Actual shaft length is 21.5" on those. When the boat transom is too low, the motor could end up underwater. Other boats that need extra long shafts are: Read my other articles on outboard motors. Attention: Remember to measure the outboard shaft length straight up and down instead of measuring along the transom. There are a series of four to six holes at the top of the bracket, and the lower bolts actually fit into slots. To break it down a bit more for you: Short shafts are 15-inches long. hulls, such as Allisons, Bullets, Strokers, etc., this measurement could If your boat is newer and the manufacturer is still in business, you might also want to try to give them a call. If it measures between 17 and 22, youll want to go with a long shaft motor. If it measures anywhere from 17" to around 22", then your going to want to go with a long shaft motor. Wherever the outboard clamping bracket is, use this as the basis for measurement. gtag('js', new Date()); The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". You must be still in the blue about that matter. The faster your boat, the more critical it is to get the sizing just right. The boater must also consider if the boat transom support is designed to bear the weight of a higher mount. x\[D~OUCO6[j](l%ay <8cylY{.L2s#]~U6A|Wj]-oo|mubqY6wbY_|!>Z8(RB:RHeTzOGO_=~t\ Ideally, you want the outboards cavitation plate, also called the anti-ventilation plate, to be at the same level as the bottom of your hull. It will ensure that the outboards trim will be effective, and it will save you gas too. out the confusion. For most boaters this is a no brainer, but for the novice or inexperienced boater it may be a tougher question. All rights reserved. One of the great things about an outboard motor is how versatile it is. Adjusting the mounting height of an outboard on the boat transom can affect performance and every boat can be different, so actual on-water testing is best. This is a measurement that has been used for BassCats, I'm Engine Oil Mixing Ratio Fuel 50: Engine Oil 1. var h = d.getElementsByTagName("head"), The average transom angle is around 14 degrees. You'll need a short shaft outboard if it's 15 or less than an inch shorter. And thats usually the case since the electric outboards are designed with larger and more efficient propeller that needs longer shaft. The transom angle is the vertical incline of the transom and is measured in degrees. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Increased RPM and additional horsepower feed the need for speed. If you have a jackplate, you may have to get a bit creative in your On the downside, a higher mount can interfere with the boaters steering capabilities. All things considered, sticking with the industry standard is best for the beginner. This email address is being protected from spambots. Sluggish speeds, poor handling, heavy spray, porpoising, or even water pushing up into the cowling are all signs that an outboard is set too low. Place the point of a yardstick at the middle of the top of the boat transom. Generally, the anti-ventilation plate on most engines is aligned with the bottom of the vessel. Doing so, will put the propeller right below the boat. You gtag('config', 'G-QX0Y76NH40'); Whether your on a pontoon boat, fishing boat, or speedboat boating is always one of the best times you can have. Allowing the propeller to pull water from underneath and push it out behind the boat. Measure straight down to the lowest point on the hull. Measuring the shaft length can be done in various ways, but the most common way is by using a tape measure. Mounting the outboard motor in accordance with the industry standards is important. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Why Rebounding Is A Key Skill for Fouth Players To Learn, Tips For Attacking a Zone Defense as a Youth Basketball Team, Why This is a Big Deal for the Sports Betting Industry. Another important measurement is the transom angle. loadScript(ptScript); This will ensure the best performance. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There is a simple test to see if your outboard motor is set at the best height. I run a 9.9 Mercury Bigfoot 20" shaft off the swim platform of my 89 Trophy 2160. actually have the propshaft above the pad.). A long shaft engine requires a height of 20 and extra-long shaft engines will need a transom height of 25. Most of the time, adding a hydrofoil to an outboard improves performance. If so, send me an 1 0 obj The motor is what powers the boat so the two go hand-in-hand. https:/. The boat transom can be flat with zero degree angles. To achieve this, the motor itself has to be attached at the correct height. The how to measure the shaft length of an outboard motor is a question that many people have asked. The height of the boat transom dictates the size of the outboard motor. So you should just measure the height of the boats transom from the center down to the lowest point of the hull, and compare transom height with the outboard shaft length numbers. displayPrimeOffers: true, Other boats that need long shafts are. want to measure from the transom to the flat part of this bracket, But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Commonly, the transom angle ranges from 0-30 degrees, with the average transom angle set at 14 degrees. For over five years he has worked as a newspaper reporter and historic researcher. These two measurements will give you the length of the shaft you need. This, however, is not recommended for the beginning boater. logoColor: "original", An outboard motor can drive just about any sort of boat with proper mounting. function mpeInit() { Mounting the outboard a little bit lower than the standard point could avoid the possible ventilation and slip on acceleration. On this type of boat, if you are in doubt, default to the longer-shafted outboard. No one wants to have issues with a new transom or boat repairs. You can find your Mercury outboard model code on an ID plate or sticker. Say the 20 shaft is a long shaft length for gas engines, but it is a short shaft length for electric outboard motors. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; xmlHttp.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json'); addyd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 = addyd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 + 'vanssports' + '.' + 'com'; MPW eBay Store - Thousands of New OEM Old Stock Parts! center of the propshaft. Basically, there are three main ways to measure motor What matters is the actual measurement in the specifications, not the name. |. If you have a short shaft motor, the distance between the top of the transom and the bottom of the boat should be between 15 and 16 inches. maxMicroAmount: 0.0, The amount of degrees the transom leans back from vertical is known as the transom angle. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.2 841.8] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> The height of the transom is calculated by measuring from the bottom of the hull to the top of the transom, using the center line. The rearmost structural member of your boat, it not only distributes the stress of the hull generated by the bow's impact as it cleaves the water, it's the place you hang your outboard motor. Rest the yard stick or another suitable straight edge along the keel on the bottom of the boat so that it makes a straight line aft to the outboard. If your boat planes, pay extra attention to getting the shaft length as close to perfect as possible. Step 3: Add another 10 cm (4'') to the previous calculation for the final ideal shaft length. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Check out the full chart of the Mercury outboard model code and its features. The clamp bracket is designed so that the engine's mounting height on the transom can be adjusted higher than standard. Generally, short shaft outboards are 15 inches, long shaft outboards are 20 inches, and extra-long outboards are 25 inches. Trimming in, trimming down, and trimming out are all terms that a beginning boater should learn. Recommended Engine Oil 2-Stroke Outboard Motor Oil. (function (d) { So from there, I will try to help out by asking questions about your boat such as what type it is and the length. The boater must also consider if the boat transomsupport is designed to bear the weight of a higher mount. Your at your local outboard dealer shopping for a new motor and the salesman hits you with the question, "short or long shaft?". This is also known as the shaft length. endobj xmlHttp.send('{"store_id":"369079","timezone_offset":"-5","timestamp":"2023-03-04T05:39:31.71020200Z","visit_id":"e2642be3-34e5-4a48-b89d-639d139834e0","channel_id":1}'); #2. Doing this can have adverse effects. Simply start with the engine in idle, followed by, If you decide to make some custom adjustments we have the. ), and place it on the bottom of the pad in the center. Any owner seeking the last bit of speed from an outboard-powered boat should grab a yard stick. There Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. var addy_textd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 = 'info' + '@' + 'vanssports' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5').innerHTML += ''+addy_textd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5+'<\/a>'; Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "brackets". With such an important, long-term, and expensive upgrade, its never a bad idea to double-check. Knowing how this can affect the overall operation of the boat is a factor to be considered. Check out the Westshore Marine & Leisure google plus page! The engine must be linked to the transom at the proper height for a propeller to best meet specific boating demands. endobj The collapsing bubbles are loaded with extremely low-pressure water vapor, which causes damage to a variety of surfaces as they collapse. Take the center measurement from the top to the bottom of the hull. The transom is the flat vertical section at the rear of the boat. Thats a fairly simple list of symptoms, but if your motor is too low, youll probably notice at least one of them. Check out some hot FAQs to help you get the proper outboard shaft lengths. Two years ago, I bought a Boston Whaler to fish off the coast. To achieve this, the motor itself has to be attached at the correct height. You can order an outboard in lengths ranging from 15 inches to 30 inches, depending on its power output and possible uses. Attention: Remember to measure the outboard shaft length straight up and down instead of measuring along the transom. So how to measure outboard shaft length? enableMoreInfoLink: true, Here we will guide you in how to get the right boat transom height. Picking the right shaft length for your outboard is an essential step in getting the best performance from your boat. It can also improve the experience of driving a faster boat. :$I>M W$h"%U_yzIb?]NHg_G|r@nX eTf."SQ The outboard shaft length is the vertical distance between the top of the mounting clamp bracket and the bottom of the cavitation plate (aka the ventilation plate). Extra-extra long shafts are 30-inches long. The dealer just hit you with the long or short shaft question and you have no clue as to what you need or even what he's talking about. 3 0 obj Outboard shaft length plays a crucial role in the performance of your boat. This also means it can affect the safety of the boat. These are vertically aligned so the boater can make adjustments. With the long side (22 1/2), place a carpenters square ) in opposition to the keel. The first order of business is to measure your boat for the ideal fit. A long shaft engine requires a height of 20 and extra-long shaft engines will need a transom height of 25. I would also recommend finding your maximum horsepower rating which is located on the yellow coast guard tag towards the back of your boat. So if you are measuring the outboard shaft length for smaller boats, inflatables, dinghies, sailboat or other low-speed work boats, the cavitation plate is often about 2 below the bottom. Also, how do you determine the length of an outboard transom? not sure that it's still used. In lower mounting, the engine is set lower than the recommended standard. straight edge from the center of the pad, but this time you're measuring Now that you have a better understanding of boat transom heights its time to take out the ruler and get the perfect measurements. The cavitation plate is the horizontal surface of the lower unit immediately above the propeller. Amazon has plate extensions to allow adjustments without buying a new motor: T-H Marine Jack Plate Extension. Measure from the top of the straight edge to the center of the front Lubrication System Engine Oil Mixed Gasoline. The greater the number, the more the drive may sway (also called tuck under or negative trim). of the "bullet" on your lower unit. This provides seaworthiness and offers maximum protection from large seas. If you are looking to repower, they may be able to offer some sage advice. A reverse transom that sits too high can impact the propellers of the motor and motor bracket. Or it can have an angle degree as high as 30. Hold the tape on the top, center of the taffrail and measure straight down to the point, usually a sharp angle, where the transom joins the bottom of the boat. The height of the transom is calculated by measuring from the bottom of the hull to the top of the transom, using the center line. There are 2 steps to help get a relatively accurate figure. No matter what size of boat you are running, one of the most critical choices you can make when buying an outboard motor is the shaft length. Gear case sits just below or at the hull depth due to the deep v. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Place the bracket on the transom to the left of the main outboard or rudder. Smaller 12-14 foot boats can require either a short or long shaft outboard depending on the style of the boat and the brand. displayMicroOffers: false, Copyright 2017 Dealer Spike All Rights Reserved. Pad to bottom of primeApr: 12.99, endobj Rebuilt - What You Need to Know, Lower Unit and Sterndrive Break-In Instructions. If you have a question or need additional information,contact ustoday. This is handy if youre shopping for second-hand outboards or looking to sell the one that came with your boat. Beginning boaters should be aware of the boats measurements.

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