Motor mounts

Has anyone tried or use silicone motor mounts? Here I'm using a 12 volt Dumas motor with plenty of torque and power. (Good Lord those are $90 now?!) Usually, I use the clear silicone but only had white so used what I had. I've used this style of motor mount on several boats, and it seems to work fine. I've never had one break loose. I also find the installation and lining up process to be quick and easy. I've seen some 3D printed mounts and the motors are secured by zip ties. Is that what most else everyone uses? Thanks

 

Seems rather difficult to pull the motor for servicing/troubleshooting/etc. I would much prefer to 3d print a mount, so I can remove or replace the motor if necessary. After printing the mount, I attach the motor to the mount. Then I glue the assembled motor and mount in place using E6000. The E6000 is thick and flexible, so it can fill gaps and act as a vibration reducer. I can also ensure that everything lines up nicely before gluing it in, and can make adjustments if needed, just like your silicone mount. The big difference is that I can remove the motor to easily oil the bushings after a hard day of battling.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, it can be a bit of pain to pull a motor out, then I usually let the silicone set up for 24 hours before I'm comfortable using it. So, yeah, wouldn't work too good if I had to pull a motor at the pond. How do you or what do you use to secure the motor to the motor mount? Zip ties? Thanks

 

We used to use clay in the 80's. Talk about old school!

 

I just built a ship with a hybrid approach.... 3D printed motor mount that was held in place with JB weld. Serviceable and easy to install/align.

 

Most motors that I know of have mounting screw-holes on the front. Measure the hole distance, identify the thread (so you can buy the right screws), and a hole for the shaft and front bushing to fit through. That's enough information to design the mounting plate, then you need some sort of platform underneath to glue to. I usually just eyeball it "close enough" then fill any gaps with E6000. For initial installation, I use a solid brass coupling between motor and shaft to guarantee perfect alignment, then switch to a flexible coupling after it's cured to deal with vibrations, torque-flexing, or other issues. E-6000 isn't quite as strong as some other adhesives, but a couple square inches will hold very well and it can be cut away if you ever need to swap to a different style of motor (originals no longer manufactured, proven unsuitable, upgrading, etc)

 

Thanks for the responses and good information. I particularly like the idea of using a solid coupling upon initial installation and have used that method in the past.

 

Those Dumas motors need no maintained. They are bullet proof.

 

Yes they are. I've got a 6 volt Dumas motor in an old Sterlings Missouri I've had since the early eighties with a few hundred hours on it I'm sure.
Expensive and a bit of a power hog drawing 2 amps at full load too.