JAE .91 maiden.

[Mike Cathey]

runs a couple of laps and lays down on you sounds like a bearing or cooling issue to me.

 

[Vince Fantauzzi]

runs a couple of laps and lays down on you sounds like a bearing issue to me.

Yeah, cold very well be a bearing. It's an old engine I got as a freebie with a boat a bought a while ago...thought of replacing bearings, but the head screws are not budging. Have a feeling whoever owned this engine might have used red threadlock.
I suppose I could try changing just the front one, if there's a way to remove it without tearing down the engine.

 

[Mike Cathey]

If you put a high wattage soldering iron directly on the screw head to heat up the screw you might get away with not frying the o-ring in the water jacket.

 

[David Murany]

Yeah, cold very well be a bearing. It's an old engine I got as a freebie with a boat a bought a while ago...thought of replacing bearings, but the head screws are not budging. Have a feeling whoever owned this engine might have used red threadlock.
I suppose I could try changing just the front one, if there's a way to remove it without tearing down the engine.

Fill the water jacket with WD40 and let soak overnight. Then heat like Mike said and you may get them out without any damage.

 

[Will Gallagher]

Or you buy that nice OPS 80 Eric is selling, clean up the fuel lines and have fun......

 

[Brad Christy]

Vince,

I'm not suggesting your bearings aren't toast, as they have every right to be, but....

It's been my experience that, when the bearings are the culprit, the boat won't get away from the bank.

That said, a new set of bearings is a pretty cheap "process of elimination" step.

If you can't get those screws to budge with an allen wrench, a drill press is always an option. Just drill through the head with a drill bit (the next size up from the major diameter of the screw) until it breaks loose from the shaft of the screw. Once you have the water jacket off, a pair of vise grips should be able to get the remaining studs out.

Thanks. Brad.
Titan Racing Components
BlackJack Hydros
Model Machine and Precision LLC

 

[Vince Fantauzzi]

Vince,

I'm not suggesting your bearings aren't toast, as they have every right to be, but....

It's been my experience that, when the bearings are the culprit, the boat won't get away from the bank.

That said, a new set of bearings is a pretty cheap "process of elimination" step.

If you can't get those screws to budge with an allen wrench, a drill press is always an option. Just drill through the head with a drill bit (the next size up from the major diameter of the screw) until it breaks loose from the shaft of the screw. Once you have the water jacket off, a pair of vise grips should be able to get the remaining studs out.

Thanks. Brad.
Titan Racing Components
BlackJack Hydros
Model Machine and Precision LLC

Thanks Brad, I have the proper Allen key for those screws in my ratchet set...lots torque, so snapping those heads off the screws is not an issue...but if Red loctite was used, I doubt the visegrips will extract them....from what I read red threadlocker needs 400 degrees Fahrenheit to burn off...that would surely damage the casing.

Vince.

 

[Brad Christy]

Vince,

It would at least give you access to those studs for a micro torch or some such.

I don't think 400 deg. is going to hurt anything. Solidus melting point of aluminum (still maintains shape) is ~900 deg. Just let it cool evenly.

I can't imagine ever using Loc-Tite of ANY kind on my engines..... You're better off using anti-seize.

Thanks. Brad.
Titan Racing Components
BlackJack Hydros
Model Machine and Precision LLC

 

[Vince Fantauzzi]

Vince,

It would at least give you access to those studs for a micro torch or some such.

I don't think 400 deg. is going to hurt anything. Solidus melting point of aluminum (still maintains shape) is ~900 deg. Just let it cool evenly.

I can't imagine ever using Loc-Tite of ANY kind on my engines..... You're better off using anti-seize.

Thanks. Brad.
Titan Racing Components
BlackJack Hydros
Model Machine and Precision LLC

Yay! I got those screws out.
I applied full torque with my ratchet intending to snap the heads off and instead the screws came loose. Those are some quality screws.

Now all I need is some bearings and a set of crank case gaskets. Thanks for the help.

Vince

 

[brad nichols]

Just be carful removing them or maybe Joe Warren mite have some.

Brad

 

[mrgary]

Thanks for all the input, guys...once the weather clears up here I'll head to the lake and implement some of these suggestions and see if I can resolve the problem. Will post outcome.

Vince

make sure you only do 1 thing at a time and try that before trying something else

 

[Vince Fantauzzi]

make sure you only do 1 thing at a time and try that before trying something else

That's my plan. First easiest stuff like needle setting...fuel and vent lines and so forth. Bearings are on order and they will be the last thing...they should be replaced regardless anyway.

 

[Lay26]

Bearings should be first thing changed... they affect the needle big time and since the engine is appart already you might as well change them

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Bearings should be first thing changed... they affect the needle big time and since the engine is appart already you might as well change them

X2 on the above!

 

[Vince Fantauzzi]

Thanks to all for suggestions and input. Replaced bearings and she runs just fine now.

Vince