How to remove side plate bolts w/o breakage

[ArtJ]

I will soon be removing the bolts from the cooling system side plate on
my fresh water cooled late model engine to replace the side plate

The one bolt (alternator bracket) that I did remove earlier in the season
broke off. Apparently I do not have the soft bolts that disintegrate.

Is there any special technique used to remove these bolts with minimum
breakage? (pb blaster? mmo? tapping?)

Thanks

Art

[Kurt]

Are you certain you don't have the soft bolts? I have a late model engine as well and when a couple bolts broke, I was ready to break out the drill because there was definitely bolt material left behind in the hole. I decided to dig around in the hole with a small screwdriver and a coathanger and was able to scrape all the debris out - so, I definitely had the bolts that disintegrate.

As far as special techniques to avoid breakage -- I just sprayed PB Blaster on them and let them sit for an hour or so, then tapped them a bit, sprayed more Blaster on them, tried to turn them a bit, etc. If they turned fairly easily, I removed them. If a bolt didn't turn so easily, I sprayed it more, let it sit, tapped it a little - repeated process until all bolts came out or broke. I found that the ones that are gonna break are gonna break pretty much right off the bat. I only had two bolts break in a 1976 raw water cooled engine.

Another note: even though I was able to clean most of the disintegrated crap out of the broken bolt holes, I still cleaned the threads in the block up with a tap. I was able to screw a tap into each hole by hand.

[ArtJ]

The bolt I broke off which held the alternator bracket was definitely
solid, as I had to drill and tap it completely thru

[rigspelt]

The bolt I broke off which held the alternator bracket was definitely solid, as I had to drill and tap it completely thru

Good job. You make it sound so easy!
I like Kroil, others like PBBlaster. Both can take 1-3 days to work, applying a little daily. Use a good-fitting socket and be patient. A little tapping might help. The two I broke off had ground wires on them, which probably softened the metal through galvanic action, so the heads just twisted off, and both were hard metal.

[roadnsky]

I only have one comment if one of the bolts break off...
DON'T use an "Easy" Out. Because they're NOT!

(http://www.moyermarine.com//forums/s...ead.php?t=3963)