UJ Bellows

[broompisces]

I have a 1968 Mercruiser 120hp with (I believe) an "R" out-drive.

The UJ bellow is split and when I went to replace it, I discovered a problem. The pins that hold the bolts in that I need to remove have been sheared / hacksawed off. Why anyone would do that is beyond me.

So; any advice on getting the pins out (circled on the right of the photo).

I really don't want to remove the engine to strip off the gimbal to take it to an engineer's shop!

I can trail my boat if the opinion is that an engineering shop could drill out the sheared pins on site.

Comments welcome.

Many thanks,

Ian.

[broompisces]

OK - I've done a bit more research on this. The ringed pin in the right of the picture is a stainless steel "nail" that stops the gimbal pin to the left (also ringed in the picture) popping out. I don't think the "nail" is threaded in any way, but there is nothing at the end of it for me to get a grip on to extract it. I found this thread on a U.S. forum;

http://forums.iboats.com/mercruiser-i-o ... 71443.html

Any views?

Ian.

[sean-nós]

If it's stainless steel could you keep hitting through and bending it at the other end as you go to get it out.

They are very thin and drilling them out would be hard if they are stainless but some of them are aluminium so it might be worth a try. Can you get enough force on the main pin to cut it by turning it, other than that all I can think of is drilling a hole right beside it and later fill it with liquid metal.

[broompisces]

Thanks Sean - I've done some more digging. Please see the attached photos which the photos in your post confirm!

I will either straighten the ends and try and tap them through from the back or, as you suggest, tap through from the front and bend them at the back as they come through until they are all out. Drilling them is a no-no as you point out. Now I know they go all the through the gimbal, I'm sure getting them out will be far easier (famous last words!) then at first feared.

I'll post on my progress later!

Ian.

[sean-nós]

If there is enough of a head left could you get a tack weld on it and then use a slide hammer to pull it out. "just a thought"

[Music Man]

Hi Guys,

You could buy your self a small easy out kit, Its basically a left handed Tapered screw tap,
here is a link to a small set on ebay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16074704 ... =83&ff19=0

You just drill a hole in the end of the pin suitable for the easy out to go into and it taps its own thread then unscrews the stud or in this case the pin!

It might be worth a try.

Gaz