Question regarding the two rear motor mounts on a 496 to bravo x/1 transom plate.

Was fishing around behind my engine looking for the pitot fitting to block off due to a GPS speedo install when I noticed that a motor mount bolt was slightly loose. I could pull up on it about 1 millimeter. Checked the second mount next to it and same thing. Decided to check the other two mounts on the other engine... same thing! All had about 1 mm of play that you could wiggle the bolt up and down. All hardware is there... nuts are on the bottom still...I tightened them up and they tightened just fine... weren't locked up or stripped or anything weird.

From my reading it appears these bolts would not affect engine alignment as there is no adjustment... the engine bellhousing was still sitting tightly on the transom plate where it needs to be and all my front motor mounts seem to be tight as well.

QUESTION: What would cause them all to be slightly and evenly loose? Maybe never tightened down from when boat was built? Maybe someone loosened them up when doing an engine alignment and forgot to tighten? Opinions please? Would this cause any damage?

For reference these are the bolts I am talking about:



Thanks

probably not tightened enough when installed. never seen them work loose.

I think its more common that you would like to believe. Mine were loose when I re-did my engines in the 342.