F60 Thermostat change

[scott craven]

Just my luck, the first bolt broke clean off while trying to remove housing.
Drill it out and re-tap or ?

 

[tubber]

I did that on my Honda kicker leg. I tried and easy out, then broke it off. I was able to take the midsection off the motor and take it to a machine shop with an EDM (electrical discharge machine). It's runs a current and slowly pulverizes the broken bolt out without damaging the aluminum threads. It wasn't very expensive, definitely less than I wasted on easy outs, harder drill bits, left hand bits, and for you, taps. I try to remember to loosen. lube and retighten the bolts every year now even if I don't need a new impeller.

I don't know if the machine could get at your housing if you trailer the boat in.
I imagine my thermostat is in there good, since I have never changed it.

 

[scott craven]

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[Hookin'up]

Scott
If you get the rest of the t-stat housing off there may be enough of the bolt sticking out that you can get some vise grips on and apply a little heat and it may come out

 

[noluck]

heat is your friend, i use a miniductor II it is a inductive heater and works great for heating bolts

 

[scott craven]

Unfortunately it's broken off inside about 1/2"
my mechanic suggested re-tapping and using a shorter bolt.
we'll see what happens

 

[gungadin]

Drill a small hole through the centre of what remains of bolt, the drill bit will go through into an empty cavity. Build a dam with plasticine around the bolt hole and fill the bolt hole and cavity behind it with a good penetrating fluid or a thin mixture of acetone and atf. Let it sit for a few days to penetrate and then flush with brake clean and repeat. Drill ever increasing in size holes or use a dremel to increase the diameter of the hole in the bolt. Now use an easy out with reverse spirals to take out the broken bolt. Replace both bolts with new ones but grease the threads with a waterproof grease when installing. The bolts often break not because of poor bolts but because of salt build up in the area between the male and female threads, effectively welding them.
On a side note, if you anticipate breaking bolts that are attaching a part to your motor, it is often better to simply grind off the head of the bolt, remove the attached part and then go the penetrating fluid route, using heat as an adjunct. The bolts are usually less the 1$. I have thought about using salt away but have never tried it, but might in future.

 

[Discus]

You have to do drill and put a hell core and put new bolt on it. I did do that many motors.

 

[SpringVelocity]

This look familiar. You need an eazy out to get bolt out. Chances are you will ***** the thread. You can re thread it or drill out and install helicoil.

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Call Marc and have him do it.. He's had lots of practice..

 

[scott craven]

Call Marc and have him do it.. He's had lots of practice..

Yup, done !

 

[scott craven]

Update,
Marc Shubrook came by today and spent a couple hours
and a lot of elbow grease and got the job done.
Had to drill it out and re-tap for a bigger bolt.