Bayliner engine mount problem

[carrier82]

Hello everyone.

I'm new to this forum, as well as boating. I recently bought a '89 Bayliner Capri with OMC Cobra stern drive, which has a recently replaced engine (GM 350 vortec gen 1 crate engine, one piece rear seal). One of the engine mount bolts is loose and tilted. I tried to tighten it, but it doesn't get any tighter, just rotates freely. I have no idea what these bolts connect to, and what is the construction of the engine mount. How serious is this? Any easy fixes, or is engine removal mandatory?

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Welcome to iboats......

The engine mounts are constructed out of wood then with a fiberglass layover to protect the wood from rotting.

Go ahead and remove that lag bolt and prick at the wood and see if it is rotten....if it's wet... its rotten and thats why the lag bolt wont tighten up. Yes this is serious!

I hate to say it...but proly time for a full restoration of the deck/stringers and engine mounts! Go over to the resto fourm and look thru the adult only section to do some reading on whats involved.

Guy's are great on this forum and can get you thru anything involved with a boat.

 

[TJS]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Yet another example of why my mount design is far superior than slamming a lag bolt into wood. However, others on this site disagree.
It does however sound like you may have rotted wood.

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Ok, thanks for your advice. Rotten wood probably it is then. The deck doesn't seem to have soft spots and doesn't feel very rotten so I figured the stingers could still be okay. I did have a deck restoration in mind in a couple of years, but stingers were not a part of my initial plan (of course intended to check these when removing the deck). Guess I'll have to add stingers and engine mount to todo-list, perhaps transom too?

So I should remove deck carpet, check for rotten wood and drill check the following:
- transom
- engine mount
- foam on both sides below deck
- stingers

Drill testing can be done by drilling through the fiberglass and getting a sample of that wood? Can the drill hole be resealed with marine elastic adhesive without worries (if the wood is good)? Sorry if this follow-up is in the wrong forum.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Yea kinda in the wrong forum now....Maybe a mood will move it for you.

To answer your question......yes drill thru fiberglass and get to the wood... 1/8" bit...looking for dry light colored shavings...if it's dark and wet, well you know what that means. You can fill all holes with 3-M 4200 or 3-M 5200...personaly i would use the 5200.....it takes 7 to 10 days for it to get hard for the regular 5200....you get a fast set also.

In order to just repair the engine mount you will need to pull the motor.....if your gona do that, migth as well wana just do the whole job!

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Apologies for the wrong forum, perhaps a moderator would be kind enough to move this topic to a better suited place, "Boat Restoration, Building, and Hull Repair" would be the one?

I think I'll check the engine mount, transom, floor and foams quite soon. If the results are not devastating, I might postpone the repairs to be done after next season. If the engine mount has only mild damage in the bolt location, I might consider some kind of temporary fix for next season (or no fix at all? The other bolt still holds...) 3M 4/5200 doesn't seem to be a common product here in northern europe, I suppose Sikaflex-291i would be equivalent.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Pull the bolt out and check for rotten wood. May even want to drill a test hole near the area of that lag bolt first to see how extensive this is before you go crazy.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Apologies for the wrong forum, perhaps a moderator would be kind enough to move this topic to a better suited place, "Boat Restoration, Building, and Hull Repair" would be the one?

I think I'll check the engine mount, transom, floor and foams quite soon. If the results are not devastating, I might postpone the repairs to be done after next season. If the engine mount has only mild damage in the bolt location, I might consider some kind of temporary fix for next season (or no fix at all? The other bolt still holds...) 3M 4/5200 doesn't seem to be a common product here in northern europe, I suppose Sikaflex-291i would be equivalent.

Ayuh,..... You got it,.... Welcome Aboard,...

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

The angle screw is someone looking for good wood.
The boat was made with Alaskan Cedar.
Not supposed to rot.BS!!
Lot's of people leave the plug in,NEVER!!!
A couple ways to fix it. I have done the Git Rot repair.It works.
You can jack up the front of the motor.Remove the mounts,will give you a bit more room to work.
Pullin the motor would help a lot more.
Gotta figure out how bad the rot is?
Small drill bit,start drilling holes and see where the dry wood starts.
Then put in a heat lamp for about 6 weeks and dry the wood.
You can buy a product called GIT ROT.
It goes through the wood and turns rock hard and the mounts are as strong as ever.
Or you can remove and rebuild with new wood and glass it back in.Big job.

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Thanks for the Git Rot tip, jerryjerry05. I'll report after i've done the drill testing to evaluate how serious this situation is. If it's only the engine mount, then Git Rot might be an alternative. If it's stingers, floor, transom... Well, I'm not afraid of some work, but one thing is certain: boat must be operative next season. But if the situation is not critical, I won't be doing any major overhaul before next season.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

The1987 Bayliner that I had came with crooked engine mount bolts from the factory. Just a Bayliner thing in those mid 80's

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

I'll see into that when I get to the boat. Another thing - the stern of the boat was quite deep when i lifted the boat, compared to the level it was a month earlier. Perhaps 2-3 inches lower. It was very stern-weighted on the trailer as well, sitting on the swim platform resulted in trailer front wheel lifting off ground. Now that the winter is coming, I'm afraid there might be so much water trapped inside the hull that it will crack. Anything I can do to prevent this?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

I'll see into that when I get to the boat. Another thing - the stern of the boat was quite deep when i lifted the boat, compared to the level it was a month earlier. Perhaps 2-3 inches lower. It was very stern-weighted on the trailer as well, sitting on the swim platform resulted in trailer front wheel lifting off ground. Now that the winter is coming, I'm afraid there might be so much water trapped inside the hull that it will crack. Anything I can do to prevent this?

Ayuh,.... Did ya remove the garboard plug to drain the hull,..??

Leave it out, 'n the tongue up high to allow drainage while it's on the wagon,...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

How long was it in the water becoming 'stern heavy', w/ the stern lower in the water? A month between the 2 times you 'lifted' the boat?


I suspect that the stripped motor mount bolt hole is only 1 of several problems below decks. It's a 30+yr old Bayliner, there's been recent motor work (bellows & etc too?), it's now taking on water & is both floating w/ a stern bias & seems to be much heavier astern then previously while on the trailer.....

BTW: Drastically heavier at the stern can cause the tongue weight to be changed, possibly a great deal. Too little tongue weight can be also be dangerous when towing.

Good luck w/ your project, I foresee some work in the off season. Critical? Perhaps.. Certainly more likely then 'just' a motor mount.

Jerry may have had great success w/ GitRot, but IMHO, it isn't a repair. It's a temp fix that doesn't fully address the rot or fix other areas that are, or could be, also getting wet, but not yet rotten.

Once wood encased (or partially encased, Bayliner tended to be less then thorough in the 1980's w/ their fiberglass work below decks) in fiberglass becomes wet, it isn't an 'if' it'll rot, it's when.

Post up some pix when you get a chance.

Read thru some of the other threads in the resto forum, many start as a motor mount that's rotten or a small soft spot on the deck. Once they start digging into the project, it becomes much more involved.

Again, good luck w/ your project.

Boat & boat work safely.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Is it on the trailer right?
The right trailer?
If you can't see water in the bilge then I wouldn't worry too much.

I'll see into that when I get to the boat. Another thing - the stern of the boat was quite deep when i lifted the boat, compared to the level it was a month earlier. Perhaps 2-3 inches lower. It was very stern-weighted on the trailer as well, sitting on the swim platform resulted in trailer front wheel lifting off ground. Now that the winter is coming, I'm afraid there might be so much water trapped inside the hull that it will crack. Anything I can do to prevent this?

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Did some knock testing on the hull. Stingers behind the engine mount seem to be bad, transom's ok except for the most lowest few inches, engine mount didn't give a dull sound, but i'll drill test it when the weather is not so damn humid, raining every day and don't want to get moisture sucked in. I've removed the drain plug. What worries me there might be water on the port and starboard site of the hull, trapped by the stingers as well as below the stern storage boxes on both sides of the boat as there seems to be no way for water to escape.

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

It's on the original Escort Trailer. Perhaps I could have pulled it a few inches further, now the bow doesn't touch the crash rubber on the trailer. The bow is rised so that water may come out from the drain plug.

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

How long was it in the water becoming 'stern heavy', w/ the stern lower in the water? A month between the 2 times you 'lifted' the boat?

1,5 months. At first, the fuel tank was empty. Could a filled fuel tank result in such a dramatic effect diving depth of the stern? It does have tongue weight, but not many kilos, I'd say about 5 kgs. Haven't examined below deck yet, and might not do so before next season, because accidentally removed a cylinder head and now i'll probably remove the other one as well... Knock testing the boat gave me some (false?) confidence.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Of course it can. How big is your fuel tank?

 

[carrier82]

Re: Bayliner engine mount problem

Approx 30 gallons.