2017 AR190 - Broken Tower screw knob

[jeffreyhuff]

One of the screw knob bolts that holds my tower up broke as I was trying to put it down yesterday. It is part [HASH=6477]#F3F[/HASH]-U724D-00-00 from Yamaha. It’s back ordered through them and I’ve tried a million other places with no luck. Anyone have any luck finding something that works. I believe it’s a 3/8-16 thread. Could I just use a high grade 3/8-16 bolt for now just to get me by? Any other ideas?

 

[2kwik4u]

One of the screw knob bolts that holds my tower up broke as I was trying to put it down yesterday. It is part [HASH=6477]#F3F[/HASH]-U724D-00-00 from Yamaha. It’s back ordered through them and I’ve tried a million other places with no luck. Anyone have any luck finding something that works. I believe it’s a 3/8-16 thread. Could I just use a high grade 3/8-16 bolt for now just to get me by? Any other ideas?

A regular bolt will work fine.

Use a large washer and a lock washer then be sure to pull the tower down tight. The interface between the tower and the screw knob is a cone of sorts, and it helps to keep that bolt in place.

Which part broke? If you still have the cone section, you can likely find a replacement on McMaster-Carr that will get you really really close.

McMaster-Carr <--Something like that.

 

[jeffreyhuff]

A regular bolt will work fine.

Use a large washer and a lock washer then be sure to pull the tower down tight. The interface between the tower and the screw knob is a cone of sorts, and it helps to keep that bolt in place.

Which part broke? If you still have the cone section, you can likely find a replacement on McMaster-Carr that will get you really really close.

McMaster-Carr <--Something like that.

The bolt actually snapped off clean about 6 threads up from the bottom. I’m gonna have to drill it and use an EZ Out.

 

[2kwik4u]

The bolt actually snapped off clean about 6 threads up from the bottom. I’m gonna have to drill it and use an EZ Out.

First I've heard of a failed (broken) bolt. Lots of stripped threads, and lots of bent bolts, but none actually broken.

Have any pics?

The tower comes off pretty easily. Remove the snap rings on the inside of the pivot and drive out the pin with a small punch. Once out, the tower has a single connection for the anchor lights. From there it comes off with two people fairly easily. It's akward, but not too heavy. Once you have the tower off and aside, there are two bolts up in the gunwales that keep the mounting bracket held to the hull. Will take two people, but those aren't absurdly hard to take off if you have some extensions and a helper.

I had all mine apart a few years back to run wires for the soundbar.

Here's an album of what all is involved. --> AR190 - Tower Removal and Soundbar Install

**EDIT**

Looking through the pictures reminded me. There is already a stainless insert in the aluminum mount for the tower bolt. YOu can likely get that mount off and have a local machine shop drill/EDM that bolt out, and NOT destroy the threads at the same time. Conversely if you're threads were already borked, then you can have them chase/tape/repair them with a Heli-Coil at the same time and get back to factory while you're in there.