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Outboard bracket handle

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Sidurian
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
27 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/28/2002 : 17:34:17

The original outboard bracket is out of alignment due to....whatever....and I'm having a really hard time raising and lowering the unit. It looks like the bolt going through (not the handle itself) the bracket is bent - I tightened all the other bolts down a bit in the hopes of straightening the unit but it's hard as hell to crank it up.

As usual - all suggestions are welcome except I'm not inclined to install a new unit (garhauer or whatever).

There's always something!

Edited by - on

jwilliams
Captain

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USA
357 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2002 : 00:34:51

Been there, done that.

You don't say how old the boat is, or what kind of maintenance it's had, but here is what I finally did to fix the problem on Hey Jude.

Remove the engine. Take the bracket off, then home to your workbench.

Carefully DRAW THE BRACKET or take pictures. Very important unless you have perfect memory.

Then start taking the thing apart. You may have to drive out the bolts. If you screw them up it's ok, you will have to replace them anyway. You may choose not to remove the one in the handle, but that leaves four that go thru the tubes and one that goes thru the latching cut-outs.

On the original bracket, there were black nylon bushings that were on each end of the tube, in the middle of the tube there was a spacer tube, aluminumum I think. On mine the metal tube corroded so tightly to the bolt I wound up cutting thru the black plastic bushing and the bolt(knowing I would replace them anyway) on each end in order to get the bolt out. Once the two ends of the bolts were cut the tube parts came right out.

Garhauer will sell you new bronze bushings. You can get the SS bolts locally. However, you may find that the diameter of the bolts is different comparing the latching bolt with the bolts that go thru the tubes, and with the inside diameter of the new bushings. The tube bolts on mine were smaller in diameter. When I rebuilt, I used the same diameter bolts for all (larger than original).

You will have to carefully fit the bronze bushings inside the ends of the tubes. When the tubes were manufactured, the welding left a bead of metal inside the tube. The plastic bushings were just driven into the tubes and could take the bead. The bronze bushings will not. So using a dremel or a rasp you will have to smooth out the inside of the tube to accomodate the new bronze bushings. I also froze the new bushings to make them slightly smaller when I installed them. (old trick from my Corvair/VW engine days).

Re assemble the thing with lots of grease on the bushings and plan to oil them at least monthly.

All this assumes that once you get the thing on your workbench you determine that it is straight.

Mine wasn't. The two latching arms were bent, not the factory bend, really bent. The first (first!) time I took it off to rebuild, I just hammered the thing flat where it should be. Then, after installing helper springs (see the tech tips section on adding coil springs) that were too strong, the damned things actually pulled so hard on the two arms that they bent! So, the second (second!)time I took it off, I hammered the arms flat, really flat, factory bend and all, and took them as a pattern to a metal cutting place and they fabricated new arms from thicker SS and cut the proper latching spots, etc. This was a good fix, although I had to add a spacer of about 1/4 in. on either side of the handle. The arms are straight, and you get a straight pull on the handle.

At the second rebuild I also added large fender washers on either side of the arm, where the bolt that latches goes through. Now nothing hangs up, and even though I have a 4stroke 9.9 (heavy), albeit with helper springs, it is ok to lift.

I know. Why didn't I just buy a heavy duty OMC bracket and avoid all the grief? For me, grief is less expensive than 3.5 boat units ($350).

While you have the damned thing off, doooo install a strong backer plate inside the transom. I used 7/8in. plywood sanded and painted white with longer bolts, big washers and nylon locking bolts (plenty of polysulfide goop).

Or just say to hell with it and get a sculling oar.

Jim Williams
Hey Jude C25fk 2958