Help! Motor Mounting question

[Knot Tied Down]

After looking at how the P.O. had the Yamaha 50 mounted, My dad and I are thinking its not right...
Its got about about a 4-5 inch block of wood under the motor mount, holding the motor up from the transom, *which is rotten by the way* which raises the motor up quite a bit.
My question is, How does everyone have their motor mounted? Do you have any thing raising your motor up, or does it sit right down on the transom?
The few photos I could find seems to show the motor sitting as far down as possible.
Also how did you go about sealing the bottom mounting holes below the waterline to ensure it didnt leak.

Are you able to use the drain in the center of the transom after the engine is mounted? Mine seems to be blocked off at the moment because of how the engine is mounted, and water just sits in the depression at the transom instead of draining away.
Thank you SO much for your help in advance.

*Dustin*

[aya16]

If the motor is a regular shaft motor, its mounted right to the transom, No wood, The bottom as well as the top bolts we use 5200 marine sealant on the bolts before you push them into the holes. Regular shaft engine will have the cavitation plate on the motor even with the bottom of the transom. Got a pix? You may have a long shaft motor and that's why the wood, Cant tell with out seeing it, But if its long shaft its the wrong size engine for the boat. Make sure the transom wood that is between the fiberglass transom, what came from the factory, is not rotted. dont skimp on the 5200 around the bolts, its messy stuff, but will do the job. Good luck

Sounds like you will have two extra holes if you take the wood off, That can be dealt with sharpened over sized wood dowels soak in 5200, then pound them into the extra holes all the way through, and then cut flush with the outside transom face. Then you can use some fiberglass patch from auto zone to seal it completely if you want, but the doweles will swell with the 5200 and water and make a water tight strong seal.

as far as the drain hole on the x, the m has it to the side, It should still drain, unless the extra wood the po put on is blocking it, you can try and run a stiff wire through the hole and unplug it, and flush with a garden hose. Be careful you don't blow the hose off the fitting inside the boat, If it has a hose like the M.
Mike

[Knot Tied Down]

Thank you so much for the reply. I'm not sure if I have a long shaft, or a regular. The cavitation plate is about 1.5 - 2 inches above the bottom of the transom though, so it could definitly be dropped down some. If indeed I do have a long shaft...what problems would I have if I did drop it all the way down and it sits a couple inches below the transom?
I do have photos on my computer, but not sure how to upload them to the forum.

I'll definitly do the dowel trick to get rid of the other holes. Thanks for that!

[aya16]

regular shaft about 20 inches from where the motor sits on the transom, in your case the wood, to the top of the cavitation plate. If its a long shaft you can buy the right parts to make it a regular shaft, there should be a spacer in the long shaft motor legg, and you take that out, and buy a regular shaft drive shaft. But first need to determine if you have a long shaft. ohh and the shifter rod may need to be changed too

Post pix's by photo bucket, http://photobucket.com/ then cut and paste the url link in your post.
Mike

[Knot Tied Down]

http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg492/dklifman84/

Ok there are some photos and measurements I put up. It looks like it is about 20 inches or so. After eyeballing the cavitation plate, I guess It does look about flush with the bottom of the boat. I didnt see a piece added in to make it a extra long shaft...but I'm pretty new to this.

[aya16]

Looks like a regular shaft to me, maybe the PO was trying to make a cheap jack plate for more performance or something. I would mount it right and drill the new holes so you have lots of upside adjustment. See the slot where the bolts go? you want to hang the motor so the cavitation plate is as even with the bottom of the hull as possible. the transom should be 20 inches from top to bottom, if your an inch or two down its fine. Can you ask the PO why he did that?

I have to go to my boat Monday, there's some x's there Ill check and see what's up, your cavitation plate looks right but the extra wood doesn't make sense to me. Maybe because he has a 60hp mounted he wanted to give the transom some more support??? you don't need the wood, normally, even if the engine is mounted a couple inches higher than the transom. Unless there's something wrong with the transom????

If the transom measures 20 inches, and the motor measures 20 inches from from where it hangs on the transom to the cavitation plate your good to go without the wood, even if the engine is an inch or so above the transom when your done mounting it. hanging below the transom an inch or so wont hurt anything. Ill look tomorrow but something doesn't look right on yours.
Mike

[Knot Tied Down]

I'm not sure why the previous guy mounted it that way, but as I don't know much about how motors are supposed to be mounted, I was just going to replace the wood that the motor sits on until my dad said maybe we didnt need it at all? I'm thinking the P.O. didnt want to drill into the transom maybe, which is possibly why all 4 bolts are in the area at the back that has the drain. I appreciate all your help, and will hopefully get this done right when I get home next. The motor mounted is a 50 hp, not a 60 as you had typed, perhaps by mistake...but I dont know if that makes any difference at all? I'll be curious as to what you find today when you go to your boat.
Thhanks again!

Dustin

[aya16]

looks like the cavitation plate's are a couple inches below the transom, so you should be fine mounting it up with out the wood
mike

[Seapup]

I do have photos on my computer, but not sure how to upload them to the forum.

If you paste the IMG code from photobucket they will show directly.

I'm not sure why the previous guy mounted it that way, I'm thinking the P.O. didnt want to drill into the transom maybe, which is possibly why all 4 bolts are in the area at the back that has the drain.

I think your guess is fairly accurate. Most installs put the top two bolts under the motor well lip instead of through it and the bottom bolts go through the transom and you have to crawl to the back of the aft berth to get at them.

I am guessing the thin wood (if that is what it is) between the motor bracket and back of the transom is to set the motor flush with the lip on the top of the transom. The lip at the top of the transom is about 1/4" thick. If you just mount the motor to the transom without notching the top of the motor mounts, or adding a spacer to the bottom of the mounts, the motor will only be touching the transom at the very top and bottom. Tighten it down too much and it will crack the top of the transom.

The wood on the top of the transom serves no purpose. It would look like it would hold some weight, but the motor mount bolts do all the work.

As far as the height I would test it as is and see what you think, It may be correct. The picture looks like it is set even with the bottom. The higher up it is the less drag you will have. Your cavitation plate looks pretty level with the bottom of the boat. As long as its not cavitating it may be set appropriately for best performance. If you plan on going in steep waves lower it some. Not sure about your motor, but some motors vary a bit on the shaft length too. Even if they are listed as 20" they may be a little more or less and the X transom is only 18.5" measured from top to bottom.

Here is yours and then one of an M that is happy with his setting.

[DaveB]

Looks like to me you don't have any bolt in the lower slide channel. You mount the outboard thru one of the top 4 holes with cavatation plate one inch below the bottom of hull. You are way to high and anyone going forward will just cavatate the prop. also in reverse and higher seas.
There should only be 4 bolts and best way to install is putting the top bolt in the third or second hole down, with the cavatation olate 1 inch below the hull.
Put the lower bolt in the middle of the lower slaught so you can later lower or raise the engine depending load up front or stearn.
Use 3m 4200 for bolts as 3m 5200 7 day cure is perminite and the 24 hr cure is close to perminite.
Your cavitation plate looks like it is 1/2-1 inch above the bottom of hull depending on camara angle.
use a straight board with engine all the way down to extend the cavitation line to hull or eyeball it.
On my Honda the outboard was installed 1-1/2 inches above transum and cavitated in reverse or anchoring with 160 lb crew setting ancho, also in 3 ft. seas. I lowered outboard 1 inch (thats 1 hole lower and made a huge diffrence without top end loss.
I have the deck lip cut out so the outboard is flush with transem, you can add a aluminum plate to make up thye thickness diffrence.
David

http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg492/dklifman84/

Ok there are some photos and measurements I put up. It looks like it is about 20 inches or so. After eyeballing the cavitation plate, I guess It does look about flush with the bottom of the boat. I didnt see a piece added in to make it a extra long shaft...but I'm pretty new to this.

[Newell]

Looks like PO used the wood to hold the motor in place where he decided to mount the motor. As mentioned, the wood serves no purpose now the motor is attached through transom.

[Knot Tied Down]

Thank you all for the help, and for getting the photos ON here instead of just the link. I just got to Pennsylvania for work and will be here for the next 2 weeks, but when I get back to Michigan I hope to get it all sorted and mounted correct. I'll take all this info and apply it for the best result.
I gues my plan is to make a harness out of rope, pull under a big tree limb, and hoist the engine up off the boat to deal with the new and old holes since I wont be lifting this by hand

[davidbourne]

You probably know this, but you can rent an engine hoist for this. In my area they are about thirty bucks a day. I'd trust that over a tree branch, personally. I hope it all goes well. DB

[Knot Tied Down]

News to me ill check it out before i create a mess. Thanks!