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i would like to replace the entire rub rail on my 1985 18' outrage. how do i get the bow bitt off? i have tried everything and can't budge the screws. anybody tackle this?

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you need good penetrating oil and time to let the oil work. You can also try hitting the screw head to hopefully break it loose from the threads. take a good size screwdriver, and place in the screw head then wack that with a hammer. The oil can take days to work, put the oil on, give it a wack or two and then wait. If it doesn't come off and you want to get moving on the project, drill out the screws but only as far as you need too to get the bow bit off. if your lucky, you will have enough to back out the rest of the bolt.

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Kamie -

Just curious.

Are the screws most likely frozen in the cleat base? Are they driven into a metal or wood backing pad?

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For Clarification, I assume we are talking about the 4 screws that hold the Bow Bitt on?

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yes, i'm trying to remove the four screws that attach the bow bitt to the boat.
thanks everybody for your replies

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Those screws become welded to the aluminum they are tapped into. Drill a small hole in the exact middle of each screw, followed by drilling with the correct size bit for the correct tap, I believe they are 1/4 x 20, but confirm. Oh, if not mentioned by someone else, before drilling them out, try an impact driver, but my hunch is you will have to drill, not really a hard job, use new bits, and try to stay centered. Do someone a favor, and coat your new screws with anti-seize.

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I removed mine on Raggedy about 2 - 3 months ago. I had to dig my old impact screwdriver out. If your not familiar with them, its basically a screw driver that you hit with a hammer, and it moves the male end of the screw driver about an 1/8 of an inch or so clockwise, or you reverse the drive and it turns counter clockwise. A very handy tool for frozen screws. Let me know if you need pictures of it. If you still strip out the head, then you can go to the drill and tap method.

Duf