Check Them Bolts!

[angleiron4]

Maybe this does not apply to most of you, but it is something for you to consider. i would recommend that you check the bolts to anything that is bolted onto your transom, more so if that something is a jackplate.

If the bolts that hols your jackplate onto your transom start to come loose and you do not find it out until a little later, the torque from your motor with start to elongate tha holes that go through your transom. You may find the bolts loose, and then just tighten up...but it would be a good idea to throw a level on that jackplate and see how it sits compared to the transom itself.

If the transom holes were elongated, when you tighten the bolts back up without checking the jackplate and how it sits compared to the transom...your engine will sit off to one side (lopsided sort of) and this will affect the performance of the whole rig. I am sure most of you check this, but you would be surprised by those who do not.

[Dave S]

My buddys motor is allways having bolts getting loose. But then he told me that it would steer one way more than the other, he thougth the hyd steering was having problems.. I got to look at it a few weeks later, and one of the motor mount bolts had backed out and was jamming on the swivel bracket. He was doing 69.999 mph with one motor bolt holding the motor on the boat. :eek: I think we will try to get around to fixxing that soon. The mounts were double nutted.

[350cavi]

using duoble nuts, it isn't the safest way to do it, try using some Nylock nuts, never come loose unless you loosen them yourself

[Mage Marine]

A very important thing to remember when using those bolts is to always, always, always use some anti-seize compound on the threads, also like mentioned on the above post is to either double nut or at least nylock nuts. All the time I break and twist off 1/2" stainless bolts on jack plates and engine mounts because NO ONE used anti-seize compound! Stainless especially because it has a tendancy to null, or cold weld to itself. Also a quick note, check your lower unit bolts as well. Remember anti-seize, anti-seize, it saves alot of time hassel.
I have had to prove this to customers over and over again!:cool:

[Rickracer]

....preferably fine (SAE) thread. And like Mage Marine says, ALWAYS use Nevr-Seez or some other antiseize compound.

[beer30]

The biggest problem I had was finding fine thread bolts with any size to them!
I couldn't find any with the lenght I needed. I even called hareware companies like Summit, Curtis and Bowman, with no luck. Does anybody know where to get bolts long enough? :confused: Chuck.

[Rickracer]

Racheer: http://rickracers.com/index.php?cPath=50_556 . Let us know if we can help. :cool: