Why does my motor mount keep breaking?

[Ryan Turner]

The forward motor mount on my Universal Model 5424 diesel broke again! This is the third time it's broken. There's got to be something wrong that I haven't yet discovered but I don't know what it might be. Does anybody out there have any ideas? I'll describe the history and symptons:

After buying the boat (1983 Cape Dory 33, hull no. 100) in August of 98 I discovered that the forward motor mount was broken. No big deal I thought, I'll just replace it. So I had the yard replace the mount and realign the engine. Then this past November I discovered that the new mount had broken. I replaced it and now in January I find the same mount to be broken again. Surely there must be something wrong. But what?

The mount breaks at the bolt that passes through the tang on the engine -- just below the lower-most nut. The bolt just breaks in two right below the nut (the one that you use to raise or lower the front of the engine).

I've got one theory: one or both of my rear engine mounts is broken. Then, when I really give the engine some throttle, the engine twists because it's not securely attached to the hull of the boat. Any twisting motion of the engine would surely stress the forward engine mount bolt right where it's attached to the tang. What do you think? Any other ideas? I could sure use some help with this one.

Ryan Turner
s/v Zenobia
Cape Dory 33
Hull no. 100
Oriental, NC



rturnertec@aol.com

[Brewer Ezzell]

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Ryan,

Perhaps its your curse for going to the islands while the rest of us are stuck back on the mainland in the "rat race".

Hope someone can offer you a suggestion. Take care and good sailing!

Brewer Ezzell
s/v BLACKBERRY
a Morris Frances 26



bezzell@murphyfarms.com