Association Forum - How do I access the outboard mount bolts?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

How do I access the outboard mount bolts?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/06/2006 : 10:02:21

I am replacing my outboard mount bracket with a 3 spring model from Catalina Direct. My current mount is an old Fulton mount located on the port side. The two top mounting bolts are located in the port locker above the fuel tank shelf which was common to the 78 C25. The nuts on the bottom two appear to be inside the glassed in shelf. The only possible access I can see is the hole which was added to access the gudgeons which is covered by a plastic cover. The cover appears old and brittle and will probably shattter when I try to open it so I thought I would ask before getting to curious. Is access possible through that hole or do I need to cut another access hole in the shelf? Or ???

Joe Wergers
Utopia
Fleet 7/Oceanside, CA
78 C25 FK/SR #381

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2006 : 12:18:08

Hi Joe
My '79 has an older mount that I want to replace and the same fuel tank shelf you describe.All four bolts are above the shelf and I assumed that was the factory location.Now I'm wondering if a new Garhauer mount will work in that spot or if the holes should be lower like yours.My moter seems to sit low enough in the water now.If the bolt holes do need to be under the shelf I would cut an access hole in the shelf wall,the gudgeon hole would be to far away.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2006 : 13:23:06

Craig,
I haven't got to the point to determine if the existing holes will work. I know the mounting holes for the Fulton bracket are narrower than the Garhauer. The vertical distance between the holes is 5" which is the same as the Garhauer. So at the very least I need to patch and drill two new holes. I'm just kind of amazed the bolts terminate inside that platform with no access. Its hard to believe they attached the mount prior to glassing in that shelf.

I have attached some photos' The first is of the existing mount. The second is of the fuel shelf and you can see the top mounting bolts for the bracket. The bottom set of bolts are 5" below them. The third is of the motor on the bracket in the raised position. It is mounted on a black mounting block and the bottom of the block is even with the top set of mounting bolts. (Refer back to the picture of the existing mount.) Not sure if that helps or confuses the issue.

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

Members Avatar

502 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2006 : 14:42:34

I just cleaned out my port storage locker yesterday and saw that shelf underneath my fuel locker. I have the 1982 model and it looks like they left the old shelf in the fiberglass mold and made the seperate fuel tank locker on top of it. I was wondering what that small shelf was in my storage locker. Now I see. It seems as though in our later models, they could increase the storage locker size if it didn't have that shelf.

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2006 : 22:11:05

Joe
I agree.I can't believe the factory holes would be inacessable under the shelf.Does it look like old holes were filled in above the shelf? I'm pretty sure Leon Sisson could shed some light on this

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2006 : 09:29:24

I did some further searches in the archive and this came up once before and there were indeed boats made, like mine, with no access provided behind the shelf. It appeared the bottom bolts were lag bolts in that siuation. I have never pulled mine so I have no idea, however I think I have a reasonable solution. I have been waiting to install marine speakers in the cockpit and am contemplating cutting the hole for the speaker into this area from the cockpit and using the speaker hole for access to the area. Once the mount is installed I can install the speaker and the enclosed area should help with the bass reflex of the speaker. The speaker in that scenario would then become an inspection hatch.

Spike, If you look at the middle picture I posted above, there is no access provided behind the shelf. It is totally glassed in. It is odd that Indiscipline and Utopia, both being 78 C25's are so much different. Besides that difference, Utopia does not have a factory installed bilge pump or a pop-top. One of the things I like about the C25 is each one appears unique in some manner.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2006 : 10:58:33

Actually Joe, that wasn't spike - the following post was me

you can access them from the the end of the quarterberth. you have to work almost blind, but you can get them. On our new mount we put 2 bolts above and 2 below the shelf

I logged in as the admin to look for something last night and didn't log out. My bad.

The Flying Wasp is also a 78. If you go in the quarterberth all the way in the back and remove the wood hatch to the area where the rudder is, you should be able to get your hands in there. Your picture is of the sail locker on the port side. I am referring to going into the cabin. My setup looks exactly the same.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2006 : 11:53:04

Who's on first?

Actually Duane, I don't believe I have ever taken that hatch off and forgot it was there. I will crawl back there and take a gander this weekend. Thanks for the heads up.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2006 : 19:54:32

My OEM engine mount had through-bolts both above and below the gas tank shelf.

You'll find that a midget with a double jointed arm, radar vision, and the proper wrenches can indeed reach the bolts under the shelf by assuming a Yoga position in the back of the quarterberth.

Not having any of those attributes, I simply cut a round access opening in the gas tank shelf (use a rotozip or saber saw) and installed a nice access port to finish it off.

Took about 15 minutes, cost about $15, problem solved.

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

Members Avatar

Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2006 : 07:57:53

So it sounds like the lower moter mount bolt holes should be under the shelf and if they are above like mine the moter may be sitting too high? Time to do some measuring.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2006 : 09:47:45

Well, the bolts were right where Duane said so that alleviates that problem. Still contemplating using the area for containing the cockpit speakers though. Sure would be easier to access using that approach.

Craig, My old mount is a Fulton mount and yours may not be. The first notch down ont the Fulton puts the water level on my engine at 4" above the cavitation plate on my Honda which is what Honda recommends as the minimum depth. Using the bottom holes of my new mount with the existing drilled holes will put the cavitation plate at 5-3/4 " at the shallowest setting. Using the middle holes on the mount puts the cavitation plate at 3-1/4' which is to shallow. It may be I could use the top or middle holes on the mount and put all four bolts above the shelf. Of course it all changes depending on how many people I have sitting in the cockpit and the balnce of the load. You need to appraise where your engine sits at its shallowest setting in relation to your engine recommendations. Also I notice my new 3 spring mount has a different mounting bracket than the 4 spring model. What's good for the goose ain't necessarily good for the gander.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.