Better check those engine mounts...

[beeryboats]

I'm picking up my engine from the shop Saturday. I'm like an expecting father for the first time. I can't wait. So to keep busy tonight I though I would shop for new Lord mounts for the engine mounts. I thought the rubber may be getting old. I was shocked to see the rubber was the least of my worries. The inner bushing tube in the center of the mount is almost worn completely through. The mount bolts have huge washers to avoid an engine coming completely loose, but I could have a bad vibration once the bushing was gone.

I bought this Kitfox IV used and stored for 10 years. It has 175 hours per the logs, but the engine shop said the 582 may have had 1000 hours! So, I have no idea how long it took the mounts to look like this, but I'm going to take a bolt out every year to see what's going on.
Jay
P.S. I'm going to change the bolts too. Anyone have the bolt size handy?

[t j]

Thanks for the heads up. It is timely for me. I'm in the middle of doing a pretty extensive condition inspection. The engine is still off so I'll be able to check those bolts easily.

[beeryboats]

Now I'm having a hard time figuring out what mount I need to buy. The one in the LEAF catalog looks right, but it is not thick enough. I need to get the spec sheets from LORD and see what I have.

[t j]

Do they look like these? This is a 503 so maybe not.

[beeryboats]

Yes, they look like the same mount.
Jay

[t j]

The Kitfox part number is 47001. The bolts are AN5-23.

The manual instructs to drill or ream the center bushing to .3125 (5/16) to fit the AN 5 bolt. You have to be careful not to heat the mount up so go slow and use some water to cool it while drilling.

I wonder if the builder damaged yours when drilling them? There shouldn't be any movement between the bolt and bushing if torqued down. An AN 5 bolt torque is 100-140 inch pounds.