What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

[ttexastim]

So I have a boat (Mercruiser 140HP with alpha 1 gen 1 outdrive), that needed a new outdrive due to the old one having the gears stripped. After much searching, I found one. It was really cheap, and 4 hours away. I planned a trip, and acquired the outdrive for 200 bucks. Quite a steal. It looked to be in great shape, so I was thrilled.

I figured the boat was almost in the water! I figured I should replace the water pump impeller while I had the outdrive apart, and then just install the outdrive. I read the manuals, and saw no reason I could not do this (seeing as how I am pretty mechanically inclined). Ordered the transom gasket set, and impeller kit and got them in the mail this morning. I had an aura about me, because today was going to be the day that the boat hit the water. The herald angels were warming up with their hallelujah chorus and the sun was getting set to give me tan lines around my sunglasses. Oh how nice it was going to be.

Or so I thought.

Everything started well. Gear old drained with no problems, and the anode came out without a hitch. All nuts broke free easy, and I had them all removed but the 2 that have to be removed once the lower unit drops a little. And that my friends, is as far as I got. I could see daylight through the rear end, but the front end was tight as (insert favorite line here). The front most bolt, looked like it had caroded in place. I sprayed it with PB blaster and let it sit for a half hour, and then I went to town for 2 hours on it. I tried hitting any appropriate angle with a rubber mallet, I tried using a center punch on the bolt itself to pop it out. I put the nut on it, but a socket on the nut and even smacked that with a single jack, but this bolt was not moving. Soon the southern engineer in me was out in full force thinking of any thing possible to force that to separate. (EXCEPT, shoving a screwdriver between the upper and lower units. I saw how soft the metal was and was at least smart enough not to do that and damage the seat between the two.)

Finally, I was down to one last attempt. I hung the outdrive upside down, and used a rubber mallet and a 2x4 to tap on the front upper unit fin thingy. I did this a few times with no avail. I started to hit harder, hoping that one good hit would jar it loose. And then it happened. I'm sure many of you already know what happened. I brought that rubber mallet down with force that I was sure would jar the bolt free from it's captor ... only to hear a sound that instantly turned on the cowboy language deep in the depths of my mind. I looked down, to see a crack, all the way across the front fin of the upper drive. The curse words flowed like the nile to the red sea.

So ... that was that. Now I have one outdrive with a perfect shell and stripped gears, and another outdrive with perfect gears, and a broken shell. Did I mention that the curse words flying out of my mouth faster than (insert favorite line here). Especially cuz that *$%($QW@# still didn't budge. I could see half the bolt, and all the corrosion around it, but I still couldn't get it to budge.

So ... my lesson for today ... is that outdrive metal is not like the car parts I'm used to. It is quite a bit more fragile. Also ... it reminded me that when working with parts that are probably 25 years old ... it's never going to go as smooth as it should.

I'm going to take the boat, and both outdrives to a guy here that does real good work and see if he can put the guts of the one drive into the body of the other one. I'll also have him install the thing too. I'm afraid that I am done.

I was wondering though ... what should I have done? Was this thing doomed and nothing could've salvaged it? What trick should I have used to force that bolt to break free (note that the nut was off, it was the actual shaft of the bolt that was corroded into the upper unit?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

I've had similar goof ups like more than once, knowing when to just stop and re-evaluate the situation is what I've learned from making mistakes like that.
I don't know what else I would have tried, maybe worked thin putty knife in all around, that's a tough one.

 

[dubs283]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

sounds like you are referring to the two nuts on either side of the drive that need to be loosened, then when the gear case separates a little, the nuts then have the clearance to come out

so the stud was corroded to the upper half??

i guess if you could get the nuts off, the drive was separated enough to have clearance to remove the nuts completely??

if this is the situation as i understand it, i leave the nuts on patrially, slide washers in between the tops of the nuts and the upper half, then loosen the nuts and force the upper away from the lower, works every time

 

[ttexastim]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

sounds like you are referring to the two nuts on either side of the drive that need to be loosened, then when the gear case separates a little, the nuts then have the clearance to come out

so the stud was corroded to the upper half??

i guess if you could get the nuts off, the drive was separated enough to have clearance to remove the nuts completely??

if this is the situation as i understand it, i leave the nuts on patrially, slide washers in between the tops of the nuts and the upper half, then loosen the nuts and force the upper away from the lower, works every time

Dubs, the side nuts you are describing loosed just fine and they were more than willing to drop. It was the single bolt up on the very front that was frozen into place. That front bolt, the nut came off it fine, but it was pretty much welded into place by corrosion. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[newcdnboater]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

I had the very same problem last year. I ended up cutting the bolt in between the upper and lower (where you could see the light) and after removal, i drilled out the stud, tapped it with a slightly larger diameter and now use a bolt (with three washers of increasing size). I feel your pain my friend!
Good luck and "Happy" boating.

 

[Adirondack]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

A little heat ever so carefully applied might have done a lot of good. I stress CAREFULLY due to the soft metal you refered too.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

... it reminded me that when working with parts that are probably 25 years old ... it's never going to go as smooth as it should.

That's ALWAYS going to be the case when working on older outdrives, etc. Especially if you are around salt water.

One thing to try (in the future ) is to put something above the side nuts - something flat - and tighten the nuts against the flat. Like you are taking them off. The nuts will act like jack screws and help push the lower off.

 

[ttexastim]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

That's ALWAYS going to be the case when working on older outdrives, etc. Especially if you are around salt water.

One thing to try (in the future ) is to put something above the side nuts - something flat - and tighten the nuts against the flat. Like you are taking them off. The nuts will act like jack screws and help push the lower off.

that was one of the first things I tried. I noticed that I could get some good leverage there, so I tried that and it spread it a bit (enough for oil to start leaking out the sides) but that front part stayed tight as can be. I also put 2 big flatheads on both sides on that nut, and wiggled them up and down, letting the screwdrivers apply pressure. I did both sides at the same time, hoping it would jar it loose ... but nothing. Even with the damn upper unit broken and half the bolt showing it still wouldn't budge. That sucker wasn't moving for anyone.

Thanks for the support y'all. This thing has me feeling a bit defeated.

 

[Alpheus]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

Next time you need to loosen corroded or rusted parts. Make up a 50/50 mixture of acetone and auto tranny fluid and put it in a squirt bottle. It works better than any penetrating oil on the market, and its cheap. It performs miracles...

Google it you'll see...

 

[cannonford57]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

hold yer head up tt,this just like life itself is a learning experence....

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

Or put (2 ) 7/16`s open end wrenches on top of the nuts, loosening the nut will drive the case apart.

 

[wanna-be]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

sympathies bro. ive broken so many things trying to fix a simple somthing. helps to know im not alone here.

 

[ChrisCraftJohnny]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

Fixing Boats Sucks!

Nuf said.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

B.O.A.T. Bust Out Another Thousand...

I was a tractor- diesel mechanic for years.. So I was use to being able to beat on things. Had to learn not to when I picked up the boat hobby. Nothing cast can take a shocking blow.. Even cast iron will bust..

I had a little 18 horse outboard that someone broke the cavitation plate on.. So Your not the first.. I just put a Sting ray hydrofoil on it.. But it also had a crack down by the skeg.. Welded it..

Feel your plight

 

[ttexastim]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

Figure I should give an update here. I took the thing to a boat mechanic. He worked on it for 2 weeks straight and could not get it separated. HE concluded that 2 things happened. 1) when it was installed on a boat, someone hit something hard and stopped the propellor completely, completely twisting the slide connector between the lower unit and the upper unit. 2) it was used in salt water, so the parts completely corroded together once the out drive was removed from the boat.

He Sold me a new upper/lower that he guaranteed for 375.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: What not to do when separating the lower and upper units

Well if it's any consolation it sounds as if you broke something that was not repairable.