Build Engine Pod out of aluminum angle iron?

Anyone seen or know about plans on building one. I have some plate and access to some 3/16th” thick 1.5” aluminum angle iron. Wondering if it’s even possible to bolt not weld something together. Seeing if someone out there has seen it? Would like it to hold up to 200hp for my 22’ Slickcraft.

 

clamp the aluminum with vise grips then connect with self tappers or other clamps, then take it to welding shop to glue it all together. should be quite cheap to just have the guy glue it up once constructed.

 

Aluminum angle iron?

 

Aluminum or iron?

 

""Brand new lengths of 6061 aluminum angle. The 1.5” is 3/16” thick and 24’ long. The 1” is 1/8” thick and we have it in 20’ and 14’ lengths"" Thats the ad..

 

Aluminum angle iron and plate.

 

Thanks Squidly hadn't thought of getting someone to glue it together. Was thinking bolts. Will have to scout out a welder if I proceed.

 

It can't be aluminum and iron at the same time. Looks like aluminum angle though. The bracket should be built of plate. It can be bent at the corners to make the job easier or all welded.

 

Any idea the thickness the plate should be?

 

6061 aluminum is Goldilocks for DIY. It can take a 90deg bend but still strong and ridged, and fairly corrosion resistant but still welds easy and well.

1/8"-1/4" is a good sweet spot for your average welder to make full depth welds without thinness heat cracking issues, so I'm told.

a $49.95 Student Edition of SolidWorks will let you do real stress, strenght, bending etc tests and L-angle and Plate would be easy to model.

 

Hi Rranger, did you make a typo with your numbers ? There is no way 3/16" aluminium will be useful bracing 200Hp, did you mean 20Hp, which is still pushing the abilities of 3/16" of any common metal. 3/16" aluminium would deform / flex with just 2 HP effort against it. Even if you stacked and bolted and welded layers of it, (layered stacks is not a good idea), it would be sub standard, and fail / corrode soon. You need approximately 5X the thickness of alumimium to have the same strength as mild steel. For 200Hp I would think 16mm thickness would be minimum, and aim for 20mm or 3/4" thick or thicker, so that decent penetrating weld fillets can be made, or allowing for threads and bolts (also not a good idea due to corrosion), as a minimum. Check out the transoms of other boats carrying 200Hp; probably pics on this site you can see, do a search.
Do you want it to rotate ? Then you need 360 deg. bracing, water seals or a well, and many more complications.

Can you show us a sketch of what you intend to do, - transom or bottom dimensions, material, and thickness, and existing knees / gussets / stringers etc; type of engine, dimensions, and its mounting method - bolted or clamped on transom or through hull; and any other relevant info you have / imagine. Forget using 3/16" aluminium, except as cable trays.

 

It would depend on the overall design. You need to start by stating the purpose of the modification. Then consider whether it will fulfill the requirements or not. If it doesn't, then the next step is to look at alternatives. Pods have become fashionable, but they are not always an improvement.

 

I am no where near a sketch but thinking something simple like this.

 

Thanks Gonzo as mentioned I'm at the exploratory stage. I have a long ways to go before the welding begins. I have a nice 22' Slickcraft with a 225 OMC I'd like to swap out for a Mercruiser 5.7 or maybe the pod. Either way some grinding and glassing needed. I've also in the past converted a I/O transom to a Transom outboard mount but I'm looking more for the quickest transition.

 

That bracket looks very narrow. Have you looked at brackets that are designed for 200HP?