Engine Mount bolt holes. Epoxy restoration.

[Condor1970]

Ok, I have an issue here. I noticed the lag bolts holding the forward engine mount of my Merc 3.0 in place were a little loose. So, I took them out to clean the holes, and put them back in. Upon putting back in, I noticed that from the years of vibration, I only have a few threads left of contact, and they are also getting a little soft, and about ready to give way. My plan is to completely fill the holes with epoxy resin, and let it sit to soak in, and saturate over night. Then, drill them out, and thread the bolts back in.

My original thought was to use some concrete type epoxy resin that comes in a tube for adhering studs into concrete. The problem with that stuff, is it very thick, and will not penetrate wood very well, even though it is extremely strong. So, I'm thinking of another product.

I bought this particular Resin from Ebay, and it appears to be standard 2:1 resin mix, with a tensile strength of about 3,200psi.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARINE-GRADE...item35b8b44bf4

Logic tells me, this should be adequate, as that strength is stronger than the wood itself.

I guess my only question is, how many of you may have used this particular product off Ebay, and do you feel from your use, is it strong enough to use in this case?

 

[Woodonglass]

The problem is...Epoxy will not adhere to wet wood. I suspect that you have some damp, rotting wood in your motor mounts and, at best, this will be a temporary fix. If you don't want to tear out the MM's and replace them and want to do this temporary repair, I strongly suggest that you use a wood awl or screw driver to dig out as much wet rotten wood as possible and then fill the void with Rubbing alcohol and let it set for a few days to evaporate away. This will actually pull the water out of the wood and help "Deep Dry" it. Then I'd buy some Fiberglass cloth and cut the fibers into small pieces and mix it with the Epoxy and some sawdust to thicken it and fill the voids. This will make it much stronger. Not saying this will be a Permanent fix, but it may get you buy for this season.