Every owner of water equipment sooner or later faces the question of where and how to store the outboard motor in the off-season. Leaving an expensive unit lying on the floor of the garage or leaning against the wall means risking its serviceability. Uneven load on the body, the risk of falling, the leakage of fuel and oil can lead to serious breakdowns or even a fire hazard situation.
Homemade boat-board It solves several critical tasks: it fixes the unit upright, ensures that the water is completely drained from the cooling system, and frees up useful space in the room. It is also the perfect solution for preventive work, such as changing candles, lubricating or preserving for the winter. In this article, we will discuss how to design and assemble a sustainable structure that will last for many years.
Why you need a specialized rack and what are the requirements for it
The use of specialized support is dictated by design features outboardWhen you're in the running position on the transom, the motor is hanging vertically, and all the fluids inside are distributed by gravity in a certain way, and when stored horizontally or tilted, oil can get into the cylinders, causing a hydraulic shock the next time you start, which is fatal for the engine.
Besides, vertical storage It's necessary to make the water pump and the cooling shirt completely go away, and the moisture residues that freeze can break the metal parts of the pump or the body of a lower unit, and the rack should provide exactly this position, simulating the mount on the transom, but with greater stability than the rickety transom of an inflatable boat.
The design must be not only functional, but also safe, and a heavy motor that falls from a height can damage the propeller, diewood or even injure a person. resilience and loading capacity The base must be wider than the dimensions of the engine itself to prevent rollovers from accidental impact.
⚠️ Attention: Never keep the engine in the upside-down (dadewood up) position, in which case fuel and oil will flow freely into the carburetor or intake system, and can damage the crankshaft coils due to pressure changes.
When choosing the type of rack, you should also consider where it will stand. For a garage, compactness is important, and for the street, resistance to corrosion of materials. Metal structures are better covered with special enamels or use a galvanized profile if you plan to store it outdoors or in an unheated room with high humidity.
Selection of materials and preparation of tools
Before you start, you have to figure out what the material is, and the most common option is a steel corner or a profile pipe. classicFor light motors (up to 10 hp), wooden timber can be used, but the wood requires careful treatment with antiseptics and paint, as it is prone to rotting and deformation.
The optimal choice for a home workshop is a profile pipe with a section of 20x20 mm or 40x20 mm. Such material is easy to weld, is inexpensive and can withstand the weight of even heavy two-stroke and four-stroke units. The alternative may be thick-walled plywood, but it is suitable only for temporary or very light solutions.
- 🛠️ Bulgarian (USM) with metal cut-off discs for cutting blanks.
- 🔌 Welding machine (inverter) and electrodes (or a mask with a wire for a semi-automatic).
- 📏 Roulette and coal for accurate marking of right angles.
- 🎨 Print and paint metal for protection against rust.
- 🔩 Fastening (bolts, nuts) if a collapsible structure or installation of a wooden plank is planned.
If you're planning to make a universal stand that fits different engines, it makes sense to have an adjustable stop or a removable pad, which would require additional fasteners. To fix the motor itself to the rack, you often use a simulated transmutation board that can be cut out of moisture-resistant plywood at least 18 mm thick.
Drawings and sizing calculations
Before cutting metal, you need to make a sketch. The standard height of the rack is usually 80 to 100 cm, which allows you to work comfortably with the motor without bending too low. The width of the base must be at least 30-40 cm to ensure stability. The height of the platform on which the lower unit rests is calculated so that the screw does not touch the floor.
It's important to consider the dimensions of your particular motor. long-dadewood (Long Shaft), the vertical rack should be higher than the short one, and it is also worth leaving a margin in height so that when you install the engine you can freely manipulate the tiller or starter handle.
| Parameter | Low-power engines (up to 5 hp) | Medium motors (5-15 hp) | Powerful motors (15+ hp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand height | 800 mm | 900 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Breadth of base | 300 mm | 400 mm | 500 mm |
| Pipe diameter | 20x20 mm | 40x20 mm | 40x40 mm |
| Structure weight | ~3-4 kg | ~6-8 kg | ~10-12 kg |
In the drawing, make sure to indicate the place where the trans board is attached. It should be located at a height convenient for hanging the engine. Often two bars are made: one for the lower unit stop (bottom), and one for attaching to the transom (top), the distance between them varies depending on the model of the motor, but the standard range is 400-500 mm.
Step-by-step instructions for assembling a metal rack
The assembly process starts with cutting the metal according to your calculations. Cut the profile pipe into the required segments. For the standard model, you'll need two vertical struts, two base bars, one crossbar for the base rigidity, a vertical guide and two horizontal bars for the motor attachment.
First, the base is welded. This is a rectangle that will lie on the floor. To keep the structure from wobbling, the angles must be strictly 90 degrees. Once the base is welded, the vertical part is welded to it, and it's important to keep perpendicularity, otherwise the motor will hang curved, which will put extra stress on one side of the rod.
☑️ Pre-welding check
Then you weld the stops. The bottom stop is the pad or the pipe that diewood will lie on, and the top stop is where the transom floor is screwed. Welded seams You need to clean with a Bulgarian with a petal disc to remove slag and irregularities, after which the entire structure is degreased and covered with a primer.
The final step is painting. Use alkyd enamel or hammer paints that hide welding defects well and protect the metal reliably. Once the paint is dryed, you can attach a wooden bar pre-treated with oil to the top bar so that you don't scratch the aluminum of the motor body when you fix it with strubs.
⚠️ Attention: When welding a thin-walled profile (less than 1.5 mm), use a minimum current to avoid burning through the metal. It is better to make several short seams (articles) in a circle than one long continuous seam that can drive the structure.
Alternatives: wood and ready-made solutions
If the welding is not available for you, you can make foot-holdThis is done using a 50x50mm or 50x70mm bar, and it's done in screws and metal corners, and it's important to use only dry wood to keep it from drying, and to cover it with a few layers of varnish or olifer.
The good thing about the wooden rack is that it doesn't scratch the engine, but it's afraid of moisture and it takes up more space because of the size of the bar. factory-stackThese are often bundled with premium engines or sold separately, usually made of aluminum or painted steel, easily disassembled and have rubber stops.
But when you make a stand yourself, you get a product that's perfectly tailored to your needs, and you can add wheels for transportation, hooks for a suspension lock, or a shelf for storing oil canisters and fuel right at the base of the rack.
Rules for safe installation and conservation of the motor
Installing a motor on a stand requires safety, lifting a heavy unit with a straight back, using leg strength, or asking for help. A sharp fall of the motor on the concrete floor can deform the lower unit or damage the screw, which will require expensive repairs in the service.
When you lock the motor with rods on a simulator, don't over-tighten them, but don't leave them weak either. The motor should stand monolithic. Make sure that you keep them in a monolithic position before long storage. fuel-filter disconnected, and in the cylinder poured conservation oil (for two-stroke) or carried out complete preservation (for four-stroke).
It's also important to position the hummel correctly. If the motor is stored in the aisle, it's best to remove or lock the hummel so as not to trip. For four-stroke motors, it's critical to keep them strictly vertical; any tilt greater than 15-20 degrees can cause oil to leak out of the crankcase into the combustion chamber.
Can I keep the motor on the stand outside under the canopy?
You can, but you don't want to. Even under the canopy, the motor is exposed to extremes in temperature and humidity, and the metal stand in this case will quickly rust if it's not painted with street paint, you'd better keep the machinery in a dry room, and if you don't have an exit, cover the motor with a dense case of breathable fabric.
Do I need to remove the screw when stored on the rack?
Removing the screw is not necessary if the engine is reliable and no one will stumble upon it, but removing the screw allows you to check the condition of the lower unit for the presence of a winding line or grass, and also lubricate the screw shaft before long downtime.
How high is a long-leg motor stand?
For long leg (L) motors, the vertical height of the rack should be increased by about 15-20 cm compared to the standard one, so that the lower unit does not rest on the floor, and the rods are at a comfortable height (about 70-80 cm from ground level).