Cat 30 motor mounts
- Thread starter Jimm
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Unless your mounts are broken, they don't require replacement, & new ones will not really help stop engine vibration, if this is your problem. Replacement is not easy, as it usually requires partial hoisting of the engine block. This is more difficult in the C 30, because the cabinet requires disassembly to do this. You may also have to disconnect the trans. or shaft coupling as well, since they can be damaged by jacking. If you are lucky U might be able to hammer a wedge into the corners beneath the bad mount when disconnected to raise it enough to remove.
As far as the parts, this is an area that I would contact Catalina Yachts for parts. Universal is no longer in business (now Westerbeke) but the parts are Kobuta. The mounts are custom made for marine installation, so they're not available from places like Tractor Supply. That's why I would suggest Catalina (not Catalina Direct). Catalina still carries lots of parts for the C 30, and their prices are very fair. Ask for Kent, as he's very helpful. Look up their # online.
Torrenson Marine is another dealer that I've ordered Universal parts from in the past. Good luck.
As far as the parts, this is an area that I would contact Catalina Yachts for parts. Universal is no longer in business (now Westerbeke) but the parts are Kobuta. The mounts are custom made for marine installation, so they're not available from places like Tractor Supply. That's why I would suggest Catalina (not Catalina Direct). Catalina still carries lots of parts for the C 30, and their prices are very fair. Ask for Kent, as he's very helpful. Look up their # online.
Torrenson Marine is another dealer that I've ordered Universal parts from in the past. Good luck.
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Read elsewhere? Interesting.
jr has some good points for consideration.
Here's our experiences:
http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine
scroll down to mechanical.
jr has some good points for consideration.
Here's our experiences:
http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine
scroll down to mechanical.
BOOOOOO. Kent was our saving grace. Is he retiring or something? Guess somebody better find out who his replacement is. Or maybe he just telling you that he's leaving,
so that we'll stop calling him up & bugging the hell out of him all the time! hah.
so that we'll stop calling him up & bugging the hell out of him all the time! hah.
He is going to work for a Catalina dealership. He will still be in the Catalina family. Still, we all ought to call him today on his last day and say thanks and wish him good luck.
I have really appreciated everything he has done for me...
Jimm- Let us know how you make out with the replacement (if you do it) so we can add to the collective knowledge. I need to do something with mine as some of the lag bolts have vibrated themselves loose and won't tighten up. Jamestown distributors has the Vetus brand.
Be sure that what ever mount you buy has the same hole pattern. You can always change it but this gets tedious and time consuming. Motor mounts DO wear out and DO cause vibration, alignment and vibration issues when they wear.
Personally, having replace a pile of motor mounts, I think the current factory Westerbeke mounts are some of the best out there but they use a different hole pattern to the older crappy Bushings Inc. mounts they used to use on the M-25's...
I have seen the Bushings Inc. mounts fail in as little as two years. They don't damp well and allow vibration to transmit to the engine stringers, then through the hull, far easier than better quality mounts like the red mounts in the thread below..
This thread has a lot on motor mounts:
Replacing Motor Mounts - The Snowball Effect
Thanks to all - will report back if/when I have any useful info. It's somewhere on the 'list', but not yet at the top I think
Jim, I found the Vetus K75 mounts made a HUGE difference in the amount of vibration we have on our boat.
How difficult you find the job depends on how willing you are to tackle mechanical jobs. On our '95 we didn't remove the galley and hoist the motor using the boom as some others have done. I found we didn't have to.
Here's what we did:
Disconnect the shaft at the transmission. We also had to remove the exhaust riser and a plywood access panel from under the galley drawers.
Remove the engine access doors on three sides. We used a 3' wrecking bar under the front engine mount flange to lift the front of the motor (it's only 300lbs). Slide the old mount out and slide a block of wood in to hold it temporarily. With the old and new mounts on the galley counter use a combination square to get the new mount set to the height of the old mount prior to installing it -- you'll make final adjustments when you re-connect the shaft. Also use a block of wood under the wrecking bar so you don't damage the door frame.
For the rear mounts a picture is worth a thousand words. If you look at the picture below you'll see a forward bolt hole in the mounting bracket. I ran a long bolt down through that hole and threaded on a nut. I bottomed the bolt onto the stringer with an undersized fender washer to protect the fiberglass. With a ratchet on the bolt and a wrench holding the nut I was able to use the bolt as a jack and raise the rear of the engine enough to swap the mount (you can't get a pry bar under the rear mounts). For the starboard mount we had to remove the transmission shift cable bracket to get the last 1/4" of height. If you do make sure you mark the bracket and trans with a sharpie to make re-installation easier.
When you're done snug the shaft flange up to the trans and follow the directions posted above for final alignment with a feeler gauge. If you were careful in setting the height of the new mounts you should already be pretty close on the alignment. The most helpful tool on a job like this is patience. Take your time, bag and label parts as you go and think through each step.
When reinstalling the exhaust riser replace the rubber hose between the riser and the water lift muffler with a hump hose. This will take a lot of strain off the muffler and extend its life. Both the hump hose and exhaust riser gasket are available from Catalina Direct. Add anti-freeze as needed. I had a friend help with this job and the extra pair of hands was a big help.
BTW, this engine is still produced by Westerbeke and the parts are readily available through Kubota dealers and through Westerbeke and its dealers. Click Here for Westerbeke's page on the motor. It has specs and links to manuals, parts kits, diagrams and technical bulletins. You can usually connect with one of their tech reps at the Atlantic City Boat show in February or at the Annapolis show in the fall.
Best of luck,
Jim
How difficult you find the job depends on how willing you are to tackle mechanical jobs. On our '95 we didn't remove the galley and hoist the motor using the boom as some others have done. I found we didn't have to.
Here's what we did:
Disconnect the shaft at the transmission. We also had to remove the exhaust riser and a plywood access panel from under the galley drawers.
Remove the engine access doors on three sides. We used a 3' wrecking bar under the front engine mount flange to lift the front of the motor (it's only 300lbs). Slide the old mount out and slide a block of wood in to hold it temporarily. With the old and new mounts on the galley counter use a combination square to get the new mount set to the height of the old mount prior to installing it -- you'll make final adjustments when you re-connect the shaft. Also use a block of wood under the wrecking bar so you don't damage the door frame.
For the rear mounts a picture is worth a thousand words. If you look at the picture below you'll see a forward bolt hole in the mounting bracket. I ran a long bolt down through that hole and threaded on a nut. I bottomed the bolt onto the stringer with an undersized fender washer to protect the fiberglass. With a ratchet on the bolt and a wrench holding the nut I was able to use the bolt as a jack and raise the rear of the engine enough to swap the mount (you can't get a pry bar under the rear mounts). For the starboard mount we had to remove the transmission shift cable bracket to get the last 1/4" of height. If you do make sure you mark the bracket and trans with a sharpie to make re-installation easier.
When you're done snug the shaft flange up to the trans and follow the directions posted above for final alignment with a feeler gauge. If you were careful in setting the height of the new mounts you should already be pretty close on the alignment. The most helpful tool on a job like this is patience. Take your time, bag and label parts as you go and think through each step.
When reinstalling the exhaust riser replace the rubber hose between the riser and the water lift muffler with a hump hose. This will take a lot of strain off the muffler and extend its life. Both the hump hose and exhaust riser gasket are available from Catalina Direct. Add anti-freeze as needed. I had a friend help with this job and the extra pair of hands was a big help.
BTW, this engine is still produced by Westerbeke and the parts are readily available through Kubota dealers and through Westerbeke and its dealers. Click Here for Westerbeke's page on the motor. It has specs and links to manuals, parts kits, diagrams and technical bulletins. You can usually connect with one of their tech reps at the Atlantic City Boat show in February or at the Annapolis show in the fall.
Best of luck,
Jim
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