[C320-list] replacing motor mounts

Sun Jan 22 15:46:15 PST 2012

Holly, 

I am located on Sandusky Bay in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. We spend
much of the season on Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay located at South Bass
Island.

Could you please keep me posted about the replacement motor mount part
numbers and any cost?

I will likely replace all four motor mounts either this season or next, and
will likely do all of the work while the boat is in the water to avoid the
hull flex impact on any alignment completed while on the hard.

Thanks

Rick
My-Ria C320  #277

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of HOLLY DAVIS
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 1:26 PM
To: c320-list at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] replacing motor mounts

Hi Rick,
Thanks for your reply.  It was very helpful.  It was a front motor mount and
I have e mailed Westerbeke.  Since they are no longer making the 30B three
engine, I a m also inquiring which mounts to use for replacement.  
I am not doing the work myself.  It is beyond my capabilities, but I have a
very experienced mechanic which I trust.  I was just interested in finding
out more about the process and the difficulty of the job.  And if I can get
Westerbeke to comp me a couple of motor mounts, that would make me very
happy!
Where are you located?I am in So Cal.Holly

> From: rsulewski at bex.net
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:12:32 -0500
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] replacing motor mounts
> 
> HollyHonu #264,
> 
> I replaced the front motor mounts in 1996 when I received notice of a 
> Westerbeke motor mount recall the same time I was sent two upgraded 
> front mounts due to a high number of front mounts that were expected 
> to fail due to the rubber to steel design mount at that time.
> 
> I am thinking about replacing all four mounts given the  age of the 
> rubber when I replace the cutlass bearing, as that would also be the 
> time to re-align the prop shaft to the engine couple. It would then be 
> necessary adjust the motor mount up/down stud nuts and / or side to 
> side adjustment bolts on the motor mounts attached to the hull grind ( 
> stringer) to ensure that the shaft alignment to the  engine coupler 
> falls within tolerances to avoid premature cutlass bearing wear and 
> ensure the packing gland is not prematurely worn allowing excessive water
migration into the bilge.
> 
> Since I replaced the front mounts years ago, there are now videos 
> posted on the internet clearly providing guidance and tips. I captured 
> the process I used to get the job done which is similar to what is 
> posted on the web videos now available on YouTube.
> 
> Motor Mount Replacement Process:
>  1.  I replaced the original front motor mounts by first separating 
> the prop to engine coupler so I could later tilt the engine to slide 
> out the mounts, one corner at a time.
> 
> 2. I noted the number of stud treads exposed on either side of the 
> up/down adjustment nuts and marked the new motor mount stud for that 
> engine corner accordingly so I could duplicate the same adjustment 
> setting on the new mount for that specific corner.
> 
> 3. Traced the outline of the original motor mount as it rested on the 
> hull engine grid ( stringer) to ensure the side to side bolts 
> adjustment template spacing is recorded before removing the engine 
> mount to hull grid by removing the hull attachment bolts.
> 
> 4.  I then removed the stud adjustment nut securing the engine to the 
> mount so the engine could be lifted above the mount stud in the next 
> step. Next I removed the bolts attaching the mount to the hull grid so 
> I may then be prepared to slide out the mount in the next step. Have 
> the new mount ready to install with the nut adjustment already 
> recorded to mirror the old mount tread settings noted in the preparation
step # 2.
> 
> 5. Using a small pry bar,  lift the motor attachment above the mount 
> stud, just high enough to slide away the old mount and immediately 
> replace it with a new mount.
> 
> 6. Bolt down the motor mount to the hull grid against the traced 
> outline of the  former mount, but  do not snug the bolts just yet if 
> you are going to check the coupler alignment before attaching the prop 
> shaft side of the coupler  to the transmission/ engine side of the 
> coupler. Also install the top adjustment nut, but do not snug the 
> adjustment nuts if you are going to check alignment before reattaching the
coupler.
> 
> 7. The last step was to check for prop shaft alignment since the shaft 
> to engine coupler is already separated. I used a feeler gauge to check 
> four 90 degree couple circumference measurement points. Used the up 
> and down adjustment nuts and the side to side mount bolts to draw the 
> engine within the tolerance limits for each of the 90 degree points on 
> the coupler by making further (small) motor mount adjustments ( up/down or
side to side).
> This whole process is really a mental mind puzzle that is very logical 
> and very simple once the relationship of the engine to the coupler 
> variances are understood.
> 
> Lessons learned: The simply solution is to pay someone to do all of 
> the work. However, I found that unless you have a yard worker who is 
> very proficient at this type of work because they have had some 
> experience and have the patience to get it right, you may find the 
> quality of your work superior to a first time episode with an 
> inexperienced yard worker.  Even an experienced yard worker who is 
> less inclined to be accurate when rushing to finish the task with a 
> high degree of accuracy may not do as well as you may do.
> 
> I had to do-over the coupler alignment myself in 2001 after I had the 
> first cutlass replaced when I upgraded to a stainless shaft and also 
> needed to have the prop strut re-bedded because we had wrapped a line 
> around the prop that resulted in the engine being stalled out while 
> under 2,500 rpm load  as we were motoring along that resulted in 
> damage to the bronze shaft and the strut. After checking to see if the 
> repair/replacement job had been completed as expected, I found that 
> the engine was badly out of alignment when I separating the coupler to
check if the alignment was done correctly.
> The alignment had not fallen within the tolerances specified by
Westerbeke.
> It was a weekend after the yard help had left for the day, but it only 
> took me an hour to get it right since I had the earlier experience 
> with the motor mount replacement in 96. I have since put 600 hours on 
> the boat over the last decade and the cutlass remains firm but is 
> beginning to show natural wear. However, due to the correct shaft 
> alignment over the years, my packing gland wear and drip rate has also
been minimal.
> 
> By chance was your failed mount a front mount?  The reason I inquire 
> you may have a reason to contact the engine manufacturer. If you have 
> a Westerbeke you may learn if your engine was on the list for motor 
> mount replacement and even if you have another engine manufacturer it 
> may be worth a phone call to check  with a technical support person 
> who may have the authority to comp you  some replacement motor mounts.
> 
> Hope this message proves to be helpful.
> 
> Rick
> My-Ria Hull #277
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of HOLLY 
> DAVIS
> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 8:08 PM
> To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] replacing motor mounts
> 
> 
> Rick,I have a 1995 320 and just discovered that one of my motor mounts 
> is broken and the others are rusty, so I am looking to replace all 
> four.Have you changed yours and how did it go?HollyHonu #264
> 
> > From: rsulewski at bex.net
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 19:40:10 -0500
> > Subject: Re: [C320-list] Flexible coupler effectiveness?
> > 
> > Shawn,
> > 
> > I have a Westerbeke 30B engine and it also transmits a fair amount 
> > of vibration, depending on the selected RPM on my 95 320.
> > 
> >  I am thinking about changing out the motor mounts when I need to 
> > replace the cutlass bearing in a few years. It also occurred to me 
> > to consider changing out the rubber hose that connects the stuffing 
> > box to the thru-hull prop shaft tube given the age of the boat.
> > 
> > Have you considered that your motor mounts may be contributing to 
> > excessive vibration and engine movement that could impact the wear 
> > and tear on the cutlass bearing?
> > 
> > I wonder if any other owners of 93-97 boats have had a need to 
> > change their motor mounts or that thick rubber connecting hose 
> > between the prop shaft hull tube and the stuffing box?
> > 
> > Rick
> > My-Ria #277
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> > [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Shawn 
> > Maloney
> > Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 11:01 AM
> > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > Subject: [C320-list] Flexible coupler effectiveness?
> > 
> > I have a Perkins engine in my 93 C320.  Though these engines are 
> > tough and reliable, they are not as smooth as the Yanmar.  I have 
> > 2100 hours and plan to replace the cutlass bearing as a maintenance 
> > item.  At the same time I may consider a stainless steel shaft ( as 
> > some have done on this list) and I am considering adding a flexible 
> > coupler.  It seems that the coupler is about 1 ¼ inches thick and I 
> > would resize the
> shaft to compensate for this.
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > I would like to hear any comments as to the effectiveness of the 
> > coupler at reducing vibrations and adjusting for alignment issues.
> > Thanks
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Shawn Maloney
> > 
> > Hull #14
> > 
> > 
>  		 	   		  
> 