Mounting outboard on panther mount

[chowdan]

Hey everyone - I am prepping the boat for my new 9.9 merc outboard on a lovely new panther outboard bracket.

The outboard bracket i had only supported 5hp 4 stroke, while the new supports 30hp 4 stroke.

Unfortunately the bolt holes do not match up from the new/old mount. The previous owner had fiberglassed in a marine ply as a backing plate. I am trying to determine the best way I should go about this.

The existing backing plate is about a 1/2inch too small(width) which means bolts will not be within the existing plate. I really dont want to grind this plate out then add in a new one and seal it back up. I know thats probably the smart way to go from a structural standpoint, and I do plan on going that route in the future(probably when we haul out).

I have some steel flat bar that I was thinking i could use as the backing plate. my original idea was to run 2 bars vertical on each side, so top/bottom are connected on each side, however I started thinking about what if we ran the bars horizontal, so the bar is essentially connecting the two top bolts together and the two bottom bolts together.

Is there any down side to running the flat bar horizontal vs vertical?

[kelmark2590]

It should not matter if you put the flat stock horizontal or vertical. Just make sure that you have securely attached it to the existing bracket. For a 9.9 hp, I would think you would want the added metal to be at least 1/2" thick to hold the weight of the motor without bending.

- Nate

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