Motor Mount Bolts Stripped Out

[Deucer]

Has anybody had this happen to them? I was puttig the boat in a slip and fighting about 15kts of crosswind when I looked back and saw the motor (Honda 9.9) hanging by one side of the motor mounts (starboard). The port bolts were just hanging there. When I looked, I noticed that the bottom bolt hole was was just that...a hole. The top seemed to still have some threads in it, but the surrounding gel coat was chipped up.

Oh, just so nobody thinks I'm an idiot, I didn't run it into anything. I'll try to post some photos when I get it out of the water.

Has anybody heard of this before? I don't have a clue how I'm going to fix it (the backing plate is inaccessible..I think). Both mounts are now bent...sigh. Any insight would be helpful..

Deucer

 

[Manny]

Deucer, I'm not familiar with the H260, are you saying the mount is basically lag bolted on the transom? No nut on the backing plate? Or possibly a metal backing plate drilled and tapped?
I'd definitely give Hunter a call and see what they have to say. If you don't have access to the backing plate you could probably cut a hole in the glass and install an access port.
Hopefully you took the motor off of the mount.

Manny

 

[Rick Webb]

I Think if You Dig You can Get to Them

I can on my 23.5, it aint gonna be fun

If not tap it out for bolts the next size up

 

[MikeH]

Deucer, it sounds like your backing board may have rotted out, letting the bolts pull through. I don't think the backing plate is completely inaccessible, just very difficult to get to. You may have to go to the extreme of removing the existing access door, cutting the access hole bigger, and buying almond-color laminate and making a larger replacement door. I had to do that on the other side where the holding tank sometimes goes because I put my spare battery bank there.

My boat's in storage now, but from memory that backing board may be glassed in, so you might need create a new board and glass it in over the old one - but if you do then you'll need to glass & mat over the bolt hole first. Send us some pictures if you can.

 

[Jim Seamans]

Motor mounts

Deucer, the H260 had I believe 1/4" aluminum backing plate buried in the transom to take the load of the motor. Had a problem with mine and changed the motor mount. Might not be much help but look here: http://www.ayesail.net/sailing/SailboatMods/MotorMounts/index.htm

 

[Rick Webb]

Here is Another Idea

If you can't get to the backing plate on the inside to put nuts on the bolts maybe you can pull bolts through to put nuts on the outside.

With the bolts removed and no lights on inside the boat it will be fairly easy to see the light coming in the hole. Then to snake the bolt into the hole push a peice of thin wire into the hole until you can catch it then wind the wire around the threads of the bolt and pull it through. I'd put a fender and a lock washer on the bolt also. Then Tightning it maybe a problem but if the bolt is long enough you could put two extra nuts on the end bind them against one another and then tighten the one against the bracket then leave it long or cut it off.

I still think though that if you cant get to the inside of the plate tapping one size up will be the best solution.

 

[Deucer]

Folks,
Well, we were able (due to my son's long arms) to get a bolt through the bottom hole and get the bracket secured enough to get out of the slip and back on the trailer. Thanks, Rick. Your idea of pulling the bolt through got us going in the right direction.
I'm still not sure what happened. There doesn't seem to be any backing plate left on the lower bolt. We used a piece of starboard as backing to keep the bolt from pulling through the hull. I haven't had the chance (and won't for awhile) to try to get into the hull to see what happened. I may try the tapping a larger bolt thread in the top and see if that does anything. I'll post more when I get the chance. Thanks to everybody for the help.
Deucer

 

[Rick Webb]

Glad to Hear It

Wonder if it is as simple as corosion from getting doused with salt water all the time.

 

[Deucer]

Motor Mounts

Manny,

There were no nuts or washers...just the bolts screwed into the transom. I can see end of the starboard bolts where they seem to be embedded in a backing plate glassed into the transom. Oh, and all the bolts had caulk on them. The bolts that pulled out had some discoloration on the upper half.

So, yeah. I'm trying to contact somebody at Hunter to give me an idea of how the transom was assembled.

Deucer