Distance between steering bracket to transom? Jack plate problem.

[Ballisticb0b]

New boat owner here, re building my dads hydrostream that my brother robbed all the parts off of. I intstalled a jack plate that I realize now was up about four inches. Then mounted motor, brought boat back to my house and come to find out that since there isn't a pump hooked up to it, the weight of the motor then pulled down the jack plate back to zero and pinched the hydraulic hoses in that I had stuck into the cavity to keep from banging around while driving back to my house. :-(

So two questions.

1- is there a way to push the motor back and jack plate back up? I tried a jack against the mid section gently and it doesn't move.

2- I mounted the engine in a spot that made sense to me on the jack plate where I could get double upper and lower bolts into the jack plate. Problem I forsee is when I get the engine working and power run, the motor might trim up at zero point on jack plate and hit the transom.

So, how much higher should the engine sit above the transom. Distance from steering bracket to transom. Thanks guys!!!

[Krazymaan]

I was thinking that your suppose to in general have the bullet of the lower unit centered on the bottom of the boats pad. Don't matter where the top is, its the bottom that counts. I run my lower unit sometimes up to 2" above the pad on my STV.
You can shoot some air into the hydraulic hose to move the motor back up, it can be messy so tie a rag over the other end with a baggie over that.

[Ballisticb0b]

See how close the steering arm is to the transom. I think it will hit as it tilts up. bot sure the height of the bullet since I don't have the power on yet. I could take a measurement tho anc check. Thanks. And in the pic you can see that the hydronic ends are stuck down in between the jack plate. So I can't even get to them to add air to one side. :-/

[90VIPER]

Can you use a lifting ring and engine hoist to pick the engine up and let the weight of the boat extend the jackplate?

[Ballisticb0b]

I put a hydronic jack underneath the motor since I don't have the lower end on it and applied pressure and nothing so far. Didn't want to apply too much pressure.

[roadkill636]

If it was UP and it slowly came down over time . Put the jack back u der the mota with a board and jack it up enough so that you can see.some of the weight comming off of the trailer and let it sit like that over nite. I bet it will be UP the next day.

Please post some pics of the Hydrostream. And tell us about it and what you plan to do with it. Looms like the transom mite be week and roten due to the braceing added already

[Ballisticb0b]

Tried letting it sit and no luck. My brother and a buddy came over and we picked the engine off the boat then unbolted the ram in the jack plate. Put a 2x4 against the bottom studs and applied pressure. Still wouldn't budge. So got on the boat and bounced it then she popped loose. Was able to get the cables free finally. Then got the motor back on and ended up raising it up two bolt holes. Now I have to basically rig the whole boat from bottom up and she'll be ready. As for the transom, it's in perfect shape. The guy who had it before my dad wanted more strength so plated the back and inside to help spread the force. He also had another 100 horse I will lol.

[Ballisticb0b]

[roadkill636]

Mount the jackplate and mota where it looks like this height.center of the prop online with very bottom of the hull

[Ballisticb0b]

I think I've got it about that spot now. I'll have a better idea when I get the lower on and can tell for sure. I just took a tape measure and then eye balled about the level of the hull to it.