installing 6bta w/ 220a

[Andrew Piipponen]

I am about ready to install my 6bta into my 1989 26′ Boca Grande. We have replaced the stringers so we are staring with a clean slate. Need to fab and install the mounts but am trying to figure out an easy way to determine where they need to be and the angle required. Does anyone have any insight on making a template or where i could buy/rent one for ease of making motor mounts on the stringers?

Topic

[donald roth]

Good job!
Careful planning can save so much time and effort.
In addition to jigging, I like to first draw the project full size on the garage floor, plan view and side view, and various sections as needed.
This also helps with planning exhaust and water systems, which are often an afterthought.

[pwrobert]

Installation jigs

People who do this every day have their own shortcuts and ways to make this easier from experience. When you don’t do this every day you might need more “crutches” to help prevent mistakes.

I changed out my old Detroit 8.2L V-8’s with Cummins 6BTA Diamond 370’s and this is how I got the job done.
First I overlayed schematics of each engine/transmission combo in Photoshop lining up the shaft couplers to match.
Using this I could see the differences in engine mounting placements and get some pretty good measurements to give Tony for making me a set of mounting brackets. I chose to use modified front mounts to eliminate the water pump issue Tony talks about in one of his How To articles.

Using measurements from the schematics I fabricated from wood a basic “engine” that allowed me to bolt on the finished mounts when Tony had them fabricated. I used wooden mockups of the isolator mounts but you could use the actual mounts if you like. I had a spare transmission flange and mounted it in place on the mockup.

By trying in and lining up the transmission flange and propshaft flanges I got a very good ideal how the engines and pads would set.

This also helped me give Tony and they guys the other info they needed to build the custom exhausts for this project.

[donald roth]

Go to the “Tony’s tips” section on this website and read under the heading “Repowering your boat”.
There is a wealth of information there!
You can also find the dimensions there for your motor.

[Author]

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