tanzer22.org / 2104 / Motor Bracket

My Tanzer came with a Fulton 2-stroke motor bracket. As you can see from these two photos, the motor pad was in less-than-stellar condition, and was slated for replacement.

Newer 2-stroke Bracket

The first upgrade was a better-condition Fulton 2-stroke bracket, purchased from John Aitken. This served well for one season, but the Honda 7.5 is still a heavy motor. As such, raising the motor is somewhat challenging.

You can see the teak pad which helps to adjust the angle of the motor here. The motor is actually too vertical here. I have since adjusted it so that the motor leans a bit farther aft, and the propellor pushes more downwards into the water. This helps counter the tendency of the stern to "dig in" when under power.

Fulton 4-stroke Bracket

Ok, now this new bracket is downright massive compared to the old one. This set of photos is to compare the profiles of the two brackets. The vertical hole spacing is identical. However, the horizontal spacing is somewhat wider. The "standard" way to adapt the teak block is to cut it down the middle, and install half under each section of the new bracket.

Regarding adjustment, it appears that the brackets have the same range of travel. The new one only has four detents, so it isn't quite as adjustable. I have been unable to budge the new bracket prior to installation on the boat, as the return springs are very strong.

Fulton 4-stroke Bracket Installation

The new bracket is wider than the old Fulton bracket. Fortunately, the vertical hole spacing is identical. Hence, I was able to reuse two of the holes. In the third photo you can see the funny angle I have to drill at. This is to ensure the bolts are square to the mount, not square to the transom.

Photos 4 and 5 show the tape used to seal the old holes inside, to prevent the epoxy from leaking inside. Due to the outside temperature, I had to use fast-cure epoxy, as polyester resin likely wouldn't kick properly.

Innovative use of o-rings. The new bracket is rather heavy, so I needed some way to maintain a thickness of sealant to create a gasket. If I just cranked down on the nuts inside, then there would be no sealant left, and the mount would leak.

My solution was to use 3/8" rubber o-rings (ie, plumbing o-rings from home depot) as spacers. They're stiff enough to support the weight of the motor while the 101 sealant cures, they won't rust, and they're not in the way afterwards. In the second photo, you can clearly see the gap they create. This is filled up by 101 polysulfide caulk at final installation.

Installation. The blue tape on both sides of the gap makes cleanup much easier. After tightening the nuts inside, I run down the gap with a popsicle stick, then peel off the tape.

The motor mount is down! This was hilarious -- it takes two people when on land. I was hanging on the mount with all my weight (yes, all 145 pounds of me), and my Dad was holding the locking lever open. Even so, it takes LOTS of effort to get it down.

The third photo shows the new inside position of the holes. The gas tank locker is on the left side of the photo. It's also clear from this photo that moving the mount towards the centerline was impossible -- the plywood backing plate simply isn't that large. I expect that moving the motor 2" further off center won't affect peformance that much!

As mentioned above, I sealed the old holes with epoxy, not polyester. Epoxy is not resistant to UV degradation. My solution was to mask the area, and touch up with some white boot-stripe paint left over from the rudder. The brushes I used are from Zeller's, at $1.50 for a 10-pack. They're officially for watercolours only, but I can afford to toss a brush after one use, if it only cost me $0.15!

You can also see the sealant oozing out in the other photos. I waited more than a week for the 3M 101 to cure, before tightening down the nuts inside the transom. Even so, some sealant oozed out from a couple of places. I can rest assured that there is still plenty of sealant acting as a gasket.