>I will be replacing the motor mounts on my single Lehman 120. Any suggestions/tips on the swap-out would be welcome. We had the motor mounts on both our Lehman 120s replaced last spring. We had the job done by our local marine diesel shop. While I know the theory of how to change the mounts and re-align the engine I don't have the time to mess with it, I didn't want to find out after the fact I'd done something wrong, and I don't have the specialized lifting gear the shop has acquired over years of doing this job. Almost every boat is different and so will require a different technique to lift the engines. The shop uses everything from air bags to bottle jacks to PortaPowers to chain hoists--- whatever works best for the particular application. Plus they've changed mounts in about a billion Grand Banks so they knew what they were looking at in terms of tools, technique, and time. Another advantage of having the job done by a reputable shop is that their work has a warranty-- any problems that might crop up after the fact will be corrected by them. Almost a year later, there have been no problems with the mounts or the alignment. They bought the new mounts from American Diesel. I believe they cost about $50 each. The mounts that were on our boat (originals) were actually rated one size too small for the weight of the engine. However, the correctly rated mounts would have put the engines too high to clear the underside of the cabin sole. Since the boat was built this way, and since the mounts lasted 30 years, and since the modifications required to use the next size up would have cost more than the change was worth, we all decided to simply go with the same size mounts again. And according to a good friend who's the head of the engineering department of one of the leading suppliers of marine diesels and generators, there is one advantage to using the smaller mount, and that is that while they won't last as long (30 years seems okay to me, but you never know), they will actually absorb a bit more vibration than the heavier, stiffer mounts. Engines usually sit deeper in a single, so I doubt you'll have the same situation we did. The shop estimated it would take two mechanics two days to do the job (change mounts, realign engines), assuming they didn't run into anything unexpected like a frozen bolt, etc. They did not run into any unexpected problems and the job took exactly what they had estimated. So if you elect to have the job done, figure it to be a one-day job or maybe less since maneuvering around in an engine room with one engine in it is a lot easier than crawling around in a space with two engines in it, at least in a 36 foot boat. My wife and I did what we could to speed the job. We removed all the cabin sole panels and supports from the main cabin ourselves and stowed them out of the way and told the shop we would put them back. So when they got to the boat, the engine room was completely uncovered and access was clear of obstructions. Having us dealing with the boat prep and sole replacement eliminated at least a couple of hours of work on the part of the shop crew. At $75 an hour or thereabouts per mechanic, it was worth doing. You can certainly do the job yourself if you have the time and the tools for the task. I got all sorts of comments on this list about how stupid I was to be hiring this job out when a five-year-old could to it with one hand tied behind his back. Like I said, I know the theory of how to do it-- I've removed and replaced engines from vehicles-- but I don't have the time nor did I want to take the chance of damaging the boat as I worked my way up the learning curve. From the mechanical point of view, lifting the engine, replacing the mounts, and re-aligning the engine to the shaft is very easy. But doing the job in the cramped confines of a boat hull is not quite the same as doing it in a garage. We felt it was far more cost effective to hire the job out. Others with more experience, the right tools, and more time will feel it's more cost-effective to do it themselves. ______________________________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington

                                      Regards....

When I blew my starboard Velvet drive, I went up one size when replacing the motor mounts because the new Twin Disk needed to have the engine about 2 1/2" higher. I had to remove and drill out the brackets to take the larger stud, but it was worth it IMHO. Regards.... Phil Rosch Old Harbor Consulting M/V Curmudgeon MT-44TC Currently Lying Black Point, Great Guana Cay, Exuma, BA.