See..??? Rat Motors do live out there

Eceptor,
Merc makes a drain plug that is brass and has a plastic plug. I bought a few extra plugs for that fitting. Works out pretty good. You can remove it with your fingers, has an oring.
Dick

I used to have the same problem every year with the riser drains in my old stinger 230. Water and silt would collect in the threads and rust them up enough where the plugs wouldnt go in no matter what. The threads in the castings were never a problem. A cleanup with a chaser or tap works fine. Just start it carefully by hand and make sure yoiuve grabbed some threads before putting any forece on them. Also next winter, brush some waterproof bearing lube on the threads. Never had a problem after.

who drops things in the bilge?

Good advice everyone. I'm going to look into that Merc brass/plastic plug that can be manipulated by hand.

Bad news is I won't be able to get to it for a few weeks. I managed to dislocated my shoulder Sunday while roller blading, so no bilge gymnastics for me for a while.... No way I can get to that plug without raising my arm in a direction it (or me or my Dr.) doesn't want to go right now.

OTOH, I might be able to pull off the JB weld idea...but would have to get a right-angle drill next fall...

Otherwise, if you can't get back in there to drill the JB weld out later, you can always leave a straw from Burger King in the middle and just plug it off with a bread twistee. Then in the fall you can just take the twistee off to drain the block.

Even better.

Yup, or gum in case there isn't a twisty handy...always got gum