jack plate Will I benifit??

[Six Four]

I have a manual jackplate, I was wondering if I would benifit by putting it on my 1974 powercat. I will be hanging a 1983 150 blk max on it , and running a 24 chopper prop worked. The boat is 15ft long. I will post a pic of the bottom of the hual and top, Will the jackplate put more pressure on my transom??

[Six Four]

here is a few pics of the jackplate, as you can see it has been welded to, I think it was so it would fit another motor not sure, BUt i probably can get it back to where it will fit mine if it don't already.

[Reese]

Yes, it will put more load on your transom. The math is easy.

400 lb engine placed on a 6" setback will have a load equal to a 600 lb engine placed directly on the transom (6/12 x 400 + 400 =600).

CMC are fairly heavy and you might not want 5.5" of setback on a 15' boat.

[Six Four]

Darn I was hopeing it would help me out since I already had it. Just what does it do for the boat???

[Reese]

Darn I was hopeing it would help me out since I already had it. Just what does it do for the boat???

Well you can try it and see'll handle, but you'll need to remove that plate that was welded on. A jackplate will make it easier to adjust the engine height but not sure how 5.5" will work on a 15' boat. Give it a shot...it might work.

P.s. that jackplate should not effect your transom too much but be sure it's not flexing or you'll have problems with cracked gel coat and future water damage.

[350cavi]

a jackplate pretty much set the motor further back on the boat, resulting in a better ballance, which helps the bow of the boat get up out of the water and on to the back part of the hull, and you can also raise the motor up and down pretty much with the lostening of a couple of bolts, and the turn of an adjustmanet screw, and that can get the lower unit of out the water more, resulting in reduced drag on the lower unit and on the prop, which in turn maybe be able to give you a bit mor rpm, and be able to spin the prop a bit faster and give you a bit more speed. It also makes the hull a bit or alot different to drive depending on how radical you go witht the set back, but it seems to make the boat turn a bit sharper or something like that...not sure exatly what it did to my steering, but all i know is that i knew there was a difference to it, and it wasn't a bad difference that i noticed either

[150aintenuff]

the effect of the steering is it adds torque load to it because the prop is biting cleaner more solid water and the engine torque is being transfered from the prop to the steering and through the hull at a grater rate due to the extended setback and more solid less aireated water the L/U and prop are passing through.. it isnt that noticeable untill 21+ pitch props are used and then a torque tamer should be added to the skeg to reduce the sideloading and torque of the propeller and gearcase.

[Six Four]

I toook all the extra stuff that was added on to it off yesterday, got it back cleaned up, good thing who ever welded it did'nt do a good job, i just pryed id off and took a buffing wheels and prettied her back up

[Rickracer]

....without so much setback, look at one of these: http://rickracers.com/product_info.php?cPath=50_120&products_id=35 , they give you the flexibility of adjustable engine height, and the choice of either 5" setback or 2.5" setback, all in the same unit. :cool: