SX-A stripped bolts

[piperjack]

This past weekend I was changing my outdrive gear lube in my SX-A outdrive and I may have stripped the gear lube vent as well as the gear lube fill bolts. Is there a fix for this or am I looking at a new case?

 

[Jammer864]

Re: SX-A stripped bolts

Helicoil repair may be your answer. Potential problem would be drill bit shavings getting into the case but that can be prevented various ways. Google helicoil repair if you are unfamiliar.

 

[Augoose]

Re: SX-A stripped bolts

Are you saying you stripped the heads off the bolts or did you muck up the threads? I'm not sure about helicoil, but if the alternative is a replacement outdrive (which I don't think is the case) I think you have a couple of solutions....

1) If its the head of the bolts, you can always use a screw/bolt extractor. I've had mixed results with mine, however they do work. On one occasion the extractor was down inside the broken bolt however I couldn't exert enough force to get it to turn. Instead, I dropped a stainless steel nut down over on top of the extractor, welded the nut to the extractor, and then used an adjustable wrench which had enough torque to get the broken bolt out. The other option is to weld a nut straight on top of what's left of the stripped out head of the bolt and then use a wrench to get it off.

2) If its the threads that are mucked up, I'd tap a new threaded hole that is one size larger than what you already have. Use a high powered vac to suck out the shavings from tapping the threads and then flush the whole system with a couple of runs of cheap gear oil to get anything else you missed out.

I think the screw extractor is your best bet and it'll work. I've gotten out 1/2" bolts before with them. Its a bear but they'll come out.

 

[piperjack]

Re: SX-A stripped bolts

Thanks for the responses. The bolts are intact. They just spin in both directions freely so it may be just the threads. Of course the outdrive is full of gear oil, and with the new rubber rings i installed on both bolts, they will not come out. I think it's time to swallow my pride and take it to a pro.

 

[Augoose]

Re: SX-A stripped bolts

Something doesn't make sense- BOTH the bolts spins BOTH ways? Were they over-torqued? I'd imagine you'd strip the head of the bolt long before stripping the threads. Any possible way someone put the wrong screws in there? If the o-ring is all that's holding them in try to carefully pull them out and look at the threads on the bolt and the threads in the outdrive to see what's going on.

 

[Senior B]

Re: SX-A stripped bolts

Here's to banking on hope: If your fill and vent plugs are anything like my SX-M, the aluminum threads are the weak link and should strip out before the case. You probably have enough thread to make it a bit difficult for you to pull them straight out, but not enough to torque down and get tight. You might be able to get a small thin screw driver under it to give you some up force and help the remaining threads catch as you turn it to get it out. Once you get it out, I would run a tap (stock size) through to clean up the case threads and put in new plugs. Good Luck.