C26 Outboard Mount

[EmergencyExit]

Well, had left my Sailor 280 tilted in the slip a couple days, and lo and behold cracks showed up at the top corners of the tray from the stress of it bouncing in the wakes.

While EE was out for Gustav decided I would inject a bit of epoxy down in them, and use a couple of 1/4x8 lag screws to pull the cracks shut so I did not have to remove the motor. Guess what, on the starboard side the bolt didn't find any thing to bite into until it was 6" into the side of the tray.

I do have a one piece metal skin on the inside of the tray for reinforcement, its plenty to hold the motor itself, so today before I relaunch I guess I'll remove the screws, replace with longer nuts, washers and bolts that go all the way thru the tray. And I will plan on joining Windward on the rebuild the tray team.

[Windward]

Sorry to hear you're cracking up. When I rebuilt the remnants of my mount, I laminated in a couple of chunks of 3/4" ply in the motor clamp area, and laminated in one or two 3/8" pieces on the sides. Those, plus woven roving, mat, cloth, seam tape and epoxy resulted in a darn strong unit.

When you go to rebuild, definitely consider extending the mount. I should have done that on mine, but didn't know any better then.

I miscalculated the size and pivot characteristics of the power head on the new Tohatsu, and my mount needs to be extended about 5 inches to permit the motor to tilt up. In the short term I had a big U-shaped extension welded up out of 1/4" steel plate ($38.33 total, plus about $7 for a can of cold galvanizing), and will through-bolt that on both sides of the current mount with some 3/8" bolts.

In the long term, I'll either reprise the piece out of stainless or tear into the mount again and extend it. The new power head also sits a bit higher, so depending upon how the motor does in combat conditions next couple of weeks I might lower the mount just a bit.

[EmergencyExit]

I cracked up long ago. 1968 I think. I'm a bit unclear on the exact details.

You know, since we are planning on adding a 4-stroke in a year, I might learn from your experience here, and just wait till then to rebuild it based on the powerhead.

As it exist the metal lining on the inside of the tray, and the thru-bolts on the tray sides are solid enough for
now if I had a metal backing strip to those bolts.

[NYCSAILOR]

WOW...you guys are doing the right thing...you will be surprised BOTH by how heavy the 4 strokes are and also how smooth quiet and vibration free they are...

When I put my four stroke on my OB bracket ( not the transome OEM style) the 4-stroke treated my mount like it was made from paper... the good news is that underway there is very little vibration.. you only have to deal with the mass of the pwer head..

[Chrysler20%26]

I will be working on my c-26 mount this winter, my brother has a heated bilding so my c-26 will be inside for the winter. Ok Outboard Mounts the Rhodes 22 has a mount that goes up an down, it fits in a track. I like that, because you can rase the outboard up over the top of your transom. Look at the 204 Rhodes on e-bay. I will be makeing a Slider Motor Mount this winter

[NYCSAILOR]

"heated building" I am so damn jealous...a heated building ( FREE!) to work on your C-26 in the winter...heaven wouldn't be a good. it is getting cold here in the NE

[lecker68]

I finally got my new 1980 c-26 in the water after a month of cleaning and that was not all she still needs alot of refurbishing but that will be a winter project. I also am thinking of making a roller furler for her over the winter.
enough rambling but I was surprised how fast she went with my 4 stroke 4 HP Johnson on the back.

[EmergencyExit]

Not surprised, me ! This little motor pushed EE up and down the bayou to Pontchartrain for a couple years !

Good to hear you got her in the water