Gimbal Housing Studs for a Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1. Need the specific part # or size for these.

1985 Century Mustang

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I'm redoing my transom, and I just removed the gimbal housing after a lot of sweat, cheater bars and penetration oil 🤨. Anyhow 2 studs broke off of the gimball housing. Does anyone know the part #. I need to order two. And I'm going to have to tap out the two broken bolts out hopefully. Thanks
 

matt167

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I'm probably going to be in the same boat so I looked it up. .437-20 is 7/16"-20 If your frugal enough, you could make them out of a bolt. Needs to be stainless is all
 

1985 Century Mustang

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I just bought the bolts on eBay, and a Heli Coil set on Amazon. I have one almost drilled out. The rest should be easy. Thanks everyone. đź‘Ť
 

1985 Century Mustang

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I just watched a video on the better thread lock for bolts, as I'm going to be installing them on the gimbal housing. 2 Studs broke off and I'm using a Heli-Coil to reinstall them. Looking to see what you recommend for a good thread lock. I came up with Vibra Tite VC3 from this video. Your thoughts, thanks.

 

Bondo

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I just watched a video on the better thread lock for bolts, as I'm going to be installing them on the gimbal housing. 2 Studs broke off and I'm using a Heli-Coil to reinstall them. Looking to see what you recommend for a good thread lock. I came up with Vibra Tite VC3 from this video. Your thoughts, thanks.
Ayuh, you really don't need anything, they'll corrode together, anyways,.....

If you insist, any loc-tite will work,.....

'n don't keep starting new threads about this same problem, as it leads to confusion,....
 

1985 Century Mustang

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Mission success, although I didn't need a Helicoil set, we were able to drill out the 2 snapped bolts in the gimbal housing (not studs) and then re-threaded it.

However I'm wondering if I originally should have purchased the gimbal bolts instead of the studs, will it make a difference if I used studs instead of the bolts? The studs seem to be the correct size of the bolts. I'll just have to purchase nuts and washers for the studs.
 
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Bondo

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Ayuh,..... From the factory, there are 4 or 6 steel studs, 'n the rest are bolts,....
The very bottom 2 are aluminum stud/ bolts,...

Using studs allows greater clamping force, without stressing the threads in the aluminum housing,....
 

1985 Century Mustang

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Ayuh,..... From the factory, there are 4 or 6 steel studs, 'n the rest are bolts,....
The very bottom 2 are aluminum stud/ bolts,...

Using studs allows greater clamping force, without stressing the threads in the aluminum housing,....

Yes I purchased the pair of lower aluminum bolts separately, which accompanied the dome anodes as well as the rubber washers.
 

1985 Century Mustang

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Does anybody know the correct nut size for the stud on the alpha one gen one gimbal housing, it's the fine threaded stud thats circled in white.

Screenshot_20240610_180436_Chrome.jpg
 
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