So many challenges to correct a simple problem!!

[Basketcase]

Hey all! I have an 89 osprey 175 with an 06 Etec 90 on it. Love the boat! However, the motor is too low on the transom. Anti-ventilation plate is about 1-2" under water on plane. The way the transom is drilled I cannot move the motor up. There is a bolt in the top hole of the top of the bracket and at the bottom of the slot in the bottom of the bracket (challenge #1) A new hole cannot be drilled where needed because thats where the floor meets the transom (challenge #2). Seems like a jack plate is my only option but I dont want huge setback. I've ordered a CMC bracket that only has 2.5" setback and should allow me to raise the motor using proper bolt holes. Sounds good, right? Exept that my steering is about 1" from the transom so I cant move the motor back and still be able to steer (challenge #3) I need to either switch to hydro steer (spendy) or figure out a way to move my steering out of the tilt tube and on to the front of the motor. My bass boat has dual cables and one is mounted where the hydro ram would mount. I was thinking of buying a dual cable bracket (if I can find one for my motor) and just use the front mount bracket. This should move my steering enough forward so I can move the motor backward so I can move the motor up. 

Does anyone see any flaws in this plan? Does anyone have any ideas on another way to move the motor up? I'm sure I'm not the first one to run into this on these hulls. Thanks!!

[fitz73222]

Seems like a plausible solution. The dual cable adapter for the engine might be sourced through TH Marine or Bob's Machine shop or just check who made yours on the bassboat. Not sure why the bolt holes were drilled in that placement. The transom and splash well were designed for your bolt pattern and spacing. If there is interference for the bolt to run from the inside because of the holes proximity to the floor, you can't just run the bolt in from the outside and nut and washer on the inside? My 22-2 had to have the bottom bolts run that way because they wouldn't clear the floor from the inside but a nut and washer would. I'm probably not visualizing your issue correctly if what I suggested doesn't make sense.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard BC.
I didn't think my rebuild through quite well enough and it ended up that the typical engine mounting hole pattern, lower bolts, ended up on the floor joint (like yours) - my floor doesn't have the water trough in the back like most of the Aquasports.  Soooo, I bought a hydraulic jackplate, lowered the hoiles 2" and that put the lower in the bilge.  Then I ran into the problem that my hydraulic steering on the front of the engine was too deep to clear the transom. Soooo, I bought a 2" spacer and it was close to what I needed.  Then I decided to add a PowerPole adapter plate so I don't have to drill holes in the transom and that gave me another 1/2"setback.
A Frankenstein of sorts.
I think your plan is sound.  I didn't know about the dual cable brackets that you mentioned. That is something that our members can leverage if needed.

[Basketcase]

Thanks guys. I was looking for confirmation that I wasnt going to have other issues or that I was overthinking the situation. Fitz, I think you are seeing my issue and that it is clearance to the floor that is the problem. Right now the lower bolt is about 1" below the floor and trying to drill the hole higher would run it right into the end of the deck.

I found evinrude part 175322 which is a brp part made for dual steering. My local dealer has it in stock and said hed love to get rid of it! Thanks for the welcome guys. Cant wait to see what this boat does without trying to drag that plate through the water. Right now with any significant trim it's a porpoising beast and I'm not reaching rpms with a 15 pitch prop.

[Basketcase]

OK. So I think I have to scrap that plan. A 2.5" setback creates too many clearance issues with tilting the motor up. Motor down would be tight but OK, but when tilted up I would have some serious issues unless the motor moves up about 2" which I think would put me too high.  Even with moving the steering to the front of the motor, the issue is that now when tilting, the steering moves down, which will hit the top of the transom unless I go up a significant amount.

New Plan!! I have a fabricator locally that can make me a pair of plates out of half inch stainless. I would sandwich these plates between the motor and transom. It would have a hole drilled for the top bolt. A stud welded in the front side for the bottom bolt in the correct location, and a stud welded in the back side to use the existing bottom hole in the transom. He says that if the stud is tapped into the plate and welded in that it'd be just as strong as a through bolt. This will only set me back a half inch and solve my height adjustability problem. Thoughts??

If anyone has a technical drawing of the transom mounting holes for my etec it would really help me make the drawings I need to give him to work from. Thanks!!!

[Capt. Bob]

If anyone has a technical drawing of the transom mounting holes for my etec it would really help me make the drawings I need to give him to work from. Thanks!!!

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/829732/Brp-Evinrude.html?page=38#manual

[RickK]

Here is one to compare it to. http://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=12508.msg130840#msg130840

[Basketcase]

Thats exactly what I needed! Thanks. Hope this version of my plan works!!

[fitz73222]

So the fabricator is going to stack two 1/2 inch thick stainless plates to get 1" of rearward offset? I calculated the weight of those plates with some assumptions and that's 43# of plates! Years ago, Evinrudes had the blind holes shown in the diagram to allow you to mount the engine on a boat with a shallow splashwell but couldn't use the standard bottom bolts because of interference. This was standard process for mounting Evinrudes on 17 Whalers. We did lots of them using the template. If the Etec still has them, this could be an option. You would have to do some math to know where to drill the holes for the blind installation of the bottom bolts or you could actually set the engine height where you want it using the top adjustable holes, hanging the engine on a hoist get the engine lined up the top bolts and have your fabricator make you two small transfer screws in a lathe or just buy them. They screw into the blind hole on the engine and have points on them that prick mark the transom. Take the engine back off, drill the holes, done! You have engine up where you want it and using the alternative set of blind holes in the engine bracket for the lower mounting bolts. It cost you two transfer screws, and some sweat. You will have to seal off the old lower mounting holes of course. This assumes that Evinrudes still have the blind holes in the bracket. This will work!

[Basketcase]

That would be a ton of weight!! But maybe my description is a bit fuzzy. It would be two plates. One for each side of the motor but only 1/2" setback. I figure it would be pointless to have it be one solid plate going across as it would just be added weight for no reason.  So each plate would be maybe 4" wide and about 10" long. One hole on top for the top bolt, one stud going into the transom at the existing hole and one stud facing outward to mount the motor to.

I did not know about the blind hole thing. That is an interesting idea. If I read it correctly though, there is no adjustment? Once its drilled its done? If the height is still incorrect then what? I was hoping to go up maybe 2 holes and see where it sits. Aside from cost (cheaper than a jack plate) is there any reason why my new plate idea is bad? I will check to see if the blind holes exist though. Thanks for that!

[fitz73222]

You are correct in that there would be no adjustment once the holes are drilled but for these boats the cav plate should be even with bottom to 1 inch above the bottom depending on what prop you are running. I don't see anything wrong with the stainless plate adapter with maybe one exception in that you are mounting the engine on dissimilar metal and immersing it in water (salt?) which may or may not set up a corrosion path between the aluminum bracket and the stainless plate since the stainless would become a definite cathode and the aluminum would become the anode. Your zincs on the engine were designed to protect the aluminum from galvanic attack from the stainless propshaft, hardware etc. so your zinc maintenance may become more frequent. 300 series stainless is typically 8% nickel and 18% chrome which are active compared to more passive aluminum alloy when sharing the same ground path. You may want to consider getting the stainless plates powder coated after fabrication to isolate the stainless from the aluminum. Drill your clearance holes to 9/16" to allow the powder coating to get into the hole and allow clearance for your 1/2" bolt. This is what I would do if I was doing this install.

[Basketcase]

Interesting point that I hadnt thought of. What do people with stainless jack plates do? Just replace the anodes more? Perhaps I could make the plates from aluminum and use a stainless stud the same style as a wheel stud on a car? Then there'd be no more stainless than the bolts would have had.

[RickK]

Most Jackplates are aluminum.

[Basketcase]

So I see I can buy 3/4" x4" 6061 aluminum for about 40 bucks for two 10" pieces. I'm thinking I can drill and tap two threaded stainless studs into that instead of the solid stainless plate with stainless studs. (having trouble finding a stainless splined stud with a head on it) I say 3/4 because I'd be relying on the threads into the aluminum for the strength and was thinking maybe 1/2" was a bit anemic. Maybe not? Seems like if I make these plates from aluminum it will be lighter, less expensive and not cause excessive galvanic corrosion.

[fitz73222]

Much better idea and plenty strong for the application. The standard rule for thread depth is at least the bolt diameter to thread depth. So 1/2" thread depth for a 1/2" bolt. So drill the hole to 5/8" deep and finish threading the hole with a flat bottom tap. I would tap for 1/2-20 bolt to get the max threads per inch. Locktite the stud with 271 blue or equivalent and you should be good to go. I would still zinc chromate prime and paint with the same Etec color to keep the aluminum from oxidizing and looking nice. Also make sure you take a file and radius all the edges and corners to help the paint adhere to the edges. Sounds like a winner. Take pics and show us the install!