Another oil cooler bolt sheared

[GiddYupJoe]

https://jetboaters.net/threads/wake-tower-cross-beam-bending-ballooning.5119/
https://jetboaters.net/threads/rounded-tower-cross-bar.6816/

There was a design flaw in the 2010 242 LS Towers that they corrected by drilling drain holes but never said anything. I'm on my own for a $6k+ tower now unless I can find someone willing to weld it. All the local aluminum shops have turned it down though.

@pagekl Not to get off topic but this happened to my tower two seasons ago and has not gotten any worse. I still use the tower as normal and have not noticed any issue. I have no plan to fix it until I have too. I have gotten over how bad it looks. Bugs me every time I look at it but no one else notices.

 

[davel501]

@pagekl Not to get off topic but this happened to my tower two seasons ago and has not gotten any worse. I still use the tower as normal and have not noticed any issue. I have no plan to fix it until I have too. I have gotten over how bad it looks. Bugs me every time I look at it but no one else notices.

My welds are cracked. The damage that thing could do to the people in the boat if it let go is just too much risk for me.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

My welds are cracked. The damage that thing could do to the people in the boat if it let go is just too much risk for me.

I didn't realize they were that bad! Mine just ballooned, nothing else. So yeah... I understand your concern and frustration then!

 

[zelone]

@davel501 where are you located? I know of a mobile welder who takes on almost anything. Hes located in South Jersey.

 

[pagekl]

You guys have me paranoid now. I'll be checking my tower tomorrow.

 

[davel501]

@davel501 where are you located? I know of a mobile welder who takes on almost anything. Hes located in South Jersey.

I'm in Chicago. My uncle was an aluminum fabricator in a past life and still has access to his old shop so he is going to take a crack at it. He said the pancake welds are going to be a pain but he should be able to do it.

 

[zelone]

So, one of my bolt heads popped off recently. I dont appear to be losing any oil, yet.
Wondering if anyone has any detailed pictures of the oil cooler disassembled?

Also, wondering if i can just drill the hole through the cooler completely and put a nut and bolt on it, torqued to the cover bolt specs? All this bolt does is hold the cooler cover on, correct?

 

[kthrash]

So, one of my bolt heads popped off recently. I dont appear to be losing any oil, yet.
Wondering if anyone has any detailed pictures of the oil cooler disassembled?

Also, wondering if i can just drill the hole through the cooler completely and put a nut and bolt on it, torqued to the cover bolt specs? All this bolt does is hold the cooler cover on, correct?

I can take some pics of my old ones tonight I still have them in my garage..

 

[zelone]

That would be great, thanks Keith! I'm just trying to wrap my head around what actually has to be removed and how I may go about a temporary fix. Just thinking out loud...The head popping off the bolt, at least to me, indicates the bolt was either overtightened, or was too weak for the application. If I can remove what's left of it, I can simply replace with a grade 8 bolt, or even a stud and nut. I saw a mention of galvanic corrosion between the bolt and the cooler. I'd like to see if there is any evidence of that in the coolers you remove, specifically in the area of the bolt that breaks...3rd one down under filter.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

@zelone do you need to remove what's left of a sheared bolt? I couldn't quite tell from your post but if that's the case here is a post from a buddy of mine a while back. May help in your removal.

Not sure about the "guarantee" but it has held up this far.



Dropped my boat off yesterday at Lodders Marine in Cincinnati, OH at 10am w/ the #9 bolt sheered off in my oil cooler (2010 Sx240) and picked it up this afternoon. $330 bill - labor, quart of oil, and oil filter.

Fix - they removed the oil cooler and put into a hot water bath so the aluminum oil cooler would expand (metal bolt so it's unaffected) and they took a screwdriver and were able to get it out easily. Replaced bolt with loctite and torqued to spec. They guarantee it will not have any future issues or its on them. They ran it in the shop for 10mins w no leaking. I plan to put it on the lake tomorrow.

 

[zelone]

Thanks! I am actually not sure if the whole bolt backed out, or snapped off. I looked in the bilge and didn't find anything. The boat is on the lift and I am away for a few days, so I cant get to it to double check. Kinda hoping I can get out whats left without removing the cooler. Anyone know if the seals are reusable or must be replaced if disassembled?

 

[kthrash]

the seals are reusable.. If you read all my posts you will see that I replaced the bolts on mine 3 times before I just bought the new coolers.. first with a factory bolt, then a Grade 8, then a Grade 10, all 3 times the same bolt broke.. Taking the things off and on is the only way to remove the broken part of the bolt and its a PITA especially the first time.

 

[zelone]

Has anyone tried left handed drill bits to remove the broken bolt, without removing the cooler?

 

[zelone]

I bought a used cooler (newer style, with the arrow and bigger bolt), on ebay. I took it apart cleaned it out real good and swapped it in for my old style cooler yesterday. I held them side by side to see if there were significant differences, and the only things I found were the arrow, and a larger bolt, in the 3rd one down from the filter. They were identical in every other way. I'm planning to drill and tap the old cooler for the bigger bolt size, and have it ready for when my starboard side decides to leak. I took a bunch of pictures, if anyone is interested.

 

[jfkraus]

Has anyone tried left handed drill bits to remove the broken bolt, without removing the cooler?

I used a SpeedOut extractor to remove mine, but after I took the cooler off. I should have tried it while to cooler was on though.

 

[zelone]

I tried to use one, but the bolt is broken off way inside the case. I'm planning to drill the hole to the larger size, in a drill press, and tap new threads. Overall, not a terrible job. I expected much worse.

 

[John Greenlund]

Since both of my number three bolts sheared but neither cooler is leaking, do I replace the two bolts and hope it holds for a good amount of time, or do I go ahead and replace both Coolers? Is it a foregone conclusion that both will start leaking by say around 200 Hours? I'm around 90 hours now.

 

[Gym]

Since both of my number three bolts sheared but neither cooler is leaking, do I replace the two bolts and hope it holds for a good amount of time, or do I go ahead and replace both Coolers? Is it a foregone conclusion that both will start leaking by say around 200 Hours? I'm around 90 hours now.

If Yamaha is covering the cost of replacing the coolers I would do that at the end of the season whereas you're not leaking. If not I would replace the bolts.

 

[Livi0411]

Since both of my number three bolts sheared but neither cooler is leaking, do I replace the two bolts and hope it holds for a good amount of time, or do I go ahead and replace both Coolers? Is it a foregone conclusion that both will start leaking by say around 200 Hours? I'm around 90 hours now.

My oil cooler bolt on Port side sheared off around 90 hrs as well and the dealer called Yamaha and got them to cover the cost and labor of a brand new oil cooler even though boat was out of warranty. The warranty expired 6 months prior to this happening. Before replacing they removed the oil cooler and put in hot water to get it to expand then removed the sheared off bolt and replaced with new one. It continued to leak which led to the replacement. My boat was a 2010 and this happened back in 2016 I believe. I sold it this summer with around 130 hours and the other engine never had an issue. It’s worth the phone call to the dealer since it’s a known issue...

 

[kthrash]

I fixed mine 3x each.. the bolt kept breaking.. for my piece of mind I just replaced the coolers.. no issues since.. getting those things off/on is a PITA...