How to’s

[outsider]

No expert on most outboards in general but have learned the OMC, 31.8 & 22 ci motors fairly well. Where I live there’s few options to salt water so I’m putting together some notes from experience on methods to solve & prevent problems.
I’ll start with stuck screws & bolts. Soaking over time would be 1st but not always much help especially when you want to get it done soon. Many now have battery powered drill sets with variable options. One being hammer drill with power settings. Go with the lowest settings 1st so not to risk breaking the screw / bolt then go up one at a time, this generally can break up the aluminum oxide clogging the threads without breaking them. Not to be confused with an impact driver [that can easily break smaller screws] the hammer selections on these drills can be turned way down to the point where it’s not really impact, it shakes them loose instead. Beyond this not working, I’ll use heat but consider it a last resort. The combination tho will usually get a good result.

[seakaye12]

What’s a good choice for a hammer drill like you describe? What do you use?

[fleetwin]

Honestly, I have never had any success with “soaking” corroded fasteners in oil/penetrating lube on salt water engines with stuck fasteners A hammer drill with power setting is a good place to start, but it will probably take some preheating to help the process along. That being said, one needs to be super careful not to snap off fasteners. Heat/rock/repeat along with patience usually gets the job done….But, sometimes, even the most patient attempts end up with snapped off fasteners… It is important to remember that oftentimes it is not the actual threads that are stuck, it is the unthreaded shank above the threads. Sometimes, I opt to “waste a part” in order to free up the seized shank…An example might be air chiseling an aluminum impeller housing to split it apart to free up the frozen fastener shank.. Other examples might be an inner exhaust tube or outer exhaust cover housing… Wasting a part is much better than having to deal with a broken off 10-24SS screw broken off even with the gearcase housing, which is already a thin casting. Seeing engines that have been previously worked on, without even a drop of grease/sealant on the threads aggravates the crap out of me…I’m not talking about fresh water engines previously serviced on lakes…I laugh when I watch guys put a little dab of grease on a few threads of a fastener also, with nothing on the unthreaded shank of the bolt/screw. Yeah, perhaps I am a bit anal about this, but I’m sure that guys that had to work on engines I had prior dealings with never complain. My boss used to really get upset when I would partially disassemble new engines in order to lube them up properly prior to rigging/sale, “who’s going to pay for this time” he would say. And I suppose he was right to some extent…I’m sure customer’s never appreciated having a “greasy” new engine until years later when it came apart easy for service, or the steering cable didn’t get froze up in the tilt tube in a year’s time..

[billw]

I agree about watching some guys put just a dab of grease on the threads before installing them and thinking that’s going to help. Some of my very own “esteemed colleagues” where I work, do this! Yeah, my idea of pre-greasing a bolt is to make sure that when it’s installed, there is no air space left or any room for water to even enter the area. I’m kind of proud of myself when I have to wipe a little grease off the assembled motor. I also wish I could take the time to pre-grease some of our new Mercurys, where the side skirt bolts will be known to get frozen in, in a year or two.. But to do that would be telling the new owner that his motor was, in at least one way, sub-standard; so it doesn’t happen.

I have been having some amazing luck with the small, electric impact guns. I have an 18 volt Milwaukee that backs some stuff right out after I have found that a ratchet is going to snap it off….Your results may vary!!!

Long live American manufacturing!

1 user thanked author for this post.

BRIAN RUPP

[fleetwin]

billw wrote:

I agree about watching some guys put just a dab of grease on the threads before installing them and thinking that’s going to help. Some of my very own “esteemed colleagues” where I work, do this! Yeah, my idea of pre-greasing a bolt is to make sure that when it’s installed, there is no air space left or any room for water to even enter the area. I’m kind of proud of myself when I have to wipe a little grease off the assembled motor. I also wish I could take the time to pre-grease some of our new Mercurys, where the side skirt bolts will be known to get frozen in, in a year or two.. But to do that would be telling the new owner that his motor was, in at least one way, sub-standard; so it doesn’t happen.

I have been having some amazing luck with the small, electric impact guns. I have an 18 volt Milwaukee that backs some stuff right out after I have found that a ratchet is going to snap it off….Your results may vary!!!

Yeah, I am kind of proud of the way I lube engines as well…This has come from years of working on salty dogs. I remember customers complaining that I got their new engines “greasy”, I advised that grease cleans off easily….Torched paint and broken bolts, jammed steering cables, not so much. Always complained to OMC about the lack of lube and fastener prep from the factory….Always got the old “paint won’t adhere to greasy engines” excuse. Looking back, I was very fortunate to work for a boatyard that put up with my stubbornness. I’d like to think that I was a team player in the long run….Not afraid to admit that I probably should have stayed working at that same boatyard, I accomplished much more than pushing warranty forms and dealer agreements around. It was always rewarding seeing everyone enjoying their boats on the weekends, kind of made the late nights during the spring worthwhile…

[outsider]

Silicone works well too, even the high heat version on exhaust cover bolts so does ‘Form a Gasket’. they both seem to hold up well in salt running. Grease can be lightly put on 1 side of gaskets to ease disassembly. You can back small screws out with an Impact driver too, just have to be careful on the trigger. Working with a Makita drill driver kit I use both. The reason I specified the drill is far more options for even the lightest need because you can adjust it so low it couldn’t snap a #4 screw but can rattle it. The driver I have socket adapters so use it for the typical 7/16 etc. they make quick work of disassembly. More recently I got a Dewald driver. It’s got 3 options, the low is light enough to get the small screws, Mid about the same as the Makita & Hi, just short of lug nut, can break stuff.

[Tommy K]

newly acquired Evinrude 6hp engine. Has not run lately! Son broke one of the motor mounts trying to take off. Found a few on eBay for this model. Have carb kit and impellor, what next should be done?

[wanderlustjake]

Interesting timing on this thread. I am preparing to reassemble the lower unit of a freshwater motor, would you recommend anti-seize, form a gasket or grease? I have a bottle of shellac sealer as recommended by another member. Couple connections will be steel (or SS) to aluminum, others steel to steel (or SS). Note: I am a newbie on these.

Thank you,

Jason

[outsider]

In fresh it’s probably no issue but I’ve tried Never Seize on transom clamps they locked up back in tidal salt water. The automotive type is fine for cars but for salt no, it wont stop galvanic corrosion. There are specific marine / aluminum use anti seize products. Never tried one to say how they are tho. Been ok with the results of silicone.

[fleetwin]

Tommy K wrote:

newly acquired Evinrude 6hp engine. Has not run lately! Son broke one of the motor mounts trying to take off. Found a few on eBay for this model. Have carb kit and impellor, what next should be done?

Which bolt did he break off? Can you post a picture?

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