jackplate purchase and install questions

[Guest buick14]

Hey there,

 

I have a bass boat with a 115 and was looking into purchasing a hydraulic jackplate

 

I was wondering:

 

If anybody knew of a good place to purchase one from?

what the best company is ?(CMC vs.?)

what spacer size should i use (boat is 16'3)

What it would take for an install (by a mechanic not me...) if anybody had one installed, estimate of price for the install etc.

any suggestions or comments, talk me out of it or into it?

 

thank you very much in advance, always helpful !

Edited June 22, 2009 by buick14

[Terry]

if you have something to remove the motor and hold it in place while you install the jackplate, then it's a piece of cake

[Guest buick14]

no, I dont at all....I meant for the mechanic, its four bolts right? they should'nt have that tough a time installing it with the right equipmentand hoist etc?

[Terry]

oh yeah

takes no time at all to do

[Guest buick14]

is it a reliable unit to own, or is it just going to be an expensive add-on?

is up keep easy?

will it potentially reduce the amount of water entering the rear of the boat when I slow it down a little quick?

 

thanks!

[Terry]

I don't think it helped me with stopping the water coming over the back of the boat I never thought about it,

I did find the best spot to run for top speed and the best spot in rough water

I really liked having one on a couple of bass boats

[misfish]

Take yer pick.

 

Both are well known and will surfice your needs.

 

Topgun Marine

131 Holland W

Bradford ON,

 

Phone #: 905-775-0862

 

Extreme Marine

2001 Albion Road

Etobicoke, ON M9W 6V6

(416) 674-7142

[mikeh]

How long are you planning on keeping the boat? if you are going to keep it a couple of years I'd say get a mamual one installed, they are alot cheaper. with the install you have to make sure the cables are long enough or you will need new ones. I just had two cables replaced , they also had to take the motor off and the total cost was $800.

[musky66]

If you are just worried about water over the transom- install wave whackers and be done with it.

[Garnet]

Hydraulic jack plates are very expensive for your return about 1.5 mph, they will improve your shallow water launches . Manual jack plate will get you very close to this performance.

 

You still need to mess with props and heights and then a good boat driver will still get more mph.

 

Garnet

[legacey]

I'm glad to read this thread...answered questions I've had too.

 

Thanks

[charlesn]

is it a reliable unit to own, or is it just going to be an expensive add-on?

is up keep easy?

will it potentially reduce the amount of water entering the rear of the boat when I slow it down a little quick?

 

thanks!

 

Some units are more reliable than others. Bob's Machine Shop seems to be one of the most recommended. Still, you have to figure than anything that CAN break on a boat, WILL break eventually. On a 115, will it be worth the extra money? In my opinion, probably not.

 

I'd say upkeep is easy, then again, upkeep on a manual jack is pretty much non-existent other than making sure the bolts stay tight.

 

It will not reduce the amount of water entering (backwash) in fact, it could make it worse as it extends the centre of gravity out further away. I've never seen wave whackers on a bass boat, but I have had trim tabs and they worked like a charm. Helped with holeshot and you could literally turn the key off at 50 mph and not a drop would come over the back. The boat retained a level rise and level drop which helps with visibility too for a short critter like me.

 

A hydro plate will help you:

-dial in the sweet spot for max speed

-get on plane in skinny water

-stay on plane in shallow water with the motor higher up

-get better holeshot by dropping the motor to allow for more bite at start up

 

Trim tabs will help you:

-with holeshot

-staying on plane at a slower speed

-prevent backwash

 

BUT, with a bit a boat testing you can get a good jack plate height and match that with the right prop and be happy. Especially at 115 HP. Also, the cheapest cure for backwash is to remember to feather the gas as you're coming off plane.

 

Charles