Your Worst Nightmare.-

[Sea Rider]

When removing extremely seized salted powerhead's bolts, which would be your worst nightmare :

A: Break the bolt's head.
B: Strip the powerhead's bolts threads.

How will you fix the issue if being in situation A or B ?

Happy Boating

 

[dingbat]

When removing extremely seized salted powerhead's bolts, which would be your worst nightmare :

A: Break the bolt's head.
B: Strip the powerhead's bolts threads.

How will you fix the issue if being in situation A or B ?

Happy Boating

Both are easy fixes for someone with experience
Worst nightmare is "shade tree" breaking off a tap or drill off while trying to remove them.

 

[Scott Danforth]

When removing extremely seized salted powerhead's bolts, which would be your worst nightmare :

A: Break the bolt's head.
B: Strip the powerhead's bolts threads.

How will you fix the issue if being in situation A or B ?

Happy Boating

the owner come in and catches me drinking his beer.......

seriously, if it was a common motor, i would not deal with an extremely seized salted powerhead, I would buy a fresh water motor

however if it was rare, and i mean rare. and someone came to me to fix. I would use heat (a good tip) , a mix of ATF and acetone and alternate while smacking each bolt with a hammer to break them loose. I would do this for about a week before I attempt to turn the bolt. At that point if I broke a bolt head, I would deal with it after I removed what was bolted to give me access with a torch or other tools of destruction. If I striped a hole, I would simply drill for a helicoil.

however it would have to be rare like a KG7 group B racing lower with a real history or something like that.

 

[KJM]

the owner come in and catches me drinking his beer.......

seriously, if it was a common motor, i would not deal with an extremely seized salted powerhead, I would buy a fresh water motor

however if it was rare, and i mean rare. and someone came to me to fix. I would use heat (a good tip) , a mix of ATF and acetone and alternate while smacking each bolt with a hammer to break them loose. I would do this for about a week before I attempt to turn the bolt. At that point if I broke a bolt head, I would deal with it after I removed what was bolted to give me access with a torch or other tools of destruction. If I striped a hole, I would simply drill for a helicoil.

however it would have to be rare like a KG7 group B racing lower with a real history or something like that.

Dumb question but what is ATF?

 

[Lou C]

Auto transmission fluid. I have an oil can filled with 50/50 atf & acetone.

 

[racerone]

Worst nightmare is working on ---" saltwater "----motors.-------There are procedures to remove bolts periodically and coat them with a sealant.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Dumb question but what is ATF?

Before PB Blaster and Kroil, grey beard mechanics mic 50% acetone and 50% ATF (automatic transmission fluid). The best penetrating oil that exists

 

[Bondo]

Worst nightmare is working on ---" saltwater "----motors.-------There are procedures to remove bolts periodically and coat them with a sealant.

Ayuh,..... Agreed,.... The best defense is a good offence,.....

If the bolts are coated with perfect seal, you won't have the problem of corroded bolts,......

Don S taught me that trick,.....

 

[Lou C]

Definitely these will all work:
Evinrude gasket sealer
Merc Perfect Seal
Permatex Aviation
I have used mostly the Evinrude stuff on my outdrive bolts and this thing has been in salt water for 6 months a year, for at least 16 seasons. The bolts that I used it on all come out.
When I did my top end overhaul, the engine was used in salt about 15 years straight by then. Raw water cooled. The head bolts would NOT BUDGE even with a 1/2" drive long handled ratchet. So I made the sign of the cross and broke out the 1/2" drive De Walt electric impact. Worked great did not break one or strip one. I think cast iron is more forgiving though.

 

[JimS123]

Worst nightmare is working on ---" saltwater "----motors.-------There are procedures to remove bolts periodically and coat them with a sealant.

I gave up a six figure job because my boat would have had to go to a saltwater area. My buddy coworker went and all he had were nightmares.

 

[Sea Rider]

I think cast iron is more forgiving though.

Definitey, salted seized bolts on alum blocks will give you more nightmares than cast iron ones...

Happy Boating​

 

[Faztbullet]

Apparently, no one here has had to remove a V4/6 powerhead as they grow together at adapter plate. No amount of heat or penetrating fluid works. Only way is to drill thru adapter at top cutting the bolt in half and if driveshaft froze in cranksplines cutting a hole in midsection and torching the DS in half. This is why I stay away from the salty dogs and send em down the road to be somebody else's headache. No $$ to be made on em. Customers buy em on the coast cheap and bring em inland. A dealer friend in LA said when they get one, they just unbolt it and slap a new motor on as to not worth wasting customers $$ on repairs, then they are sent to recycler.

 

[racerone]

A few shops I know (all freshwater motors ) do not do any rebuilding anymore.-----Labor charges add up too quick.----Electronic parts / sensors must be checked as well.-----All takes too much time.-----Customers do not want to wait.

 

[ahicks]

I work on a lot of "salties". When it comes to head bolts, I'm an impact wrench fan here as well. I generally start at about half of full power and let them rattle for a few seconds. If they refuse, I'll keep turning up the power until SOMETHING lets go.

I used to mess with trying to save blocks where the threads came out with the head bolt, or in cases where the bolt breaks. I've seen them stick to the heads well enough where the head breaks off! Getting that head removed from the block is going to take some patience.....

Any more I just replace the block. The engines I work on generally have plenty of used ones available and the prices of them make that a proper call.

 

[Sea Rider]

To avoid breaking salt seized factory delivered bolts, now installing next hardened, superior quality ones. Tohatsu and other motor brands OEM bolts are very light and will go that route when removed. Preffer a zillion times to strip the block's threads and install convenient to me Time-Serts afterwards...

Happy Boating​