Stubborn Flywheel, Gale 40 hp

[Buccaneer]

Opened up the new OMC puller today. Looked nice, but not as “beefy” as what I was using.
Installed the puller on the flywheel, snugged up the shoulder bolts, then proceeded
to tighten the center bolt with my air impact. Nothing happened, so I got out the
breaker bar and cheater pipe. Was only able to tighten up a tiny bit more, and still
nothing happened. Put the air impact back on, and ………. Finally!!!!
………. One of the shoulder bolts snapped. 🙁
Soooooooooo, I spent $85 and I’m still no further ahead….. in fact, behind, as the
bolt broke off half way down the hole, and I’m minus one shoulder bolt now.
Was not in the mood to try to get the broken bolt out today.

Prepare to be boarded!

[fleetwin]

Oh boy, what a mess, sorry….
I guess I would probably get one of those “air hammers” and an assistant…Use the air hammer on the flywheel around the crank while the assistant is prying up on the flywheel….Might waste the flywheel, but I don’t see any other choices at this point…

[Monte NZ]

Very sorry to read what has happened!
This has got to be the biggest nightmare in removing a flywheel of a 40 hp OMC motor that I have ever come across…….I have never heard of one of the OMC puller bolts breaking!
You have certainly done everything correctly that I can think of.
Your experience reminds me of many years back when I made up my own puller and was removing the flywheel using some high tensile bolts One the bolts snapped and I ended up having to ‘go cap in hand’ to the local Evinrude agent, where he gave me a ‘dressing down’ for using ordinary high tensile bolts. Needless to say I bought an OMC puller and no more problems.
As fleetwin said, it maybe easier to waste the flywheel.

Monte NZ

[Buccaneer]

I tried for about 45 minutes today to get the broken bolt out of the hole with no luck.
Of course a drill bit wouldn’t touch the hardened bolt. Was hoping a left hand drill bit
would grab and unscrew the broken piece. I made a tiny chisel out of a punch
and punched a little straight slot in the top of the broken stud, and spent the next
half hour turning it back and forth about 1/4 turn. It would bind up in either direction.
The more I monkeyed, the worse it got.
Could not find an appropriate little stone for my dremmel. Was going to try to grind a
hole into the broken stud and try an easy out. I don’t have any tungsten carbide burr bits
either. I’d like to try to remove the broken stud and attach the puller again, and get
the torch back out. The OMC puller is quite a bit smaller in diameter, so I might be
able to get more heat near the crankshaft than with my other puller.
If I can’t get the broken stud out , then I may be resigned to destroying the flywheel. 🙁

Prepare to be boarded!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Buccaneer.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Buccaneer.

[frankr]

If you do manage to get the bolt out, I think I’d try retapping the holes to use larger bolts and give it one last try. I’ve never seen one that stubborn. I still suspect some genius put Loc-Tite on the tapers.

[Buccaneer]

frankr wrote:

If you do manage to get the bolt out, I think I’d try retapping the holes to use larger bolts and give it one last try. I’ve never seen one that stubborn. I still suspect some genius put Loc-Tite on the tapers.

Good idea Frank with retapping for bigger holes. The puller set did come
with some 5/16″ shoulder bolts also.
The genius may have greased the tapers allowing the flywheel to torque down
extra tight? I would have thought that my previous two “torch jobs” would
have melted away any loc-tite, but I don’t know!

Prepare to be boarded!

[Buccaneer]

While the flywheel continues to be (forever?) mated to the crankshaft, I was
able to get the broken shoulder bolt out of the flywheel. I ordered a
Irwin 7/64″ HHS Colbalt Split Point drill bit for hardened metal.
Upon arrival, I noted it was made in “China”,
so I was doubtful, but it drilled into the hardened bolt very nicely.
I drilled down into the broken stud about 1/4″, but not all the way thru.
I then got a left handed drill bit a little bigger than the hole, and the
drill spun the broken stud right out.
I put the puller back on and let it sit over night tension on it.
Melted some wax around the crankshaft, left it sit a while.
Fired up the oxy / propane torch and heated around the hub for 5 minutes.
Tightened some more with the impact……. and……. Nothing happened again, lol.

Prepare to be boarded!

[bobw]

Buc,
Have you tried heating the flywheel with the torch, then immediately hit the crank snout with CRC Freeze-Off? The change in temperature from the chilling effect of the spray might be enough to jar the thing loose. You’d probably have to shoot the whole can at one time to make it work – could be messy but might do the trick. Just a thought.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[Buccaneer]

Bob, I think I’ve tried just about everything else so far, lol.
I got a broken shoulder bolt removed again (3rd time)
and the puller is back on with tension, just sitting there.
I was thinking an AOMCI prayer virgil might be the next step, lol.
Also was thinking about re-tapping the flywheel holes to accept 5/16″
shoulder bolts as Frank suggested, but have not found any online ones yet that promise
they are “hardened” bolts.
I’ve never tried the “freeze off” product, but may be an option.
Thanks!

Prepare to be boarded!

[bobw]

I used the Freeze-Off on a seized transom clamp screw on my ’56 30hp Johnson. Heated the transom bracket up with the torch real good then sprayed the clamp screw with the Freeze-off. The quick temperature change shrunk the clamp screw and it backed right out. Thought it might work on your flywheel but sounds like yours might need dynamite!

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by bobw.

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