trouble separating powerhead from gear case

[stairliftoheaven]

I have a '85 60hp rude. taken out 6 of the 8 bolts holding the powerhead to the leg and had to drill the heads off the remaining two because the hex's were rounded. I tried pulling off the head with a floor crane but lifted the boat off the trailer!! without the powerhead moving the slightest little bit. I've taken out all the bolts as per my clymer manual but i'm thinking the two remaining headless studs are corrosion welded into the adaptor plate. Problem is I can't get a drill in the right position to drill the bolts right out because they are too close to the casing and the drill goes in at an angle. scratching me 'ead now, any ideas anyone??

 

[jim dozier]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

I had a similar problem with a different engine. I snapped the head off of 2 of the 6 bolts on my Suzuki DT85 trying to remove the powerhead. The reason they snapped is that the 3 or 4 inch shafts were well and truly bound to the powerhead by corrosion. I used a drift to keep pounding on the shaft ends while hanging the engine/boat a tad off of the trailer with a lift. The problem with this method (ultimately successfull) was the pounding tended to mushroom the shaft end and I had to grind it out with a tile cutter bit in a Dremel tool and start pounding again. The progress was truly glacial but I was seeing movement. All this was accomplised with liberal use of heat and penetrating oil. I hope yours is a bit quicker. Persistence, patience, and perserverance.

 

[nimmor]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

Drop the lower unit and see if you can remove the driveshaft, if you haven't already. I have heard of similar situtions like yours where it turned out to be a stuck shaft. Unfortunly I do not remember how they got the driveshaft out.

 

[henning_dt85]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

the same problem happened to the lower unit on my 9.5hp, 3 of 4 bolts broke off, cant move it an inch! HELPHELPHELP

 

[Walker]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

Okay, which bolts did you take out. Don't know exactly for your motor but there could be as many as 12 total bolts and studs. Look in the back, there is at least one nut maybe two. Up in front under the pan there may be one or two nuts on each side of the steering arm.

 

[McGR]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

stairlift, henning -<br /><br />You've disconnected the shift linkage - right?

 

[stairliftoheaven]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

thanks for all replies. I've taken out all necessary bolts and found the nut under the lower pan. I think my problem is the same as that of jimd (corrosion and stuck!) I'll have a bit more time this weekend to try again. I've already muhroomed the shaft of one bolt! so i may as well resign meself to a long weekend. <br />thanks again for replies<br />chris

 

[jim dozier]

Re: trouble separating powerhead from gear case

If you can get it to move a little bit you can use a cut off wheel in a Dremel tool to cut the bolt shaft (Use great care not to damage the mating surfaces) in the gap created beneath the powerhead. Then you can pound on the broken shaft from either end at your leisure.