Loose Strut Fix
Had a similar problem on my H-27. The problem was really a mushy plywood backing plate. I think the fix, short of just tightening the bolts, is best done out of the water. I removed the strut completely and made a new backing plate of oak sealed with epoxie. I put the plate into place and used the strut to position drill to drill the holes. Then I bought new marine grade stainless screws, washers and aircraft nuts. (Those are the nuts with a little nylon sleeve inside thatprevents them from vibrating loose. you can also use doouble nuts with lock washers ect..) The strut is a bronze alloy but I couldn't find bronze screws that I felt would hold up. I do keep an eye on them for corosion. I used 5200 sealant in the holes and around the nuts and threads to seal the holes as well as under the strut. If you remove the strut you may change the position of the strut and the alighment of the shaft. This is really true as you tighten the bolts down. If your strut is firmly attached to the hull with no movement and no calking in between tightening down will have only a very little effect on the alighment. If the strut moves you probably will need an total alighment. You need to tighten a little as a time. If the shaft begins to bind as you tighten the new bolts you need to add spaces under the strut or maybe move the engine to restore the alignment. It's not hard but a real pain. Hope this helps
