rusted motor mount

[denemante]

Hi all - I was told to watch out for faulty motor mounts. In a twin-engine 2001 Maxum 3300 SCR, I found this on the front/center port engine mount and it looks nasty...(see picture with rust). The same mount (front center) on the starboard engine looked 80% better (see other picture.. Using phone video, I really couldn't see all the other motor mounts, but the couple I spotted looked much more "normal" than this one from the picture.

Some here have suggested motor mounts are a major issue and could cost many thousands to repair? Perhaps because the entire engine must be removed to fix it? Mounts are cheap. But the support arm (also rusted on that port engine) is actually part of the engine...

What am I up against here? Is it ready to snap and throw an engine out of alignment (or worse)? Or might it have enough beef left to last another 10 years?

FYI - the rest of the engine compartment is exceptionally clean and the boat has been well cared for.

[mmwjr]

That rust is an indication that water has been dripping onto the mount from above. You may have an exhaust riser leaking or did in the past. This doesn’t mean the mount is bad as a bad mount get play in it. You may be able to clean the rust off the mount and paint it to protect it but replacement shouldn’t cost more than a new one plus a few hours of labor to block the engine so it can be swapped out. BTY having engine alignment checked is a maintenance item and adjustment is made with these engine mounts so let a mechanic access it to see if he can still make adjustments.