ETEC 225HO on 245 Explorer--chip in glass

[chris222ccp]

Hi there,

I have a chunk of fiberglass missing right on the bottom of where the motor mounts to the transom.  What is causing this?  Should I be alarmed?

Just put the motor on last year.  I will post pics right now.

Thanks!

Chris

[chris222ccp]

pics


http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n233 ... 20transom/

[wingtime]

Looks like a chip of gel coat came off.  either from the mounting bolts being too tight (doubt that), damage that happened during install, or there was a casting burr on the bottom of the mount that chipped the gel.  I don't see any spider cracking going on...  so I wouldn't worry about it too much.   Put some marinetex or some 5200 on it to seal it up.

[chris222ccp]

that was my plan.  Thanks!

[seabob4]

Looks like a chip of gel coat came off.  either from the mounting bolts being too tight (doubt that), damage that happened during install, or there was a casting burr on the bottom of the mount that chipped the gel.  I don't see any spider cracking going on...  so I wouldn't worry about it too much.   Put some marine=tex of some 5200 on it to seal it up.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

[saltfly]

I saw that on one other boat. It happened because the mounting bolts where not tight enough and the motor  slipped up and down in a tight turn. Most people do not torque their mounting bolts. Their fore you do not have even pressure on the mounting bracket. It doesn’t show up till, something like that happens. And unless you check how tight your mounting bolt are, you never know the motor is slipping from torque in turns.  It may not be your problem, but worth checking.

[chris222ccp]

I thought I torqued them?  It was over a year ago.  Does anyone remember the foot pounds I should do?  I will retorque them.

[saltfly]

I can’t remember what most torques are now, it been awhile .but if you use the torque for ½ inch grade 5 bolts.  80 ft lbs, you would be close. As the grade of the bolt goes up or down, the torque changes. You also have to remember, your most likely using elastic stop nuts (nuts with a plastic locking feature). Those heat in run down and once you stop they cool. Once you try to torque them, start up torque is high. And in most cases, you will meet your torque with out the bolt really being seated. People who torque , most of the time. Run their nuts down and then come back and torque. And in most cases, they meet the torque. But the nut isn’t really torque to a good seating torque. So if you are going to torque again get the nut started and read your torque after it is moving. Not as soon as you begin tightening. When I was working. We had a problem with those nuts. Not being tight. We found after checking the above was true. So we tested just what happens with elastic stop nuts and after testing 100 ¼- 20 bolts and nuts. The above happened. So we had to change our assembly procedures for those nuts. You can also in your search on the web. Type in bolt torques. Look for the engineering hand book torque chart. It will give you any torque you need. Hope this helps. But like I said. It may not be your problem, but only worth checking.