

 

[Fishermark]

The pins do go all the way through, as seen in the pictures below. You might try turning the main center "plug" or "pin" that the nail goes through. Maybe the nail is simply in a bind. I guess if you have tried everything else, you can try drilling it out. Just be careful to not let the bit stray out of the center!

 

[998cc]

I am not an expert in boats per se, but on my MC-1, I used various chisels and a small flat-nosed round punch to straighten out the pointed ends of the nails which made them much easier to pull. To pull the stuck gimbal pins, I bought a grade 8 socket screw with the correct thread from a good auto parts store, welded a nut on the socket end to take a slide hammer J hook, and inserted the modifed screw into the threaded pin. A LITTLE local heat applied on the gimbal ring surrounding the pin (not on the pin itself), a few taps and the pins are out. A little penetrating oil helped the cause as well.

Russ
998cc

 

[73Marauder]

problem is the head of the nail broke off when I attempted to pull it at first and I cannot get it to budge.

 

[998cc]

Can you get a good grip on the front (point) of the nail with small vice-grip or similar tool and pull it out through the front of the gimbal ring? Just looked at mine, and there is just room to do it. Since the stainless steel is harder than the aluminum, accurate drilling of the nail would be difficult at best. In my mind drilling out the nail is the last resort.

 

[Fishermark]

.... Since the stainless steel is harder than the aluminum, accurate drilling of the nail would be difficult at best. In my mind drilling out the nail is the last resort.

It's been awhile since I had the boat that I posted the pictures above from... but my memory seems to tell me that the nails were not stainless steel, but aluminum. I remember them being pretty soft. BUT... I am getting older and more forgetful! If they are in fact stainless steel, then I would definitely stay away from trying to drill them out.

 

[achris]

Get a pin punch of the right size and drive them all the way through.