reinstalling my 5.7 260 mercruiser need a professionals opinion

[Lwarden]

OK! Im getting ready to reinstall my eneging tomorrow morning, everything is going smooth so far. I have 2 pieces of 1/8" stainless steel plate 4.5" x 7" that would work awesome in between the engine mounts and the boat, does anyone see or know of a reason I shouldnt put them under the engine mounts? would distribute the weight of the engine and keep the engine mounts from eventually digging into the fiberglass of the boat motor mounts. Please advise!

 

[MikDee]

Did you put a new coupler on it? Now's the time, last chance!

 

[Leedanger]

I don't see a reason other than you will need to realign the motor, which you should be doing anyways. So long as the adjustment nut on the front motor mount isn't already less than 1/8th from bottoming out (which it shouldn't be anywhere close), you should be fine.

 

[84EdH]

I don't think you need the plates either. engine mounts should not wear into the boat stringer. If you use them, make sure you slot the ss plate like the one end of the motor mount is slotted to allow for a bit of back and forth adjustment.

 

[tpenfield]

It can only help, but one consideration is that a plate alone on top of the engine mount stringer area may tend to trap moisture. So, if you go with the plates, be sure to use epoxy or silicone adhesive liberally between the plate and the engine mount stringer, so water has no place to hide.

Additionally, you did not mention why the engine was removed initially, , but if your engine mount stringers are not newly replaced and are cracked, then it would be good to give those some attention.

 

[Lwarden]

It can only help, but one consideration is that a plate alone on top of the engine mount stringer area may tend to trap moisture. So, if you go with the plates, be sure to use epoxy or silicone adhesive liberally between the plate and the engine mount stringer, so water has no place to hide.

Additionally, you did not mention why the engine was removed initially, , but if your engine mount stringers are not newly replaced and are cracked, then it would be good to give those some attention.

Yes new motor mounts along with stringers and new floor!

 

[alldodge]

OK! Im getting ready to reinstall my eneging tomorrow morning, everything is going smooth so far. I have 2 pieces of 1/8" stainless steel plate 4.5" x 7" that would work awesome in between the engine mounts and the boat, does anyone see or know of a reason I shouldnt put them under the engine mounts? would distribute the weight of the engine and keep the engine mounts from eventually digging into the fiberglass of the boat motor mounts. Please advise!

Sounds good but I would like to get a visual in my think head. I can see a few ways which a plate could be mounted between the motor mounts and the stringers. If the plate wrapped the stringer, and then through bolted, sounds good. If it's something else I don't know

 

[MikDee]

Did you put a new coupler on it? Now's the time, last chance!

I had an older boat engine I rebuilt, and it had a bit more power when I got done. I checked the coupling, but never replaced it with new. A few weeks later, due to extra power, and the coupler being a bit old, with dried out rubber, it started to slip! In a short time, it got very bad, and I couldn't even use the boat for the season!

 

[achris]

If the weight of the engine is crushing the fibreglass mount, there is something very wrong. The mount should just be fibreglass over a hardwood mount. If that gets crushed, the hardwood was soggy/rotten and any plate will not change that... I would leave the plates out, at least you will be able to see in the future if you are starting to get a problem. The plates my hid a 'sinking' situation long enough to do other damage...

Chris.......

 

[djmakko]

when i installed my engine , there were some plates under it brut they were just supports for a bad stringer, with the engine out ,I checked the stringers and they were rotted i did cut them out install new ones fiberglass them , then install engine directly to stringers, you will only need plates if your stringers are bad..

 

[flipbro]

No need for plates if every thing is done write! Sounds good but not necessary imo. Plus if you try to resale the boat some my take that as a cover up or a band aid to a rot problem or at least i would> Good luck on the engine install