On the way from La Cruz to Chamela Bay motor sailing Debbie noticed during an engine check (when doing a systems check for the log) that the front right side of the motor was vibrating more than usual.
January 2013 -Sailing from La Cruz to Chamela Bay town - Punta Perula
We usually cruise at about 2000 RPM range trying for about 5 to 5.5 knots. The vibration was at 1900 - 2600 rpm range. When we arrived and rested I went and looked at the motor mount and the bolts and did not see anything wrong. I put a wrench on a couple of bolts but was not real thorough and that was a mistake.
We sent a SailMail (using the ICOM 802 SSB) email to Phil who did the engine install. Phil wrote back right away and among other suggestions mentioned the two bolts. He mentioned that while doing some factory service on a small cooling leak he found two loose motor mount bolts. I remember him saying that but I thought I had checked them, but it was not them I check, there are four. He also suggested to put red lock tight on them if they were loose.
The two bolts are of course not easy to get at.
I had taken a picture of them and checked the two others and they were tight. In the picture the two Phil mentioned looked tight. So do not trust a picture!
After Phil wrote that the bolts may be loose Debbie and I went in and did a tightening check. First we tried to tighten the dampener nut on the motor mount with a 24 mm wrench but could not budge it. We then fiddled around until we got a #8 Allen on the aft bolt that is in through a hole in the mount one of the two in the picture. We did get almost a turn on it. We then checked the next one and could not get the #8 Allen on it. We discovered it was just hanging in the hole. We used a small Allen to get the bolt back in the hole and then a turn or two on it. Then the #8 would line up and turn the bolt. It at first seemed stripped and I was extremely bummed but then Debbie kept tightening it and it screwed in. I then got a small wrench on the Allen and gave it a tug to be tight. We are very happy it is not more serious. Now each time or about every 10 hours when we drain the water as recommended by Racor we will check these bolts and the others and most likely anytime we shut down the motor. We do not want to take any chances while in the middle of no-where so the lock tight will wait till we summer over.
When we summer over we will loosen them some and put on some red lock tight as Phil suggested. As for now we are happy the one is back in and the other tight. We do not want to take any chances So they are now both tight and nothing happened and we found the problem and thanks to Phil for pointing this out again.
Why they get loose, who knows but it is a sure bet we will be checking all the motor mount bolts a lot.
We do an eye ball check each time before a passage and fluid check etc. Just now it will be more thorough!
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