So a few days ago, when I was pulling my outdrive, to get ready for my big engine replacement project, I was trying to drain the oil from the unit, and I mistook a plug for an oil drain plug. It was pretty badly stripped, and my attempts at removing it only further damaged it.
Once I'd determined that it was a lost cause removing by conventional means (heat, Impact driver, etc), I determined that I would have to drill it out before removal would be possible. Since my main priority was removing the drive, I decided to drill it, let it drain, and mess with fighting the bastard later, once the drive was off. Well I drilled it, and lo and behold, NOTHING came out. Well, at this point, I quickly realize that this is NOT a drain plug, and refer back to my manual. I then realize that the drain/fill plug is at the BOTTOM of the drive. *Doh!*
Anyway the drive is off now, and I'm waiting 'till Saturday to pull the engine, because I'll be able to use a forklift. Meanwhile, it's been in the back of my mind that I still need to finish removing that plug and replace it. According to this drawing, http://sterndrive.info.hosting.domaindirect.com/sterndriveparts/upper_gearcase_parts_drawing.html , part number 41, is simply called a "pipe plug". It looks to be about where the water tube would sit... What's it's purpose? I didn't feel like I hit anything when I drilled through the plug (I was careful), it just seemed like an empty void behind it.
I'm going to go ahead and replace the water pump while I'm in there, since I don't really know the history of the unit, and I'd rather just replace it now, rather than have to pull it all apart again in a couple of months, so while I'm in there, anything I should look for that, by some slim chance, may have been damaged?
Once I'd determined that it was a lost cause removing by conventional means (heat, Impact driver, etc), I determined that I would have to drill it out before removal would be possible. Since my main priority was removing the drive, I decided to drill it, let it drain, and mess with fighting the bastard later, once the drive was off. Well I drilled it, and lo and behold, NOTHING came out. Well, at this point, I quickly realize that this is NOT a drain plug, and refer back to my manual. I then realize that the drain/fill plug is at the BOTTOM of the drive. *Doh!*
Anyway the drive is off now, and I'm waiting 'till Saturday to pull the engine, because I'll be able to use a forklift. Meanwhile, it's been in the back of my mind that I still need to finish removing that plug and replace it. According to this drawing, http://sterndrive.info.hosting.domaindirect.com/sterndriveparts/upper_gearcase_parts_drawing.html , part number 41, is simply called a "pipe plug". It looks to be about where the water tube would sit... What's it's purpose? I didn't feel like I hit anything when I drilled through the plug (I was careful), it just seemed like an empty void behind it.
I'm going to go ahead and replace the water pump while I'm in there, since I don't really know the history of the unit, and I'd rather just replace it now, rather than have to pull it all apart again in a couple of months, so while I'm in there, anything I should look for that, by some slim chance, may have been damaged?