Beta engine motor mount bolt re-installed, oh my! - OK! - 2012

My kneeling knee pads

   Please remind me not to do a bone headed thing like this again any time soon (It will happen again I am sure) just please not for a while!
April 2012 - Currently at Marina Kona Kai  Shelter Island San Diego, CA  

 Like removing a motor mount bolt just to get off a cable. Cut the dam cable and be done with it. Figuring the engine was new the bolt would not be a problem, it would come right out and screw right back in, figured way wrong! No bone headed moves at least for a while, thank you. Now I can think of a lot of ways this could have gone bad and badder than it did!

 OK the Beta Marine engine motor mount bolt was even harder than I had thought it was going to be to replace.

1.  First I had to kneel on the engine and work upside down.
2. Then it was a left handed job and I am right handed.
3. Just to complicate it further I could not see the bolt hole unless contorted.

 So what's new in the boating world Huh !?

Any mistake would be disastrous, how would we fix stripped out threads for instance. Helicoil them would be very tough!

  First we sprayed in some WD 40 into the bolt hole and then started the tap. This went OK for a couple of threads so that’s the good part. Each turn after that was a struggle.

The pictures are a little shaky cause my hands were oily etc.

Q-tips for cleaning out the bolt hole.

 The repetition was turn the tap a ½ turn or so and back. Do this for a complete turn or so and then remove the tap and spray in WD 40 to clean out the bolt hole and re-lube. Every few turns we would try the bolt to make sure all was going well. This took about an hour and a sore back. Lots of sweat and ...

I was very stressed all the way as a mistake of some sort would possibly be doom!

 At last the tap was buried inside the block and bottomed out or at least it seemed. I did not want to force it more as it was inside the engine block and did not want it to break off or bust through to a coolant or oil chamber.

1. Added blue Lock-tight to the bolt.
2. Add a new SS flat washer.

 I slowly wrenched in to bolt.

It got 98% in and stopped. The washer spun around indicating the bolt was not tight.

Hmmm, now what?

Had to make the usual small sacrifice (wire tie).

 I studied the old bolt more and decided because it was painted red and had the hardened stamp of I think 8 on it it was an original Beta Marine bolt. I could not imagine Phil installing that bolt and painting it the factory red color. Maybe but not likely. My choices were few at this point. I could stop and try to shop for a shorter bolt the next day? Would a shorter bolt be effective in holding the motor in?

 This bolt is a factory spec bolt we purchased at the fastener shop, so whats up, why bottom out?

 I decided that if we added a lock washer to the bolt it would not bottom out and it would tighten up. I chose the old lock washer rather than a new one because I did not want to put the added stress on the threads. This would make the bolt a bit shorter but not much. Cleaned the bolt and put the blue Lock-tight on it again and wrenched the bolt in. It tightened just fine. I was very careful not to over tighten the bolt. It is snug and will not come out.

You can see some of the filings sitting in the motor mount. I had already cleaned it up some.

 When we moved to this marina they gave us free membership to "The Club" which is a gym at the hotel and spa with steam bath etc and pool\ Jacuzzi etc. After this bolt project that was it for the evening for me. I met my wife Debbie there and relaxed. I'll repeat that this made me very happy it was completed and went well enough and was done right.