Frozen Bolt!

L

louis

New member
I'm trying to separte the lower unit but 3 out of 4 bolts are frozen in place. It will turn slightly but that's it. Any more force and the bolts will snap.

I've tried to spray WD40 but even with the outboard tilted all the way up the outboard is still angled down so the oil dripps to the ground. I don't want to use a torch as it'll ruin the paint. What to do, what to do?

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
 
W-D 40 is good, Liquid Wrench is better, and the best I know of is PB Penetrating Catalyst. A friend who worked in one of those quickie auto parts store gave me a can from their stock. I've fooled with old cars most of my life but recently had one nut on a stud so bad I nearly twisted it off with a pipe over the wrench, but first tried PB, letting it sit overnight. One thump on an ordinary wench with the heel of my hand! No, I don't work for, have stock in, blah, blah.
 
We use it in out shop too. Its Called "PB Blaster" . It is specifically for freeing stuck nut and bolts . Dont spray the powerhead with it .It will damage stuff.
Marc
 
I'll give those a try but the problem that I still have is that I cannot spray it into the bolt and let the stuff pool around the bolt. Since the whole lower unit is tilted down, even if it's raised, the penetrant drips to the ground. Is there anything I can do about this?
 
Can you give some info about the engine? How old, fresh or salt water, the last time the lower unit was opened?
We've had some saltwater boats come in and it had been MANY years since the unit was opened. Everything had crystalized and you end up destroying the housing it to open it.
Not to be the Doom-and-Gloom guy, but that is not a good sign, and you may want to put out some feelers for a replacement engine in a worst case scenario.
Good Luck!
 
Hey New Hampshire Guy, the outboard is a 99 and it's been 2 years since the lower unit was cracked open and it is operated in salt water. It's been a while but not that long. The last time it was opened the bolts probably wasn't greased before reassembly.

The bolts will turn 2-3 times then get stuck and won't back out any further. If I can get the penetrants up the bolts and let it soak I know it will free themselves but I can't go against gravity.

If you sell Honda outboards can you send me a private email on the price of a new lower unit, used and new? I've had no luck locating a used lower unit for these hot selling outboards. Thanks!
 
Louis,

In my 20+ years of repairing outboards, HEAT is the only surefire way to remove salted bolts from aluminum housings.

Heat the area (with a propane or MAP gas torch, not oxy-acetylene) where the bolt threads are until the paint starts to smoke. Then work the bolt back and forth to loosen and remove. Repainting is cheaper than a new gearcase!!

The aluminium case will expand lots more than the steel bolt, releasing the grip of the aluminium oxide and salt in the threads.

Try not to break off the bolts in the housing!! It is very difficult to drill out a hard bolt in a soft (aluminium) housing.

I am not sure from your post if your motor is a 9.9 or a 90 hp.If your motor is a 9.9, you can turn it upside down for the penetrant to work. If a 90, use heat, as the bolts are larger.

BTW, it helps to post the actual name (Honda, Suzuki, etc.), year, and horsepower of the motor. What works on a 9.9 is not necessarily the same as what works on a 90 HP.
 
I have another suggestion. Two actually. No guarantees of course.

1. Heat is often needed, but be sure and check/replace all soft (eg rubber) components near the gear case where heat is applied after you get that bad boy open. This may include drive shaft seals that are in the water pump cover. But before you use heat, keep trying the penetrating fluid(s) (not WD40 which is junk for this purpose) and then get a single hand held air hammer. Get a fitting for the air hammer which is NOT a chisel but instead is a flat, hammer head attachment. These have a face about 1/2-1 inch in dia.. (Try your local rental places.) Apply this to your bolt heads at the lowest setting, begining with just a touch and then apply for progressively longer as needed. Alternate hammering with penetrating oil. (Because I know someone is going to say it: yes, be careful not to crack the gear case. Just go slow and careful. Be gentle and hold your mouth right.)

2. Replace the bolts when reassembling the engine. Coat each one with the medium action LocTite (blue). This will help prevent corrosion in th future. Oh yeah, open that engine up more often :wink:
 
Finally got them out. Here's what I did. I backed out the bolts as much as they would go. Got my rubber mallet and whacked the lower unit apart till it was caught on the bolts. Bought a can of PD penetrant (thanks for the recommendation on this product) and sprayed it on the bolts and let it sit for 30 minutes. I then use the wrench/mallet and whacked it a few turn on each bolt then sprayed the compound again and let it sit. After repeating numerous times they finally came out.

I would NOT recomment you try the wrench/mallet on a small bolt as it'll snap them easily but these bolts are fairly good size. Pipe over the wrench would have definitly snapped the bolts.

Nancy H, the outboard is a Honda BF50. If you've got a used lower unit please send me a private email with price. Mine has a huge crack that cannot be repaired. It's completely ripped open.

Again, thank you every for your suggestions. If only the government operated in this fashion imagin what can be achieved.
 
Yep, time is a factor on PB Blaster (or Catalyst; mine is the old style can), and I suspected repetition is too, as you confirmed. The light was such that when I used the stuff the first time, I could actually watch it being drawn into into the threads, so gave it a tad more, but never knew if that made a difference.
For what it's worth, a solid hammer rap or three on the top of a nut will often work to jar the threads on one that's no stuck too bad or torqued too tight, and is a fair outlet for frustration. Rapping on a small socket slipped over a stud that protrudes beyond the nut will protect it from burring over and blocking the nut from unscrewing.
 
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