Can anyone help me get some bolts....?

Mr-d · 30 October 2004, 20:27

Okay, here's the story (not in balamory today, sorry.)

Two of my coils were broken, tried to get them undone about 3 months ago, bolts were rusty, 5 of 6 snapped, the 6th is heavily corroded.

Tried ordering them via American Marine Imports, but they dont get made anymore, and nobody has a clue if there are any in stock anymore.

They are the bolts that secure the Coils down to the frame above the engine.
pic of bolt

It is 2 Inches and 1/16th long
3/16th wide (lower diameter)
The head is 5/16th
and 7/16th (from head to thread) is unthreaded.

They appear to have been made of steel/iron dipped in brass or copper.

Anyone, PLEASE if you know where to get 6 of these, or have any PLEASE help!

I have my whole outboard complete right now.. and only thing that is stopping me are these 6 bolts, which appear to be impossible to get.

Thanks,
Daniel.

Turbodiesel · 30 October 2004, 20:35

Send me a e mail with the engines Serial number and i will look at work on Monday im sure ive got plenty lying around.

( Couldnt get your picture to work)

Richard B · 30 October 2004, 20:42

Daniel, not sure about the material, but you should be able to get something suitable. Most fasteners are high tensile steel, plated, or stainless. It depends on which part you want to be sacrificial, as you can't stop corrosion!

We used a place called namric a little while ago - I'll go check...

Richard B · 30 October 2004, 20:47

Have a look at these:

http://www.namrick.co.uk

http://www.a2a4.co.uk

Rogue Wave · 30 October 2004, 20:56

if turbo diesel can't help you there is an excellent bolt company in portsmouth. If they don't stock what you wanr they will make it! let me know if you are still in trouble and I'll check out the address for you.

Mr-d · 30 October 2004, 21:27

Thanks for the quick replies guys, i have just sent an email off to Turbo Diesel, and hope that he will be able to find *something* that might fit

Thanks again,
Daniel.

Wayne Rogers · 30 October 2004, 22:52

Why don't you get a suitable size bolt, any pitch thread and tap the holes to suit the bolts. Sorted.

You can even fit stainless bolts that way.I don't know the engines but a rough guess would be 6mm or 8 mm thread.

Tim M · 30 October 2004, 23:46

Or even make the bolts your self; I had the same trouble with a vintage Evinrude not so long ago. Couldn't find a suitable bolt anywhere, so I made one!

Richard B · 30 October 2004, 23:59

Tim, having worked in many bolt-making factories in the past, I'm intrigued... how did you do this, or did you modify an existing bolt?

Mr-d · 31 October 2004, 00:33

Sadly Wayne, dont agree with tapping things out, as the holes go through a plastic cover at the top, and the base that they secure onto is cast aluminium.. so i could make a terrible mess of it (let alone drilling, not even tapping!) I want to try and keep the thing original and restorable without any drilling that could damage the whole thing. Besides, if they decided to stick that size bolt on there in the first place it would have been chosen for a reason.

As for Tim, dont have a lathe here!!! i wish i did.. i would have made 6 by now but i dont have a lathe! (and i dont fancy filing by hand!)

Also, dont think i have any AF tap and die sets.. just Metric... and perhaps some WitWorth's kicking about from the stone age.

jwalker · 31 October 2004, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr-d

Also, dont think i have any AF tap and die sets.. just Metric... and perhaps some WitWorth's kicking about from the stone age.

There is no such thing as an AF thread. If it's oldish and american it's likely to be UNC. If your measuring of the diameter is accurate, I think you'll find it's 3/16"unc and a 3/16"whitworth will screw in to a 3/16"unc. A bit tight, but what else could you ask for, grease it, it'll keep out the water.

At a push, an M5 could be made to work. A bit of studding and a few nuts and washers. Some 3/16" fencing wire with a thread on each end would do. It'll be galvanised too. Be inventive. Living at the end of the Ardnamuruchan road, I'd have thought you would have developed this skill a while back.

Tim M · 31 October 2004, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

Tim, having worked in many bolt-making factories in the past, I'm intrigued... how did you do this, or did you modify an existing bolt?

Length of stainless steel bar: used a die to cut a thread onto it, and welded a nut onto one end. OK, it's not the worlds most well-enginered bolt, but it does the job!

Richard B · 31 October 2004, 12:06

Quite a performance for something that a bolt making machine will stamp out in under two seconds!

What was that bolt for?

Tim M · 31 October 2004, 12:09

It was one of the five bolts that held the lower leg on: the original one got damaged. Having got a slightly newer one I attached it only to find the fifth fixing bolt (the one at the front) wouldn't fit. I couldn't find anything that would, so made this one to fit the gap (where the bolt fits in) perfectly.

Richard B · 31 October 2004, 12:17

Nice one!

Mr-d · 31 October 2004, 12:58

Sure, but i like to keep things original on a machine so people in the future could play with it to and get stuff undone, The fence wire is not a bad idea.. haven't thought of that one yet! Thanks!

There is a slight difference between being inventive and being a bodger.. i like to keep stuff that it will work, and will last rather than "Och, it will do her fine for a few months... if it packs up, we'll see then!"

Only been living here 2+ years!

Turbodiesel · 01 November 2004, 07:33

Well what can i say we dont have any after all!!!!, Although im not suprised!.
The Engine is fairly old so that part is not kept in stock. But the Part number you have for those bolts has been replaced, The new part number is.....

10-60464.

Sorry i couldnt help!

Mr-d · 01 November 2004, 11:01

Thanks for your help anyway Turbo Diesel, i suspected that it would happen since i think that AMI also has a contract with Barrus.

Okay then, Going for the lazy way, i emailed one of the companies asking if they stock something similar, and Rogue Wave, can you please hand me that adress?

Thanks
Daniel.

jwalker · 01 November 2004, 11:10

Mr-d, it looks as though you're back to the fence wire and the Whitworth die.

I've checked me thread tables for you. It seams that I've given you a bum steer because UNC threads appear to start at 1/4" so either yours is not UNC or you've measured it wrongly. They have a 60° thread form which is the same as metric threads.

Whit threads use a 55° thread form and they start at 1/8".

You don't tell us about your engine but could these bolts be M5? Thats a shade bigger than 3/16" and a quite a fine thread.

Getting suitable bolts will be dead easy once you identify the thread. See if the one you have left screws into any of your dies or screws into a nut which you know the size of.