Well I guess it's not my day. First the plugs won't index.
Changing my lower unit oil and the top plug threads stripped out when I removed it. There is nothing left just a hole. All the threads are gone.
Is there a fix for this or am I looking at a huge bill for a lower unit case and repair?
If it were mine I would be trying a Time Sert. Good luck man, hope you get her fixed!
2021 Phoenix 920 Elite / SHO 250
Bullet 21XD / 250 XB (Gone to a great home in LA)
"There is no such thing as a bad day fishing!"
Heli-coil it.
Motor going to the dealer. Hopefully he can fix it. Crossing my fingers.
Fred have you ever tried a Time Sert? Superior to Heli-coils imo, just curious if you have tried them how you think they compare.Originally Posted by ChampioNman
2021 Phoenix 920 Elite / SHO 250
Bullet 21XD / 250 XB (Gone to a great home in LA)
"There is no such thing as a bad day fishing!"
Eddie Pope (gearcaseman) can tell you the best way to repair it. When the lower plug striped on mine he told me to get a 3/8-16 X 3/4 cap screw and it would pick up the threads deeper in the hole. If there are any threads left it should work. I am not sure the upper hole is as deep as the lower.
Dan Burnette - Marietta, GA
Triton 18TRX - 200 HO G2
I would recommend a time sert over a heli coil. A heli coil is a wound piece of metal were as a time sert is a threaded tube, one piece of metal that will seal better in a drain plug type situation.
In general I will not use heli coils anymore after using time serts.
2004 Ranger 521VX with 2019 Evinrude G2 250 H.O.
Thanks for the tip I'll ask the dealer when I drop it off. He said he has fixed them in the past but there was no guaranty it will seal properly. I cant blame him, it's not a factory spec. Reading on line it looks like the next option, if it doesn't work, is to have the lower welded and re-tapped. Which involves basically a rebuild on seals After removing the gears.
If it comes to this, anyone have a lower unit guy that specializes in Evinrude Lower re-builds and has a good reputation?
Eddie Pope AKA the gearcase man.423-336-5618
Thank You
I've never had the upper plug to give trouble, but the procedure of tapping the existing hole with a 3/8" NC Tap and installing a Stainless Allen head bolt ( 3/8"X 1/2") should work just fine. Use the flat plastic washer and you're good to go.
I'm going with operator error. i must have over torqued it last year or cross threaded it. Still trying to get into dealer. I'll let him know about this. Thank you sir, very much.
This work?
Thread Size 3/8"-16
Length 1/2"
Threading Fully Threaded
Head Diameter 0.563"
Head Height 0.192"
Drive Size 3/16"
Material 18-8 Stainless Steel
Hardness Rockwell B70
Tensile Strength 70,000 psi
Screw Size Decimal Equivalent 0.375"
Thread Type UNC
Thread Spacing Coarse
Thread Fit Class 3A
Thread Direction Right Hand
Head Type Socket
Socket Head Profile Low
Drive Style Hex
System of Measurement Inch
RoHS Compliant
For use where space is limited, these screws have heads that are about half the height of a standard socket head. They are made from 18-8 stainless steel and have good chemical resistance and may be mildly magnetic. Not recommended from high-strength fastening. Length is measured from under the head.
That's what I call " Overkill. " Yes, I believe you've touched all the bases. Now just tell the guy at Ace Hardware this is what you're looking for, and get us a snapshot of his facial expression. Just Kidding.....
I'm going to order it from McMasterCarr along with the tap, nylon washer, and 3/16" allen socket. I'm going to try and tap it myself.
I'm going to put Triple guard grease on the tap to catch as many metal fillings as I can. Should I flush out the gear case with gear oil, by filling and emptying back out?
No, I don't think that's necessary. This is soft aluminum, and whatever might fall over into the case will not damage anything. Using grease on your tap will get almost all the shavings, so you're good to go. Go slow and easy and you'll be fine...
Don't use a 2 flute tap, it will push all the shavings into the hole.
2000 STRATOS 20SS EXTREME
2011 EVINRUDE ETEC 250 HO
HELIX 10 AND 12 SI
10' BLADES
ULTREX/ I PILOT LINK
HUMMINBIRD 360
Turns out the hole is really stripped out. I ran the tap threw and got about two complete threads in the back of the case. Using a 1/2" long 3/8" thread bolt it will tighten to 70 inch pounds. Not sure if I trust it though.
Maybe time for helicoil or timesert
You might try using some permatex sealer, as this will help the seal. 70 inch pounds should do it. Just keep a close watch on it, time will tell...
I wanted to do an update on this. I bought a gear case pressure tester from Amazon for $133 and I'm glad I did. The bolt held in with 2 threads wasn't sealing that well. It was off centered. So I bought a 3/8" Time Sert kit and a .400" SS insert. It was difficult trying to get a straight drill and tap since the hole was badly stripped. The counter bore got a little deeper on the bottom then I was hoping for also. I applied Triple Guard grease to the drill bit and the tap to catch as many pieces of metal as possible. Also used Q-tips to clean out thread and the back of new hole. I put Permatex high temperature thread sealer on the out side threads and let the insert set untouched for 4 days. I tried 2 different washers to check the seal and it appeared to be making a nice ring about halfway in on the washers. I pressure tested at 5# and it held. I pressure tested at 18# and the pressure dropped very slowly but it was not coming from the plug. I could not determine a leak. although I suspect the fitting on the pressure tester was the culprit. When I pulled the oil initially it looked almost brand new.
I think I've got it functional again. I would not recommend a Time Sert for this application though because the counter bore cuts the selaing surface of the washer in half. Unless it's a last resort.
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