I have a 16? inflatable with a 40 hp Mercury motor. I want to put two bolts through the bottom holes in the mount and use the clamps for the top (this is a common setup) My question is it ok to just put the bolts through and tighten them even though the motor mount bracket is wider than the transom. I.e. the transom is not touching the back of the motor mount. Should I use a wood shim or just mount it as is? The reason for the bolts is just to keep the motor from coming off. The clamps hold it against the transom fine.
The motor mount is basically about 1/2" wider (away from the transom). This is due to a plate on either side of the transom that is wide enough for the clamps but not for the bolts. The motor mount is clamped tight against the metal plate. The bolts are just outside of the metal transom plate so they are not in contact with the wood. This is good because I don?t have to drill through the metal plate. I just want to know if there are any potential issues I am not aware of with having this gap where the bolts go through the transom.