Sunday morning opinions needed XT

final drive drain hole. Rather than tear down sooo much to get this bolt out, I may drill out threads using a 7/8 in drill, remove bolt and rethread with 15/16. It's a chewed up 1/2 in hex cap screw an inch long. Hex head will easily exit a 7/8 in hole. Using a powerful magnet there doesn't seem to be enough clearance to get this past final drive gear. Should I drill and tap? I think so. I'm afraid of setting a fire if I try and torch the head off through the hole. Thanks, Dana

Easyout, good luck.

I would start with using the torch. Trimming only enough of the head off the bolt to pass. Have a water hose close to dose the fire which will only last while the heat in the cut bolt sustains it. The caution is that when you trigger the torch it will probably blow back at you because there is no where for the pressured gas to go except back out the hole you are working through. Keep the trigger pressure as low as possible and you should accomplish what you need. Be careful of the blow back!!!!!! I would never drill the housing, even if I had to tear it all down!

I agree the torch 'blowback' would not be a pretty picture...don't have any new ideas other than given, I do like the attempt on the dremel tool idea, needs patience

you could pull the brake housing and try to fish it out that way.  I wouldnt drill that housing, if something happens..  its all 1 piece

You genuinely have a mess on your hands here. To remove the unwanted bolt?? I guess I'd use a die grinder with a  3/8" diameter bit an inch long and wallow round-and-round and make the hole big enough to pull out the bolt. Thread the hole to whatever pipe thread you can and call it good. Now, what are you going to do about the open hole left behind by the bolt and lockwasher on the bolt?? I assume it is from the bull pinion/differential carrier and you'll always have transmission oil running right thru the hole into the final drive, causing it to always be overfull. You need to remove the left brake and brake housing and see if it is one of the upper bolts that could possibly be replaced in chassis. The inner axle brg?? it will require a fuel tank and platform removal to remove the rearend cover to be able to remove the bull pinion and then the bull gear and then the bearing. When assembling, you grease the inner axle bearing heavily and stick it to the bearing cup. Then you drop the bull gear into place, then install the bull pinion, then lift the bull gear up 2 inches and shove the axle thru the bull gear and into the inner bearing. And if you are able to patch all that up.....what about the crack in the bottom of the case?? I can't believe the bull gear and pinion aren't damaged from all of this??

My experience in a similar situation was not good.  Bought a car, one valve cover bolt was not installed, owner said he had a friend do the head gasket the year before, I put a new bolt in it and forgot about it...until 3 years later when the water pump seized up and burned the belt off...took the water pump off and there was the valve cover bolt wedged in the impeller that was all beat to crap, not to mention my almost new water pump belt burned right through...things like that always come back on me...just make sure the bolt is not missing from some critical spot, as Dr Allis said.

How about turning that bolt on its side and then using a narrow sawzall blade to cut the head off. The hex just may come through the hole on edge. If not saw it in half and it will fall out.

Gerald J.

If you take the axle out, would you not be able to move the bull gear around enough to where you can wiggle that bolt out.  I hate to say it, but maybe removing the platform would be the best option.  It will give you a lot more room to work with and a chance to pull the top plate and inspect the bull gear much better.  I can't remember for sure, but I want to think on my 7000 you would be able to gain a little more clearance with the axle out and prying the bull gear up against one side of the housing and off of the bottom of the housing.

My two cents worth . Use long nose vice ggips to hold bolt and dril with small bit and drill off enough to pull boat out.

You may be dealing with a grade 8

That just might work, Hurst. I've never had the axle "sleeve" removed from any 190 or 200 (no reason to ever remove one), but there just might be enough room to sneak a magnet or something down alongside the bull gear thru the axle sleeve hole. Worth a shot.

What if you start fishing the bolt out, then when you hit the bull gear could you turn the bull gear for the bolt to ride a tooth out to the top?

I just figured since the axle sleeve is only sealed with an o ring that isn't too expensive to replace, it is worth a shot to try and pull it out, and if nothing else it gives you a place the pry up on the bull gear and get more clearance to get the bolt out.  I took mine off on my 7000, but it's been so long ago that I can't remember how much room there was (although the 7000 has wider gears than the 190xt from what I've been told... so that would skew my perspective a little)

whew! good luck Capt!