Outboard Motor Mounts - Brainstorming Thread

[Chotu]

Anyone want to offer up some ideas for a good outboard motor mounting bracket?

Currently, I have a pair of aluminum C or U channels, open ends facing each other, running up and down the transom.

Sort of like this, except the < shape is actually a square C Shape.

···············transom...........
<----outboard bracket---->
|| ||
|| ||
outboard


The outboard bracket was temporarily a 2" thick piece of wood and the arms between it and the thing the outboard clamps onto were the same material. The aluminum C channel sections (< above) are through bolted to the transom. The outboard bracket slides up and down in the channel allowing you to raise and lower the outboard. That lasted a couple years but it's time to do it right. The wood rotted. I also had problems with too much sound and vibration being transmitted to the hull.


Any thoughts on how to make a better outboard bracket I can stick onto the track?

Was thinking of bolting together aluminum with delrin pads to slide, but concerned the salt water immersion will destroy it. However, the stainless through bolts and aluminum track aren't having issues as far as I can tell. Should I put zincs on these?

Fiberglass? Carbon?

[Chotu]

Note.... The forum reformatted my diagram. The outboard and || parts are centered on the diagram, not far left.

I'll be at the boat this week and can put up real pics.

[carlosproa]

Check the many threads in CF
Here is one
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...an-180509.html

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

Check the many threads in CF
Here is one
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...an-180509.html

Link has literally nothing to do with the question.

I'm looking to see if anyone has some better thoughts than I do for making the mounts that slide in the tracks, especially in terms of materials.

I see it's probably not clear the way I asked it. I'll get some pics and update the thread with those.

Thanks.

[VBsail]

Brainstorming....This may be way out, but what about industrial stainless carwash door hardware? Stainless tracks, rollers & brackets are available online.



https://americandoorsupply.com/catal...lt//?q=carwash



I was amazed at how quiet and smooth my garage was after changing out the rollers to poly...

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Anyone want to offer up some ideas for a good outboard motor mounting bracket?

Currently, I have a pair of aluminum C or U channels, open ends facing each other, running up and down the transom.

Sort of like this, except the < shape is actually a square C Shape.

···············transom...........
<----outboard bracket---->
|| ||
|| ||
outboard


The outboard bracket was temporarily a 2" thick piece of wood and the arms between it and the thing the outboard clamps onto were the same material. The aluminum C channel sections (< above) are through bolted to the transom. The outboard bracket slides up and down in the channel allowing you to raise and lower the outboard. That lasted a couple years but it's time to do it right. The wood rotted. I also had problems with too much sound and vibration being transmitted to the hull.


Any thoughts on how to make a better outboard bracket I can stick onto the track?

Was thinking of bolting together aluminum with delrin pads to slide, but concerned the salt water immersion will destroy it. However, the stainless through bolts and aluminum track aren't having issues as far as I can tell. Should I put zincs on these?

Fiberglass? Carbon?

A vertical lift is a bitch, I had one made differently. Solution was an OB with a 28" leg and T&T. Never had move it vertically again.

[Don C L]

I can only say the engineer who designed mine did a great job, the geometry is perfect and I hoist it quickly and easily with an old mainsheet double block w/cam cleat. I can’t link photo right now but you can see it in my albums. It’s super simple, and is much stronger than it looks.

[Dartanyon]

What about a G10 / Starboard sandwich? 1/4" G10 on the outsides, with 1-1/2" starboard inside. certainly won't rot. G10 is probably slicker than the wood ever was, so if that was working for you ...

[mowerandy]

Following with interest - my diesel has finally died and I need a temporary outboard mount to stay independently mobile while I source a new one (45 years out of the old Yanmar side banger with only a single oil change in the last 25 is pretty impressive - OK, maybe not the maintenance schedule, but the sheer persistence of this motor has been breathtaking)
I have a folding boarding ladder centre mounted on my reverse pitched stern and am thinking to build a bracket that locks onto it, rather than removing it, just as a temporary measure.
Cant offset to one side else it will go underwater on that tack, and without some form of lifter, even the longest shaft outboard is probably going to fully submerge at sea.
Doubtless simpler to just replace or overhaul the diesel, but why go the easy route when one has the opportunity to create some bodgy piece of transom junk to impress the other club members (another way of saying that I have a spare long shaft outboard but not a lot of spare cash atm)!
Not to imply that your system is bodgy junk - just pretty certain that mine will be. If it passes that threshold I will post a pic just for laughs (will I get a prize if I can build it entirely out of scrap wood and nails - )?

[BruceS]

I can't find the link now but there is a chap in the Riverland (Renmark I think) in Australia that makes an outboard lift system for houseboats.
It is designed for easier maintenance of engine & gearbox.
I can't remember where I saw it. Either Gumtree, Ebay or Facebook I'd think.

[Chotu]

Thanks to everyone participating. there are tracks to put the outboard motor mounts in as described above. It’s a sliding system. Works perfectly and allows the outboards to be retracted or deployed simply.

Not looking to tear any of that out.

Looking for choices on how to make the sliding mounts that the outboard clanps to, which were temporarily wood, but rotted. These mounts slide in the tracks.

Pics to come as soon as i sm at the boat this week. That should clear up any confusion.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Dartanyon

What about a G10 / Starboard sandwich? 1/4" G10 on the outsides, with 1-1/2" starboard inside. certainly won't rot. G10 is probably slicker than the wood ever was, so if that was working for you ...

Interesting! I'll have a look at this one even before the pics.

Doesn't seem likely to be able to be bonded into a sandwich. However, 2" thickness is only a guess at this moment since I'm away from the boat.

So using some stainless L brackets to hold these together might be perfect!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A vertical lift is a bitch, I had one made differently. Solution was an OB with a 28" leg and T&T. Never had move it vertically again.

PS it used vertical pipes. If it were not a cheap effort I could see it working with linear bearings and SS round stock. Just something to think about.

[Benz]

Check out the jack system they use on flats boats down in the Florida swamps. Small boats, big motors.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Benz

Check out the jack system they use on flats boats down in the Florida swamps. Small boats, big motors.

Are you talking about Jack Plates? If so those have been standard Bass boat since the 80’s I’d guess, but they will only move a motor a few inches. They are used to get as much of the motor out of the water as is possible for high speed running, but with the motor that high you can’t jump out of the hole or turn without the prop ventilating , so you have to be able to raise it once underway and going pretty much straight.
You were to some extent running a surface penetrating prop, we had a water pressure gauge to watch the cooling water pressure, that is what determined how much you could raise a motor.