A lock on my outboard?

M

Marco Flamingo

Active member
I was looking at the possibility of adjusting the height of my outboard and saw this for the first time. There appears to be a keyed nut on one bolt, something like a locking lug nut to keep people from stealing your wheels and tires. It is a SS cylinder that just spins around and doesn't allow access to the two SS nuts behind it.

Is the "key" something that the prior owner should have given me? Maybe something that a Yamaha dealer would have? I'm not looking to make an immediate height change, but maybe I should get started finding out how to get a key or a work-around.

Mark
 
I just talked to the Yamaha dealer and he had heard of locks like these but it's not a Yamaha item. He recommended removal with a grinding wheel as the fastest option. Probably right. I posted two pictures of it in the "Limpet" file.

When I told him that I thought a Yamaha 50 would be difficult to steal, he told me that he once had two guys show up with one in their trunk that they wanted to sell to him. All the cables were cut.

Mark
 
Marco Flamingo":3wh7u7b3 said:
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When I told him that I thought a Yamaha 50 would be difficult to steal, he told me that he once had two guys show up with one in their trunk that they wanted to sell to him. All the cables were cut.

Mark
Click to expand...

A few years back, we heard about a OB theft ring that had an 18 wheeler truck rigged up as a chop shop, operating in the PNW.

They would steal a boat/motor/trailer, then strip it in the trailer, leaving the hull and trailer off somewhere after the engine and electronics were harvested.

Also, we've heard of thieves cutting the OB off the transom with a chain saw to save time on those slow, pesky nuts and bolts. Bolt cutters free the motor from the control lines quickly.

The general analysis is that it's hard to re-sell these motors, so they think most of them are shipped overseas to third-world countries sealed in shipping containers.

Imagine finding your C-Dory with the motor(s) removed "surgically" by Barney Buzz-Saw and the Mid-Nite Motor Supply Gang!

Is your insurance paid up and does it cover theft, etc?

Forewarned is forewarned..............!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Guess I need to post this sign on the back of my C-Dory:

"Hi, Interested in talking about my boat. Please contact my neighbors, Mr Smith and Mr Wesson"

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.highlight.jpg
 
One theory is that making the motor relatively easy to remove can keep the thieves from removing the motor with power tools and causing extensive damage to the transom. Your insurance will probably cover a new motor if yours is stolen.

If you have to rebuild a transom after the motor is removed in this fashion, the inclusion of a couple of pieces of rebar (or the like) across the top (embedded in the FG) will probably help it from happening again. It wouldn't be that hard to incorporate "anti-theft" construction like that in the transom to start with.
 
Spike":jr6jf301 said:
Worse comes to worse, I have a key you could use
Click to expand...

At first I thought "what are the chances that your key would work?" Then I thought I'd Google "outboard locks." And here it is:

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/mcgard--o ... 88_001_501

I would guess that the chances are pretty good that it's just one key pattern. Maybe just buying one at West Marine would be the best route.

Mark

Boat tale: I needed to do some swaging and was pricing a swaging press at West Marine to see if it would be cheaper to just buy the swaging press (similar to bolt cutters) and do it myself. My favorite West Marine employee (now retired) winked and said "We take returns." I said "On a swaging press?" He said "I've sold this one at least five times." Maybe I could buy an outboard lock and "see if it works."
 
Mark
That is the same brand as on mine. Would think that my key would fit your lock, but I am not sure if they made more than one pattern of key or if they are all the same. Chances are they are all the same. I do know that I did not pay a lot for it. Might be worth your while to have your own. But the offer still stands if you want to use my key
 
Spike":32aysxuu said:
Mark
That is the same brand as on mine. Would think that my key would fit your lock, but I am not sure if they made more than one pattern of key or if they are all the same. Chances are they are all the same. I do know that I did not pay a lot for it. Might be worth your while to have your own. But the offer still stands if you want to use my key
Click to expand...

Thanks. I just ordered one from Amazon on the hopes that there is only one. Should know by this weekend.

Mark
 
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