2005 200HP Optimax s/n 1B009965

[funkja]

Posting for friend who temporarily has no computer access.

8 minutes in to a no wake zone after a 15 minute WOT run the engine shut down. Pulled the cowling and saw the air compressor pulley had broken off. All the mounting bolts had sheared. I want to fix this myself and am looking for your input on that. Do I need to buy a new compressor? Can I get a new pulley/mounting bolts and the plate they screw into?

2005 200HP Optimax s/n 1B009965

Thanks for any help!

[n_gong]

I had an 05 that had done the same , got some new bolts, loctite and was good to go, don't forget to torque to specs.
Make sure parts are not damaged and fit is proper.
Nelson

[OldTimer57]

Torque and blue loctite. This was a problem on early optis. Bolts would back out, then the slack would let the pulley hammer them until they snapped. If, after re-installing, everything feels normal/smooth/etc, you are probably good to go. You can go to an auto parts store and get some grade 8 bolts assuming you can extract the broken off bolts and have a sample for diameter and pitch.

The first couple of years I'd bet I helped a half-dozen folks at the ramp with this very problem. Sometimes they'd hear a rattling, sometimes the motor would die. If they were lucky we could loctite and tighten the bolts and they were good to go. Sometimes the threads were damaged by the hammering, and sometimes the bolts broke, requiring replacement. Mercury improved this but I don't recall what the fix was, more bolts? thread locker? Different sized bolts? Did not own one so did not pay a lot of attention other than when friends complained and we looked to see what was going on.

[EuropeanAM]

Recommend RED liquid loctite on the bolts, even if you buy new ones that have "paste".

[Savage]

Better find all the old bolt pieces under the cowling!