Need help building an outboard motor mount

[Hooks]

Okay so I have this rotting piece of wood that the previous owner built. I need to replace it.

Currently it's not wide enough to fit the outboard. I'm guessing the little "eye hook" is for a safety cable in case the motor falls off? But it just doesn't fit.

So I need to build something new as I cannot find anything online. I was thinking of 4 pieces of metal bent outwards to give me an extra 2 inches and then screwed into some sort of wood.

It's hard to explain and I tried to MSPAINT it but couldn't get the idea. Basically each bolt on the mount sticking out an inch and then going forward a bit and then screwing to wood. Thoughts?

 

[Alec]

It appears that you are using a "short shaft" outboard motor. Typically a "long Shaft" lower unit is used with these mounts to get a better "bite" on the water plus insure adequate cooling. Apparently the P.O. made the existing arrangement to lower the motor. If you want to continue with that arrangement you could widen the two wood blocks that bolt to the mount, use the same size center blocks and then bolt a wider block to the back of the whole affair that would be wide enough to allow you to hook on the safety line.

By far the best thing to do though is to get a long shaft motor (some motors can be converted) and put the proper size wood mount on the lifting assembly. This will allow you to tighted the motor screws easily, get a better bite on the water(essential in rough water) AND attach a safety line.

Good Luck

 

[Hooks]

The old motor was a short shaft. The new one is a long shaft. I just need to make a new board to mount to my motor.

 

[31seahorse]

Hello Hooks,

Poor drawing skills on my part will limit anyone's understanding of the following idea. Sorry for that.

Using your second picture as a start point........(1) add pieces of aluminum plate (3 inches or more wide) to each aft end of your motor mount letting them extend out from each side and perhaps down below the lower end of your current mount. That will gain for you the extra width you need to fit in the motor. Any extra length you add will allow you to move down before drilling to attach the channel pieces. (2) Bolt pieces of channel (6 to 8 inches wide) to the outer portion of the aluminum plate. That will move your motor aft which will also help lower it. (3) Bolt on a double width of 3/4 plywood or perhaps a better idea is to use a piece of pressure treated 2X6, 2X8, or 2X10 as you see fit. (4) Perhaps you could move the motor out away from the rudder if you let the plywood or 2X? extend beyond the piece of channel so one of the motor clamps could be tightened on that extended piece of wood. That would put the weight off to one side, so I would not move it out very much.

EDITED IDEA: Perhaps just adding the aluminum plate to the port side of your motor mount would move the motor away from the rudder. Bolt one channel to the existing mount. Use the offset board on the aft end as well. The project will definitely require some "tweaking" as you progress toward a good solution.

 

[Nils T]

I have the same motor mount. I made a new wood piece out of two pieces of 1" plywood. I cut it on my CNC machine. I can not find a picture but I will take a picture and post it later today.

 

[caguy]

Is the Yamaha in th picture your new or old motor?

 

[Nils T]

The post didn't show up before.

 

[Hooks]

Hello Hooks,

Poor drawing skills on my part will limit anyone's understanding of the following idea. Sorry for that.

Using your second picture as a start point........(1) add pieces of aluminum plate (3 inches or more wide) to each aft end of your motor mount letting them extend out from each side and perhaps down below the lower end of your current mount. That will gain for you the extra width you need to fit in the motor. Any extra length you add will allow you to move down before drilling to attach the channel pieces. (2) Bolt pieces of channel (6 to 8 inches wide) to the outer portion of the aluminum plate. That will move your motor aft which will also help lower it. (3) Bolt on a double width of 3/4 plywood or perhaps a better idea is to use a piece of pressure treated 2X6, 2X8, or 2X10 as you see fit. (4) Perhaps you could move the motor out away from the rudder if you let the plywood or 2X? extend beyond the piece of channel so one of the motor clamps could be tightened on that extended piece of wood. That would put the weight off to one side, so I would not move it out very much.

EDITED IDEA: Perhaps just adding the aluminum plate to the port side of your motor mount would move the motor away from the rudder. Bolt one channel to the existing mount. Use the offset board on the aft end as well. The project will definitely require some "tweaking" as you progress toward a good solution.

You're like the best person ever Thank you

And the yamaha was the old motor, the honda is the new one. Sorry for not clarifying.

 

[LloydB]

I had a similar problem and was more happy with: > http://shop.sailboatowners.com/cat.php?17521/4-Stroke Auxiliary Motor Brackets < than with my mis-attempted fixes. Sometimes a $light pain shouldn't be avoided.
hope the link's ok

 

[Brian S]

I'm not sure what you're asking. I see from the original mount that there were blocks on the sides to (I'm guessing) move the motor further aft when the mount is lowered. This might have been to buy a couple extra inches so the prop clears aft of the trailing edge of the rudder.

I think it's a bit ghetto, if you chose not to include the blocks, there are a few ways around it. One way is to just not turn the rudder that far when you're motoring. Another way is to make a very simple prop guard, like this one: http://forum.trailersailor.com/post_gb.php?id=1398421#1398421

When I made a trailer bracket to mount my 2 hp to the winch stand on the trailer, I used 2 pieces of 18mm or 19mm okoume BS1088 ply, laminated together with microfiber thickened epoxy. The lamination made a pad that was equal in thickness to the wood pad that came with the boat. When the original boat bracket pad gives up the ghost, I'll make a new one just the same.

Nowadays, all the brackets have a black UHMW polyethylene mount pad. I guess they are as strong and hold up to the sun as well as my plywood ones, but I don't like the look of 'em. That being said, the mount on my bigger boat is black poly, and it's doing fine. You can buy replacement pads that will fit your existing mount. Your mount looks like a Garelick.

 

[caguy]

If your new motor is a long shaft then you can add a larger plate to to the bracket and eliminate the wooden Rube Goldberg altogether. The new mounting pad would extend above the metal mounting bracket an inch or two. This gives you room to attach the motor directly to it without the wooden adapter. The mounting plate in the picture was old and rotted. I replaced it with some laminated white oak.
You can buy the plates on line made of hard rubber (just watch the hole spacing.)
Do you know who makes your bracket?

.

 

[Hooks]

The old motor had a 17" shaft. The new one is 23". If I make a mount like the one pictured above this post I'd lose a good 2-3" and the prop would probably come out the water like the old one.

A buddy actually had a good idea. Basically mount a wood board to the metal mount on the boat that's wider than the mount. Then use wood to give me enough gap on the ends for the motor to fit and then another piece of wood to mount the motor on.

So basically what I have now, but wider, and with another piece of wood to make it like a box. I think it's going to work out and plan on attempting it this weekend.

Unsure who made the existing mount. It had to have come with the boat as I couldn't find a way to remove it. The bolts are round so you can't use a screwdriver or ratchet and the nuts are behind fiberglass so I'd have to cut apart the boat to access them.

 

[Benny17441]

Something wrong; if you cannot add a solid mounting board with a couple of inches of clearance at the top so that the engine mounts clear the bracket the whole bracket is placed to high in the transom or the bracket is not lowering to its lowest point. Having to add extender pieces just adds more points where something can go wrong. I would suggest a brand new bracket. Sorry I'm mostly always for designing around existing components but not this time. Whatever you may design visualize how it actually will work in the water, to lower and raise the engine and operate its controls.

 

[caguy]

Something wrong; if you cannot add a solid mounting board with a couple of inches of clearance at the top so that the engine mounts clear the bracket the whole bracket is placed to high in the transom or the bracket is not lowering to its lowest point. Having to add extender pieces just adds more points where something can go wrong. I would suggest a brand new bracket. Sorry I'm mostly always for designing around existing components but not this time. Whatever you may design visualize how it actually will work in the water, to lower and raise the engine and operate its controls.

+ 1

 

[Hooks]

As I mentioned, the bracket had to have been installed by the company that made the boat because I can't get to the bolts without cutting into the boat. And no the mount is not low enough unless I got an extra long motor. I tried and they just don't exist locally and I'm not spending $1500 on a motor for a $3000 boat.

I'm the type to rather do things the right way than the half ass way but in this case I have to make due with what I have.

 

[Joe Blizzard]

the mount is not low enough

I had the opposite problem with mine. My bracket was mounted so low that in the down position the bottom of the mounting board was in the water. (What a drag.) Fortunately I was able to relocate my bracket without major surgery. The arrow in the accompanying picture is pointing to what used to be my lower mounting bolt. (I realize this doesn't help with your dilemma, I'm just commiserating.)

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Hooks

I am not familiar with your boat. Can you access the transom thru the cabin if there is a cabin. I would tend to think your bracket is bolted thru to the inside held with nuts/washers/backing plate. This would be a two man job to take off and then relocate that bracket higher and further to the side so the prop would not interfere with the rudder. Then I would glass those old holes. As for a new mounting board, go with the plastic style offered preferably one that can be installed so the top is higher than the bracket itself> I can tell you a good way then to fill in the old bolt holes. I use to be a former sailboat dealer. All depends on accessibility to the transom inside. If that is an issue, maybe an inspection port on top.

 

[Hooks]

I didnt even think to check inside. Ill do that this weekend. I think you just saved the day.

 

[Joe Blizzard]

I didnt even think to check inside.

Mine was accessible through a cockpit locker.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Blizzard;

I am trying to figure out where you are actually sailing. I use to travel southern WVA as an adjuster. I can remember going out on a cart of course attached to a cable strung out over the New River between towers before that bridge. I remember oh too well that cart as it swaying due to high winds wanting to get back to the Fayetteville side. I even flew the first plane under that bridge during construction and of course FAA was trying to figure who dunnit. Yes, I did go underground and got caught for several days before they dug my posterior end out. I met a lot of good folks there.