Slightly bent clamp screw

[SalmonAddict]

Well long story short, one of the 9.8hp merc's clamp screw is now slightly bent thanks to siblings who said they'd take care of it over the weekend.

Before resorting to buying a whole new swivel/clamp setup, anyone have a clever idea to get the clamp screw back in straight alignment?

[Amx]

3 blocks in a vice.

2 blocks 'under' the screw ends.

1 block 'over' the bent spot.

screw vice closed until screw is straight.

Or the same thing in a hydraulic press.

[BentRod]

I'm with AMX, but only if you can take the screw out of the clamp housing first....otherwise you risk destroying the mount altogether. Just my 2c.

[Hunter757]

I say remove it and try to straighten it. If it is to bent to remove and your unbent one will unscrew completely and you can buy a new one. Cut your old one off just prior to the bend and then unscrew from bracket and install new one. Good luck, most of those with a slight bend will cause you or your motor no harm but I understand perfection!!

Good luck if you get stuck or need more help post some pictures of how bad it is and I am sure we the club will chime in with some direction.

Tight lines.

[SalmonAddict]

Here is a pic of the best angle I can get

[SalmonAddict]

3 blocks in a vice.

2 blocks 'under' the screw ends.

1 block 'over' the bent spot.

screw vice closed until screw is straight.

Or the same thing in a hydraulic press.

Man I feel sort of uncomfortable with that haha

I say remove it and try to straighten it. If it is to bent to remove and your unbent one will unscrew completely and you can buy a new one. Cut your old one off just prior to the bend and then unscrew from bracket and install new one. Good luck, most of those with a slight bend will cause you or your motor no harm but I understand perfection!!

Good luck if you get stuck or need more help post some pictures of how bad it is and I am sure we the club will chime in with some direction.

Tight lines.

Hmm, cutting off the old one sounds like a good idea.

[Amx]

3 blocks in a vice.

2 blocks 'under' the screw ends.

1 block 'over' the bent spot.

screw vice closed until screw is straight.

Or the same thing in a hydraulic press.

Man I feel sort of uncomfortable with that haha

That's how a shop would do it if you took it to a shop. If you use a long pipe on one end, and try to bend it, it could and probably would squish the threads where the pipe is used, AND the other end where it's in a vice. Blocks of wood lets the threads dig into the wood and not squish the threads.

[Bodofish]

I would make sure the screw and clamp are as greased as you can get them if, you're set on fixing the sccrews. Aluminum is funny stuff, you start backing that bent screw out and it starts to get tight, you think oh, just a little more and it galls. Now you have a screw that has welded it's self inside the clamp. The pressure/heat created by the bent threads rubbing against each other create an astounding amount of heat. My advice is bite the bullet buy the new screw clamps, cut the old ones out and be happy you only bought the screws. I just don't like turning a little job into a big one. I'm normally all over DIY stuff but in this case, its a little job into a huge one............

[Hunter757]

Cut it off and install a new one. Make sure if you cut the bolt and then drive the cut part thru your motor holder you file the edges down around the cut to make sure you don't scratch or mar the threads. I flat file will make sure quick work of it. Down and dirty and clean. I like saving money but not on something like that. Good luck!!

[Bodofish]

Cut it off and install a new one. Make sure if you cut the bolt and then drive the cut part thru your motor holder you file the edges down around the cut to make sure you don't scratch or mar the threads. I flat file will make sure quick work of it. Down and dirty and clean. I like saving money but not on something like that. Good luck!!

Yep

[Amx]

That would be the best way, if the screw is aluminum it won't bend easy. Al likes to break instead. I checked the screw on my motor and it's not magnetic, so it must be al. I'm not going to crawl under the stuff, or move stuff around to drag out the motor to see for sure, but I'm sure it's aluminum.

[Bodofish]

On my Merc the screws are steel through aluminum. Prime for galling.

[Amx]

If it is pot metal it might not be magnetic. As opposed to real steel. I don't remember very many pot metal objects being magnetic.

[4n6fisher]

Stainless steels (at least austenitic, 300 series) are non-magnetic as well. Looks like some of the threads may have stripped on that as well, but hard to tell from the image. So replace if the threads are damaged, or like stated above you could end up with it stuck in the threads.

[Hunter757]

So after looking a bit more at your picture your screw looks to be a Mercury Quicksilver OEM 10-77190A3 Screw Assembly Thumb Clamp. These can be had on Ebay for cheap. I would just unscrew your small bolt from the end to release the large flange from the screw and then just unscrew your bolt the rest of the way out and install the new. You can see how this is put together on some of the listings on Ebay. Under 25 bucks easy fix. Even cheaper if you go used.

[SalmonAddict]

So after looking a bit more at your picture your screw looks to be a Mercury Quicksilver OEM 10-77190A3 Screw Assembly Thumb Clamp. These can be had on Ebay for cheap. I would just unscrew your small bolt from the end to release the large flange from the screw and then just unscrew your bolt the rest of the way out and install the new. You can see how this is put together on some of the listings on Ebay. Under 25 bucks easy fix. Even cheaper if you go used.

Awesome!

Thanks a bunch everyone!