Water Running Out Lower Cover Housing

[akareddog95]

Okay, I got off early today to go fishing. I started my 1984 Suzuki DT115 accidentally out of the water and started it a very high RPM. Once I heard the motor I cut the throttle and drop the motor in the water. I would say this was 2 seconds at most. I started trolling with DT115 and I went about 250 yards. I look back and I noticed water coming out of steering cable holes in the front of the motor. I shut off the motor and pulled the motor cover off. I restarted the motor and water came rushing out of the Exhaust Cover, and it was also still coming out of the tell tail. I shut the motor off and using the trolling motor so go back to the dock. I would guess the motor was on no more than 7 to 8 mins and everything sounded normal.....so help no other damage.

This looks like an easy fix and parts are still available. But what's my chances of removing 22 bolts on a 1984 motor without break off any of the bolts? You can tell the motor is very clean from the pictures . I"m a little gun shy I broke off 2 of 6 bolts on an old Mercury head gasket once.

I can't find any tips on the internet, so any advice would much be appreciated.....apply heat....soak PB I already spray the bolt heads down with PB Blaster. I really don't want to screw this up and might be over thinking this.

Thanks Shane
Exhaust Cover.jpgExhaust Gasket.jpg

[akareddog95]

I couldn't wait so I tried a few at the top and I didn't have any issues. They seemed to be a little over hand tighten. The first ten came put fairly easy and then one twisted off. I doubt if I used over 15 lbs of pressure. The bottom four are on very tight and below the lower crown and will be a bitch to drill out if they break. The two by the broken gasket are also on very tight. This is going to get ugly. Most of the bolts are corroded in the middle, about where the gasket is. A couple was corroded on the whole bolt. I don't thing PB Blaster is going to help.

[Solarman]

Yes, you will break some, how many, don't know.

Your lower cowling separates into two pieces, you might as well remove that side, the other side will still be held by wire harness area bolts.

Treat each bolt as if you have a chance to save it, each one, being very, very gentle with each bolts first turn, a little PB & heat + a little cooling + a little more heat, for each one. If you can get threads to actually move a little, then back and forth with boxed-end wrench will loosen more and more, with better chance for complete removal. You have to have each bolt for that exhaust cover assy to work. It sounds like that cover had a blockage, or warped from being hot then cold too quickly.

if you ran that motor totally dry, that impeller may be toast? If you ran the motor on muffs with water prior to the landing then raised motor, there might have been enough leftover water in impeller area to prevent fragmenting? If not, that impeller should be changed immediately, to prevent small pieces getting blocked up around the motor, maybe that exhaust cover plate area? That may be what's blocking those small channels in that exhaust cover now?

Make sure those plates are not badly warped, if they are replace them, if possible. Otherwise they have to be straightened out to seal properly, with new gaskets.

Good luck, post back when able to let us know how it went.

[Solarman]

I should mention, you may get a second chance to remove leftover studs, if enough stud is leftover after all plates are removed. Use small vice-grip pliers to grab remaing stud (after PB & heat/cool, multiple times if needed, causes PB to get sucked into threads), to work back and forth just like wrench.

Use extreme care if you have to drill, only size, and as deep as needed for extractor to work.

Again, good luck.