Removing old Morse control levers:HELP!

[shskipper]

I proclaimed victory to my husband after dis-assembling the two-lever mechanism of the original Morse side mounted throttle/shift controls on my 1971 Tartan '34 with only the housing to be removed. Victory? NOT! The housing has a raised bronze flange (all of a single piece as far as I can tell) surrounding the housing hole and I cannot get even a thin knife between the flange and the mounting wall (from the cockpit side) after removing the bit of old silicone surrounding it. I cannot tap the housing out from down below despite removing the nuts from the 4 positioning bolts and tapping them vigorously. I suppose a Navy Chief's advice would be, "get a bigger hammer". But...
As there are no bolt heads through the flange on the cockpit side, I can only assume the bolts are welded to something between the inside of the flange and the mounting wall OR someone set the whole blamed thing in epoxy or never-to-let-go adhesive. There are NO installation/manuals that I can find on the net. No response from SeaStar that bought out Morse. Anyone know what lies beneath this flange and how to get this housing out of its hole?
I would still like to go sailing this season!
PS: Sorry, can't figure out how to rotate images - turn 90* clockwise for orientation to cockpit sole.

[Steve Bean]

Maybe apply a steady pressure - not enough to destroy anything - and warm up the part with a propane torch - not enough to destroy anything.

[Jammer]

Gentle heat. I would use a heat gun rather than a propane torch, and I would keep a wet rag nearby in case of trouble.

[Steve Bean]

Good tips from Jammer. It's easy to get too much heat with propane. Better to start with too little than too much...

[shskipper]

HAHA, my caution is reinforced this time. I have always been anxious about my dad's and brother's go-to solution of applying the torch. Not that anything really bad ever happened. But I was thinking heat gun, myself, with perhaps an aluminum-foil collar around the flange to reflect some of that heat from hitting the fiberglass. Definitely wet rag will be available. First thing tomorrow. Love that your suggestions have come so quickly from the moment of posting my problem. This is a great forum with great support supplying the experience that fills my gaps. Thanks, folks!

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by shskipper

I proclaimed victory to my husband after dis-assembling the two-lever mechanism of the original Morse side mounted throttle/shift controls on my 1971 Tartan '34 with only the housing to be removed. Victory? NOT! The housing has a raised bronze flange (all of a single piece as far as I can tell) surrounding the housing hole and I cannot get even a thin knife between the flange and the mounting wall (from the cockpit side) after removing the bit of old silicone surrounding it. I cannot tap the housing out from down below despite removing the nuts from the 4 positioning bolts and tapping them vigorously. I suppose a Navy Chief's advice would be, "get a bigger hammer". But...
As there are no bolt heads through the flange on the cockpit side, I can only assume the bolts are welded to something between the inside of the flange and the mounting wall OR someone set the whole blamed thing in epoxy or never-to-let-go adhesive. There are NO installation/manuals that I can find on the net. No response from SeaStar that bought out Morse. Anyone know what lies beneath this flange and how to get this housing out of its hole?
I would still like to go sailing this season!
PS: Sorry, can't figure out how to rotate images - turn 90* clockwise for orientation to cockpit sole.

Attached is a picture of it disassembled. The studs are screwed into blind holes; it is likely a combination of tight fit of the studs in the mounting holes and silicone holding the hub in.

While heat might help, in this case the MFAT (maximum force adjusting tool), together with a block of wood, is probably your best choice. Pry the mounting plate off the interior to provide some movement for the hub, or get a hardwood dowel slightly smaller than the OD of the hub, and give it a good whack with a 2 lb hammer. When it moves it might help to have someone outside with some sort of prybar to assist...

[shskipper]

DONE! THANKS FOR THE HELP - GREAT TEAM!
Heat did the trick, then a push from inside enough to get some space on the outside between the hub and bulkhead to get pry tools in between. The silicone that had seeped into all the nooks and crannies since 1971 finally let go its grip and I have my empty hole. And yes, 4 threaded posts (not bolts through a plate) surrounding the barrel of the housing. My day/week just got lots better! Attached photo for anyone else facing this dilemma in the future. Finally call back from SeaStar Solutions: Morris had been sold 7 times before being acquired by SeaStar and they had no archived material on Morris products prior to the 80's. If anyone still has one of these and needs parts, they can contact me. I'm replacing this with a second-hand MJB.
Again, many thanks!