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Thread: Motor Cover Support

  1. #1
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    Motor Cover Support

    When I installed the 406 I decided not to install hatch springs or gas struts on the motor cover. At that time however I did replace the SS handrails and decided to recycle a few of the leftover parts. This is what I came up with and have been using for several years now and found that it works for me. Although it may not work for some of the members who have addressed supporting the hatch cover, If you need a low cost hatch support this is for you. I have two; this short one for venting and a longer one to prop open the hatch to work on the engine. If I’m on the water and want to open the hatch I place a small piece of rubber hose or rubber door stop in the port side aft corner to keep the hinges connected. This is an old idea from an old guy who thought it may help someone.
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  2. #2
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    No matter what the problem is , a simple solution that works for you without butchering the boat and possibly taking away from its value later on down the road is always good !
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  3. #3
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    Ditto Steve. Thanks for posting. I love stuff like this.
    "I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction

  4. #4
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    I was wondering if you guys could help me out. My engine hatch is marring the hell out of the deck where they meet. Is there a good way to prevent that? I was thinking of a one-sided adhesive, thin, dense rubber strip that would match the fiberglass, but I don't know where I'd find something like that. Am I missing bumpers that are normally on the hatch? Thanks in advance for any input.
    Scott
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  5. #5
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    Yep that will work or you can use anything that has adhesive on one side say weather-stripping or a piece of Velcro. There are no bumpers on my hatch cover. If your latch is designed like this you can adjust the bracket to improve the fit and tighten up the locked position. Yours may be loose causing the motor cover to rub in that area. The original block of wood that secures the bracket to the tub was in very poor condition so when the motor was out I had a friend make me a new one. He has wood shop and used the old one as a template so when it went back together all I had to do was make a few adjustments; the cover fit is excellent and very secure.
    It’s clearly not the best design but it works OK so if you find that your problem is the bracket I may have one.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by SKnies View Post
    I was wondering if you guys could help me out. My engine hatch is marring the hell out of the deck where they meet. Is there a good way to prevent that? I was thinking of a one-sided adhesive, thin, dense rubber strip that would match the fiberglass, but I don't know where I'd find something like that. Am I missing bumpers that are normally on the hatch? Thanks in advance for any input.
    Scott

    I think that what you're experiencing is very common on boats with curved decks and engine hatches . As soon as the hatch moves all those curves come into play and combined with the ensuing geometry from the hinges opening and closing it's very difficult for the builder to get a good compromise of a tight , even fit without anything rubbing against anything else .

    I see a similar thing happening on the deck hatch on our Mag 25 . On the St T though , I have no curved hatches that fit like that and the only issue is preventing hard surfaces from crashing into each other and rattling . Some cork gasketing or a small button like dab of a durable rubber type sealer takes care of those problems .

    In your case I'd guess that the best way to try to eliminate it would be to adjust the hinges so that the hatch moves a few microns rearward . But then you might have only moved the problem from the front of the hatch to the rear .

    Some things I think we just have to live with . At least it's not visible when the hatch is shut .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  7. #7
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    Morgan’s Cloud makes an excellent point and in the end you may find that your hatch and tub surfaces when closed rub against each other and a simple rubber seal will do the trick. My hatch does not rub when closed, pictures are several years old but you can see that other than being a little dirty the gel coat still look OK for its age. I would try and make an adjustment and see if it improves the fit and go from there. The hatch latch receiver is slotted to allow some movement up or down on both sides. Before you start draw an outline of where the bracket is placed now and then make the adjustment. If it gets worse go back to where you are now and live with it.
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