Pearson 35 Upgrading to 2 to 1 reduction

[hanleyclifford]

The problem with using spacers to raise the engine is that you don't get the easy adjustment capability offered by engine mounts which I believe are offered on this site. But with the engine mounts you will need to go the other way and remove material from you present engine sled. This is the route I chose and I like the easy engine alignment I now enjoy.

[hanleyclifford]

Motor Mount

This is the best type of mount that I have found.

[sastanley]

hanley, I have the same mounts and they are great (one of the few OEM things I've found on my Catalina that still work..) - It is likely the same one (from the pictures in the catalog) as sold here. Even though my mounts hadn't moved in 33 years, with a 4 lb. sledge and a pipe, I was able to move mine athwartships and also up & down easily with a 25mm wrench when aligning my engine/shaft this summer.

Highly recommended.

[ndutton]

aka DF-100, standard issue even back in the 70's. Note that there are matching castings available that raise the mounts.

http://www.pearson35.com/p35articles/documents/DF-100.pdf

[jeffgerritsen]

Would love to install motor mounts but... I'm out of room at the stern end of the engine sled. The back bolt hole has no room to access the tightning nut underneath of the engine sled. So the factory welded nuts on to flat steel (about 1 x 8) and one could tighten the bolts from the topside. The only way to get more room beneath the engine sled is to move the engine install forward about 2 - 4 inches - then I run into cabinet problems and would have cabinet rework to perform.

Folks, I think I'm between a rock and a hard place. I have 1.042 inches to play with, and no motor mount is that low profile, unless someone has an idea?

Jeff

[msauntry]

Please, please, please.... Go buy some zip ties and at least bundle up those wire runs! Engines like to run in tidy spaces

[hanleyclifford]

The mount is set onto hangar bolts. Just install the thing like a woodscrew into the sled and then use a nut over the machine thread end. No undrneath access is needed.

[jeffgerritsen]

Please, please, please.... Go buy some zip ties and at least bundle up those wire runs! Engines like to run in tidy spaces

I agree. As a matter of fact while the engine is out I plan to put all of the wires in looms and add a batt negative buss to place all of the common heavy guage wires onto so I only have one ground wire attaching to the engine block - not the 20 or so I had before.

[jeffgerritsen]

The mount is set onto hangar bolts. Just install the thing like a woodscrew into the sled and then use a nut over the machine thread end. No undrneath access is needed.

Hanley,
I looked over my prior post, it didn't make sense because I left out a sentence. Sorry for the ambiguity there. So here goes again

Originally, the A4 was bolted directly to the engine sled without motor mounts. I wish to add motor mounts to make prop shaft alignment adjustments easier and lessen possible engine vibration.

In order to match up the new gear reduction unit output shaft with the existing prop shaft I need to raise the engine 1.042 inches. The min adjustment height of the motor mounts is 1.875 inches (DF-100). In order to make up the needed space of two inches, I would need to notch out (or cut out) the engine sled about 1 inch so I would have enough adjustment room for the motor mounts - about 2 inches.

But in the stern of the engine sled, it's right up against the hull with no room to make a notch in the engine sled to give me the total room of two inches for the motor mount.

The only way to gain more notching room is to move the engine forward, but then I run into the galley cabinetry and would cascade into even more mods than I planned.

I hope this explanation makes more sense.

[ndutton]

Jeff,

You mentioned the engine was originally bolted down hard to 3/8" steel plates with nuts welded in place. As an extension of Hanley's thought, could you make some adjustable mounts out of threaded rod? It would have to be maybe grade 5 to 8 for hardness. You'd be able to get your 1.043" height increase and pick up some vertical adjustment. You'd have no side to side adjustment but you didn't before. Here's a quick drawing.

If vibration underway is a concern, was there a problem before? A well running A-4 is pretty smooth. Further, the Newport 30 had the A-4 engine bolted down hard and I never heard of any related problems/complaints. I agree this isn't the optimum arrangement but sometimes we're limited by other factors. Maybe better to get what you can, go with the flow as it were.

[hanleyclifford]

Further to Neil's idea - Overbore the oil pan mounting holes and install off center bushings that rotate; then you will have the athwartships adjustment. I have seen these advertised in McMaster, I think.

[joe_db]

I know someone that had a C&C 38 with a 2:1 drive and then went diesel. The diesel was better even at the same "30 HP".
So I would go for the Indigo prop. If that isn't enough, go diesel. My own 35 foot boat with an Indigo does OK, so definitely try that first and save $8700