I really, really try to do good maintenance on the boat and motor. I look at things, check things, go through the factory service manual maintenance steps, etc.
But, I haven't been checking the outboard's mounting bolts. Ever. I've been using big outboards for 20+ years.
Had a great weekend - boat and motor (1990 200 hp Johnson) worked flawlessly. OK, not flawlessly, I notice the bilge pump switch at the front wasn't working, but I have a second switch at the stern, which is what I generally use anyway. I'll fix that soon.
BUT, (BIG BUT) as I was putting things in order, cleaning up fish slime, etc. after this great weekend, what did I see lying on the deck back by the engine: a large washer and a large nut. One of the two lower engine mounting bolts had nearly completely worked itself loose. The washers and nut were laying right there, which means they had to have fallen off just before I looked because just before I trailered it to where I was cleaning (about 1/4 mile), I had been right there removing the plug... and they weren't there. The bolt itself had worked about 3/4 out, but was still there too. The other bolt on the bottom was fairly loose too, but the upper two bolts were nice and snug.
This engine was professionally installed about 3 years ago, and I actually had it professionally winterized (different shop) last fall. I usually do my own winterization but because of travel, I couldn't in a timely way between last use and freeze-up and I also took the occasion and asked them to give it an overall "look over" to minimize surprises in the spring. But, I've only used it about 20 times, maybe 100 hours in this 3 year period, and I think 3-4 times this summer, total of 15 hours or so.
The big "DUH" was that I now see that the two top bolts had double nuts, AND the outer nut is a nylon-lock nut. The lower, "problem" nuts were not only not locking nuts, they were single.
An easy fix, no harm, but geeze! Why would a professional install it like this? Too lazy to find the proper nuts? Do you all routinely check this - in other words am I just a dolt for not routinely checking this? And, as always with boating....
If it's not one thing, it's another!
But, I haven't been checking the outboard's mounting bolts. Ever. I've been using big outboards for 20+ years.
Had a great weekend - boat and motor (1990 200 hp Johnson) worked flawlessly. OK, not flawlessly, I notice the bilge pump switch at the front wasn't working, but I have a second switch at the stern, which is what I generally use anyway. I'll fix that soon.
BUT, (BIG BUT) as I was putting things in order, cleaning up fish slime, etc. after this great weekend, what did I see lying on the deck back by the engine: a large washer and a large nut. One of the two lower engine mounting bolts had nearly completely worked itself loose. The washers and nut were laying right there, which means they had to have fallen off just before I looked because just before I trailered it to where I was cleaning (about 1/4 mile), I had been right there removing the plug... and they weren't there. The bolt itself had worked about 3/4 out, but was still there too. The other bolt on the bottom was fairly loose too, but the upper two bolts were nice and snug.
This engine was professionally installed about 3 years ago, and I actually had it professionally winterized (different shop) last fall. I usually do my own winterization but because of travel, I couldn't in a timely way between last use and freeze-up and I also took the occasion and asked them to give it an overall "look over" to minimize surprises in the spring. But, I've only used it about 20 times, maybe 100 hours in this 3 year period, and I think 3-4 times this summer, total of 15 hours or so.
The big "DUH" was that I now see that the two top bolts had double nuts, AND the outer nut is a nylon-lock nut. The lower, "problem" nuts were not only not locking nuts, they were single.
An easy fix, no harm, but geeze! Why would a professional install it like this? Too lazy to find the proper nuts? Do you all routinely check this - in other words am I just a dolt for not routinely checking this? And, as always with boating....
If it's not one thing, it's another!