Stuck Plug and Removal Plan

[tdonoughue]

I got out again yesterday. Yeah!

However (and northerners may think this karma), upon returning and putting my baby away, the starboard plug is jammed. I have @Cobra Jet Steering LLC locks on them, which probably prevented a blowout while I was on the water. But now the lock pin (half of it) is stuck in the plug (I could not pry it out with a needle nose pliers, but I can wiggle it). The unlock button does nothing (no click when I pushed it the first time). I cannot push down on the plug--it is jammed in there. However, it does look like the T handle is crooked (which means probably the whole plug is off kilter.

Plan to go up today with hammer and wood to try to set the plug all the way down, which hopefully will let me relock the plug, remove the lock and unlock the plug and take it out.

Unless someone else has another good idea...

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Very simple your plug blew while you were out on the boat on my video I tell you that the lock lets you know when it did it's job because the plug will cam the lock tight. I explain in that video that to remove the lock simply remove the pressure by pushing down on the t handle to release the lock hopefully you did not ruin the lock by prying on it. Here is the video showing you about the lock and telling you to hit the t handle if the lock gets tight from a blowout.

 

[tdonoughue]

I tried that first. The T handle will not go down. It is solid. I don't want to bang on that with a hammer or it will break. Thus my thought of tapping the base to try to get the plug to set the rest of the way so that I can push down the T handle...

 

[tdonoughue]

Oh, but I should add: I agree I likely had a blowout. Locks definitely saved me from getting stranded on the water and damage to the rear hatch. Worth every penny. Much rather try to figure this all out on land the next day than be trying to figure out how to get home one night...

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I see that you think the plug went sideways , so now you will need to tap the high side of the plug body with a piece of wood and get the plug back in place.
Did you use a different drill bit than what I supplied? The hole needs to be 9/64ths of an inch. Anything larger will give the lock extra room and allow for the plug to get dislodged similar to what you are describing and if the holes are too big they can even allow for the plug to come loose since the more room there is the more the dogs can retract if the factory lock fails.

 

[tdonoughue]

Nope. Used the bit that came with the locks. Installed per video.

My working theory is that I had the plug just a little cockeyed when I put it in and locked it. The 'click' I heard was the locks engaging, but that the plug latch did not fully engage. It stayed like that for my entire afternoon on the water, held by the locks. But now after working pressures, etc., it is wedged too much to get out.

So, now we are back to the original proposed solution: tap it gently with a sledgehammer (joke)--really tap it via wood to set the plug.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Just take a 2/4 that is long enough to get to the plug body and tap it with a small hammer to push the plug straight and get the pressure off the lock so it will release. F Y I the T handle is made of pretty strong aluminum and so are the dogs I believe just tapping the high side of the plug will set it straight and then tap on top of the t handle to get the lock loose.
Those plugs are located just in front of the pump in the intake tunnel and the bottom of the plug is actually the bottom of the boat so every wave you hit and all the force on the boat is also applied to the bottom surface of the plug so yea it can really tighten against the lock end if the plug isn't put in correctly. But it sure beats having the back hatch blown open and the plug blasting out.

 

[buckbuck]

I've had the EZ Locks save my plugs from blowing completely out a number of times but never had one jam crooked like you're describing. I suggest you bring a flashlight and examine those recesses for some type of obstruction.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I agree there is only two ways that I am aware of that would allow the plug to actually lock and the ez lock to close when the plug is not really in place properly and the dogs are not in place properly, the first is the hole being too large as I mentioned and the other is a defect in the aluminum ring that the plug sits in where the dogs actually lock into . I suspect what happened is the plug blew very hard and this allowed the plug to get sideways just enough to cam the ends of the ez lock. Preventing it from releasing so once he taps the plug back in place he will get the lock off pretty easily. I would suggest a very close inspection of the ring in the plug tube and the plug itself may need a good cleaning in the dish washer.

 

[tdonoughue]

I took a 2x4, a 1" dowel, hammer, and mallet. First try was the dowel with the mallet. One hit (good tap, really), the plug went click. I reached in, pushed the T to lock it, removed the lock as normal. Pressed the button and released the plug as normal.

Plug is fine, lock is fine, all is good. Put the dowel in the storage shed if there are any issues in the future.

Thanks everyone!

 

[MrMoose]

Glad that you sorted this out. I didn't doubt that you would. Now I know who to call if I have a problem with my clean-out plugs.

 

[JCKC]

I agree there is only two ways that I am aware of that would allow the plug to actually lock and the ez lock to close when the plug is not really in place properly and the dogs are not in place properly, the first is the hole being too large as I mentioned and the other is a defect in the aluminum ring that the plug sits in where the dogs actually lock into . I suspect what happened is the plug blew very hard and this allowed the plug to get sideways just enough to cam the ends of the ez lock. Preventing it from releasing so once he taps the plug back in place he will get the lock off pretty easily. I would suggest a very close inspection of the ring in the plug tube and the plug itself may need a good cleaning in the dish washer.

Cobra jet steering: cleaning in the dishwasher?? I haven't heard that before. I have mine out and sitting in my garage to clean. They got sticky hard to get out late last year. Can he whole thing go in, or does any part need to be taken off?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Just run them in the dish washer as is. I better qualify that, do not use high heat settings or heated drying just to be safe.
One place to check when your cleanout plugs get difficult to install or remove is under the radial seal because dirt,sand etc can get caught under that rubber seal wedging it tight when you try to remove the plug. Also clean the aluminum ring that the plug locks into and the recesses for the two locking dogs, be sure these are clear of corrosion.
Also remember to store the plugs in the locked position with the T handle down even if they are out of their ports.
Plus this is very " important", if the wife asks what the hell you put in her dish washer, cock your head sideways and look really confused as you answer HUH! Then walk away real fast.

 

[JCKC]

Just run them in the dish washer as is. I better qualify that, do not use high heat settings or heated drying just to be safe.
One place to check when your cleanout plugs get difficult to install or remove is under the radial seal because dirt,sand etc can get caught under that rubber seal wedging it tight when you try to remove the plug. Also clean the aluminum ring that the plug locks into and the recesses for the two locking dogs, be sure these are clear of corrosion.
Also remember to store the plugs in the locked position with the T handle down even if they are out of their ports.
Plus this is very " important", if the wife asks what the hell you put in her dish washer, cock your head sideways and look really confused as you answer HUH! Then walk away real fast.

. I guess I should know this by now, but why is it important to store plugs in locked position? I did clean plugs and chamber ports last year and it made a big difference. I guess it makes sense that they all Get dirt/ sand in them over time.

 

[Bruce]

Cobra jet steering: cleaning in the dishwasher?? I haven't heard that before. I have mine out and sitting in my garage to clean. They got sticky hard to get out late last year. Can he whole thing go in, or does any part need to be taken off?

If the dishwasher does not work just replace the lower portion. It is a 10 minute job and costs around $70 for the two plugs https://jetboaters.net/threads/rebuilding-yamaha-jet-boat-clean-out-plugs.46/

 

[Scottintexas]

. I guess I should know this by now, but why is it important to store plugs in locked position? I did clean plugs and chamber ports last year and it made a big difference. I guess it makes sense that they all Get dirt/ sand in them over time.

@JCKC in the locked position the tension is removed from the springs, check out the ez lock page or maybe even in the FAQ of a video of the plugs disassembled.

 

[tdonoughue]

Actually, I found the FAQ video very informative--just for using the plugs and understanding what was going on in there. Certainly helps you get some idea if you have any issue of where to start to fix the issue. I highly recommend it.