How do I unplug the bow thruster?

[Wee Venture]

Ok this feels like a very basic question but I would appreciate advice. I have taken our V-berth apart and emptied out the compartment underneath to get at the bow thruster in order to replace the shearpin. I’m pretty confident I know how to replace the pin itself, but in order to lift the motor out of the way, I need to disconnect the control wiring harness plug. How do you pull apart the rectangular white plastic plug? I have squeezed and pulled but it hasn’t come apart and I don’t want to break anything. There are YouTube videos by Imtra showing how to replace the shearpin but they don’t show disconnecting the plug itself. Can any experienced person out there give me a quick response? I will be very grateful!

 

[Wee Venture]

Addendum: so I did finally manage to pull it apart by prying, twisting a screwdriver in the tab and pulling hard, but it wasn’t pretty. And the job is now done. But I would still be interested to know if there is a way to get that plug apart with more finesse.

 

[rpmerrill]

I had the same problem and fears about brute force.
That was back about three years ago.
I was told, that there were no latches or tricks. Cautious brute force, twisting and wiggling it with some pliers worked.
I think also some wd-40 helped.... and reassemble it with some dielectric grease.

This is also the conversation where I got the idea for the removable studs to assist the reassembly process.
Used it again on the bow thruster a year or two later.
Works like a champ.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8092

 

[Wee Venture]

Rpmerrill, thanks for your response! And thanks for the link to your previous thread which was very helpful. Somehow my search terms didn’t pick that up when I looked before. I also love the idea of the threaded studs (you posted that on a different thread but I found it). I believe they are 6mm so I plan to go out and buy a couple of them to have on hand.

 

[rpmerrill]

You're welcome.
I don't know if I mentioned it in my original post, or later posts, but the nice thing about using the studs temporarily and then installing the OE bolts is that they don't have to be of any special quality. (strength or material) I started out looking for stainless bolts to cut down and didn't find any in the local shops. That's when I decided on the temporary studs idea.

oh, and don't make the studs too long... with the thruster in place you might not be able to get them to unscrew all the way out. Of course if they are too short, you won't be able to finger them out either. (The stern thruster housing gets in the way.) I just checked in my tool box out in the garage and they are 1-1/2" long.

And, before I discovered that I had a little low profile ratchet with the allen head drive, I used a standard allen wrench that I cut down to fit. Photo in my album.

Have fun.