Installing a new bravo drive. The transom assembly came with a paper template. Is there some sort of hard template for this job? Also what is best for doing the cutting. Will a sawzall work?

If you've never done this kind of work I would STRONGLY urge you to consult a professional or take it to a reputable shop. This could get very expensive for you very fast!

There is a Mercury tool (hard template) that bolts to the transom to drill holes for the transom assembly and then to mark to hole to cut. I urge you to get some assistance if you have no experience. Look in my signature at the pictures link. In the rigging section the first few pictures are of the transom being measured and cut. There are a lot of measurements to take that will drastically effect the boat. Good luck.

Do ya know your motor height and where ya want your x dim ?.

sawzall Does it have carbon fiber or Kevlar in it ?


I cut a hole on a interior on my Hustler for some new speakers . They put Carbon fiber on the inside interior panels also. That was a beoch

GREAT advice! If those holes are crooked you'r done! Please, please, get someone to help you with this! I don't mean to be insulting but this is not a trivial project.

Fionn

advice well taken!

If you are going to attempt this by yourself....go get the Mercury drill jig.....and make sure you follow the directions to the T for you x dimension and remember you can always come down but never go up with out at least buying a new shorty lower gear case. If you are going to use a sawzall make sure the blade is BRAND NEW and keep it tight to the transom. Also make sure you aren't going to cut anything that may be hanging on the inside. Also it is a good idea to hole saw the corners of the opening instead of trying to turn the sawzall or whatever you are cutting with.

this is what your looking for

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...520847814&rd=1

In order to be successful with this surgery, the drilling fixture is a MUST.
Any attempt without the fixture is a recipe for failure.
I would be inclined to use the paper template to assist in finding the proper and correct location, once you know what your X dimension should be.
If the motor is already mounted to the stringers you are more than likely going to have to make some corrections there too.
Basically, the transom assembly dictates the motor location.
You are going to need an alignment tool for this part of the job.
Don't forget that you are going to have to seal the raw wood after making the cut and drilling the holes.
As you can see, there is more to this job than just using a sawzall.