sheet metal srews should be outlawed on a boat. I made myself a promise that every time I found one loose, instead of tightening it, I would replace it with a bolt.

So you guys suggest through-bolting? I have never seen this done before. Does anyone have their hatch motor through-bolted? I guess I don't mind doing that, but I am unsure about how it would look. Any advice?

Although I am a Marinetex fan, I think Too Old is right. When I thought about it, I remembered going through the same thing on an old boat. They had used lag bolts into the framing of the hatch and they pulled out. I tried to reseal them back in but they did it again. I ended up through bolting under the pad and never had another problem. You may have to relieve a small portion of the pad backing to let it lay flat-I used a rasp bit on a drill but you could also use a router.

Too Old, it is the other end. It pulled out from the transom. Sorry for the confusion.

mpally, I was trying to point you in the right direction, I boat on the Great Lakes, my boat takes a pounding on some days. I try to thru bolt as many things as possible just so I don't have to worry about screws backing out of falling out. A little work now saves alot of work later.

here is another perspective. you could take your stripped out hole, take 1/2 drill to it about 1.5" deep in to your transom. take a stainless bolt, put some marine tex on the head and shove it in the hole, filling the rest with marine tex. use an old vacuum hose to keep the threads clean. cut a hole in some duct tape and slip it over your bolt to hold it in place when it dries. the next day, get a few strips of fiberglass mat with small holes cut in it to slip over your new stud, and some resin after removing the duct tape, and fiberglass over your new marine texed in stud. if that ever pulls out you probably have bigger problems anyway. :p

The only problem with moving the hatch motor up or down is the clearance of the distributor cap. I know there is not much room there. Maybe I will call Mike at the factory and get some more ideas. Keep the ideas coming. Like I said, I am unsure how to fix this right so I am not doing this every winter. Thanks guys.

How about a square piece of aluminum plate say 1/4" thick and bigger than the actuator mount, maybe 4" x4". Drill, tap and mount the actuator to the plate and drill 1 hole in each corner of the plate and you have new transom to screw into. Use some 3/16" SS lag bolts and Marine tex them when you install.

Too Old has the plan... Just make sure that you use self-locking nuts, remove excess bolt/screw length and grind it smooth... Problem eliminated...

Karl

The 1/4 plate is a good idea but 5/16-3/8 is better due to machine screw thread length into the plate for the hatch motor. Now for the transom end.....go to Home Depot or Lowe's or any hardware store and get screw-in thread inserts! This way the "bite" into the hull is much larger than the mounting plate machine screw threads used to bolt to the transom. 1/4 inch bolt is a 3/8 or 1/2" insert. The inserts could be epoxy glued into the transom as they are screwed into place. The inserts are available in many sizes as well as brass, aluminum or steel! Use stainless machine screws for all connection & use anti-sieze on the screws (no corrosion) & star lock washers & silicone bedding. It will be there forever!
I have used this method on many "blind" fastning chores & it works great.:D
Everything is flush & no thru holes anywhere. "Dowel" polish (ya' ever see the little turned circles in aluminum plate-this is how) the aluminum plate with a drill press & it will look pretty "trick".
My .02