Gimbal housing removal - cutting a hole?

[svonmiller]

Greetings,

I've got a 1991 Bravo one. I was tightening the nut over the plate that holds the two trim sending unit wires into the gimbal housing. The stud snapped off. I was stupidly following the torque specs sent with the unit - which were wrong for my year model.

Anyway, I'm trying to extract the snapped off stud. I can't get the extracting tool to thread because that stud is just up enough behind the gimbal ring to prevent getting it out. So I've got to remove the gimbal ring. I've seen some methods on the internet where guys cut an access hole in the side and on the back of the housing. This seems rather drastic to me. I guess if you have the motor installed, you have to do this. However, my starboard motor is out, I had it rebuilt. So it seems to me the best solution would be to remove the transom plate and just pull the entire assembly from the transom. Since the motor is out I can access it. Am I right about this? Or is there some reason I shouldn't remove that assembly from the transom?

I'm a newbie at this. Since the boat is a 1991, this rebuild has turned into a major project. Every turn has required more and more parts (it's starting to make me nuts). Was just going to replace bellows; then I needed a new oil line, then a new shift cable, then needed trim sending wires, then accidentally snapped off the stud for the sending wire plate.

Recommendations?

Thanks!
Stan

[Audiofn]

Have you tried using a punch to get a centering hole then drill it out and then use a back out tool?

[svonmiller]

Yes, using an extension, and a lot of patience, I got a centering hole drilled in the stud. The problem is that there isn't enough room for a back-out tool. The stud is too far up inside the housing. I can't get the tool threaded because it's at an angle. The gimbal ring is in the way.