4.3 GL motor mount loose approx 1 inch

[Sudsy88]

Hi, I have a 1999 4.3 GL with a SX cobra stern drive. I was just draining the water from the cooling system for winter and noticed one of my front motor mount bolts has come loose. It's gone done approx 1".

Notes:
- The boat runs great, no issues with speed or power.
- This would have been recent, within 10 hours of use. I'm always in there checking things out.

My question is, is this just a put it back to where is suppose to be problem, or is this a really needs to be realigned and checked problem. Just concerned about the link between the crank and the upper gear box. I'm not as familiar with that as I am car engines.

 

[Horigan]

You need to re-align the engine with the alignment tool. Winterization includes this check, in addition to greasing the gimbal bearing and U-joints, as well as other things. Check the Winterization thread in the Adults Only sticky above.

 

[alldodge]

Alignment should be checked every year, but at least every few years.

With the bolts loose, it needs to be checks for rot. In most cases the stringer will need to be drilled out larger, then filled, glassed, epoxy or other. Then redrill for bolts, install new bolts the align motor

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

I am guessing your talking the lag bolts holding the mount to the boat? and not the bolts holding the bracket to the motor

 

[Sudsy88]

Thanks! Yes, I am talking about the bolts that hold up the motor. The mounts on the boat are in good shape, just the lower nut on one of the studs loosened off.

Just curious to know if having the motor out of alignment for too long, will have caused more damage that I dont know about. Or since I caught it quick, and fix it right away, it should be alright.

I've been doing some reading through the forums, and the service manual, and the alignment sounds like a job I can tackle. Wondering if theres other problems that have been caused that I should look for.

 

[alldodge]

This is bad and suggest looking real close at the coupler when the drive is removed. The lower nut must have kept unscrewing, but can also see someone has been using something on the nuts.
Have you had any work done?

 

[Sudsy88]

I started to bring the lower nut back up to where I thought it should be, then stopped. Figured I'd do some research before just bringing it back up.

I did not touch the upper nut.

 

[alldodge]

Don't touch anything unless you have trouble getting the drive off. If it won't slide off with minimal force, then may try raising the nut a little at a time

 

[Sudsy88]

Alright, thanks for the info. I'll order the parts and alignment bar.