Pontoon Motor Mount

[The Jungle Cruise]

Hello, I currently have a 1985 Sylvan 19 ft Pontoon Boat with a 1990 25hp Johnson Outboard. The problem I am having is with the Motor Mount. It has a design that I have not seen on any other Pontoon boat and I’ve looked at a hundred. It currently has two angle brackets that go 3 ft under the boat and stick out another ft. The brackets are welded to this huge box that is 3 ft wide and 2 ft deep by 9 in high and has pivot brackets on it to manually adjust the trim. The mount keeps breaking at the weld point. I’ve had it re-welded twice, stupid me never realized I needed to support both the motor and the mount while traveling, I only did the motor. The mount has not broken again, but it’s bending badly at the weld point and I want to scrap the whole thing. I’ve done quit a bit of searching on the web and even called Marinas, Boat Manufacturers, Boat Dealers and Marine Salvage Yards. So far no luck, everyone keeps telling me I need a jack plate, which I do, but I also need to mount the plate to something. The most common design I have seen is a V bottom type design that sticks out the back of the boat about 12 in. Does anyone know of a good place to pick one of these up, or am I just better off fabbing my own? With my current configuration do I even need a jack plate, or am I ok just mounting it in a fixed location? I’m thinking about moving up to a 40-50 hp motor, should this have any impact on my design. Well thanks for reading my chronicle and as always, any help will be appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mike<br /><br />

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Any chance of getting a picture of this?? Sounds like a somewhat normal transom for a pontoon, except for the pivoting part. Post a pic if you can.

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Yeah, I'll get some pics posted out on my site and send you the link.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

I agree, I cant place the pivoting deal. Have you called Sylvan? They're a good company.<br /><br />Good luck!

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Here is a link to the pics:<br /><br /> http://www.dominowebfx.com/pontoon.nsf <br /><br />The pivot points I was talking about in the first two pics at each corner, they alow you to manually adjust the trim.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Looks to me like an attempt at a homemade tilt mount. I assume this bolts to the regular Transom. I would do away with it and bolt your motor up directly to the Transom and be done with it. The "Box" that you speak of is your transom.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Is your 25 Johnson Motor a short shaft or long shaft? That will determine if you need a jackplate or not. <br /><br />

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Thanks, but that is the whole thing. The two rails you see coming off the back of the transom (box) bolts directly under the boat. The reason it looks homemade is because after the last weld job it seemed to still sagged pretty bad, so I went ahead and tried to re-enforce it by adding the steal too. Of course with the though of doing away with the whole thing all together.<br /><br />So with that whole assembly off I have no transom to speak of. This is what I’m trying to find. The ones I have seen look like a V bottom assembly that the motor either bolts directly on to or with a jack plate then the motor.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mike

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

I will have to measure the shaft when I get home tonight. I'll let you know.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mike

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

TJC<br /><br />Could you take a picture of the entire back of the boat, including the "Box" that this mount bolts too and post it. I've never seen a pontoon with no transom and am intrigued by this.

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

LOL... NP I will take a pic of the back of the boat. There is truly nothing there now that I've removed the unit displayed in the pics.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mike

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Ok, I've updated the pics:<br /><br /> http://www.dominowebfx.com/pontoon.nsf <br /><br />I also measured the shaft and it's a short shaft (15").<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mike

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Jungle Cruise <br /><br />Well, that's interesting. I guess I have to wonder where the transom went. One thing I can suggest is to not use the "Mount" that you have, as you may wind up losing the motor. Plus, it will never hold a larger one anyway. What I would do is try to find an old salvage pontoon and remove the transom and put it on your boat. Look around boat salvage yards and call some dealers to try to find one(The whole boat). Making a transom would require considerable experience and strong material. The exact model replacement is not necessary. They just bolt to the crossmembers and I'm sure it would be no big deal to improvise a bit when mounting another one. But replacing it is the only way to do it right. One may be hard to come by and you may need to go out of state to find it. There are alot of old toons around here in the midwest sitting in people's yards and the back of marinas that are shot. When all that is taken care of, you will need a jack plate to lower the 15" shaft motor for proper height. Good luck and if I run across anything I'll let you know.

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Thanks alot Rick, I appreciate all the info. At least now I know what to ask for other then a motor mount. Again, thanks.<br /><br />Mike

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Right. You need to ask for a Transom for a pontoon boat when looking around.<br /><br />BTW What did happen to the original transom??

 

[The Jungle Cruise]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Ok, I found a place in Canada that has them, problem is cost is $315 + Shipping.<br /><br />As far as the old Transom goes, as far as I know it never had one. I've done some research and it appears that some of the older pontoons came with just a Motor Box, which is what I currently have. Very wiered.<br /><br />Going to keep searching ebay and the salvage yards.<br /><br />Thanks Again,<br /><br />Mike

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoon Motor Mount

Maybe so. I also found it weird that there was a door over the motor pod. For a second, I thought that might have been the front of the boat. $400.00 would not be bad shipped to your door.