Buying a boat can be an exciting purchase. This is a measurement that has been used for BassCats, I'm 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). For over five years he has worked as a newspaper reporter and historic researcher. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; Generally, the anti-ventilation plate on most engines is aligned with the bottom of the vessel. You must be still in the blue about that matter. Lubrication System Engine Oil Mixed Gasoline. https://www.bornagainboating.com/Get Your Born Again Boating Clothing! will be to the flat part; if you measure to the bottom of the brackets With it comes a lot of responsibility and new things to learn including, Why your boat transom needs to be the right height, The pros and cons of properly mounting the outboard motor to the transom, Standard mounting is always best for the beginner, Of course, its always best to go with standard practices when choosing the, Lower mounting is not for the beginning boater, Mounting the motor lower on the boat transom, There is a simple test to see if your outboard motor is set at the best height. Most transom savers can support up to a 150HP motor, which is sufficient for most regular boats. If you have a fast boat, getting the outboards cavitation plate at the same level of the hull will ensure quick hole shot and fast top-end speeds. Expectedly, when the transom angle is zero, it means it is flat. As a dealer I don't really like hearing this because there is a chance it could go either way and you have to get it right. Check out some hot FAQs to help you get the proper outboard shaft lengths. Outboard shaft length plays a crucial role in the performance of your boat. addyd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 = addyd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 + 'vanssports' + '.' + 'com'; Outboard Motor Shaft Length For Pontoon Boat - Survival Tech Shop The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This illustration depicts four different outboard mounting height options (courtesy Mercury Marine). (Any measurement given as "off the transom" var interval = setInterval(function () { How-To: Pick A Great Portable Outboard Motor (2023 Guide) Transom Outboard Engine Position - YouTube Your at your local outboard dealer shopping for a new motor and the salesman hits you with the question, "short or long shaft?". The transom is the "back wall" of your boat, the most rearward part of your hull. 1 0 obj Safely but briskly accelerate. Lastly, knowing the year of your motor and what style of controls you have (side mount, concealed side mount, or binnacle) is also a plus because it will tell the dealer if your current controls are compatible with the motor you are purchasing. In step 3, add another 10 cm (4") to the previous calculation in order to develop the ideal shaft length. WHAT LENGTH OUTBOARD DO YOU REALLY NEED? - Van's Sport Center Is my outboard long or short shaft? The how to measure the shaft length of an outboard motor is a question that many people have asked. All rights reserved. Always weigh the risks of making adjustments. MarinePartsMan.com also says that V6 bass-boat engines have a 20-inch shaft. The clamp bracket on the latest Mercury Four-Stoke-model outboards has five mounting bolt holes spaced .75 inches apart. Also, the boat will be more likely to hit bottom or submerge objects such as rocks or logs. All things considered, sticking with the industry standard is best for the beginner. If so, send me an Typical motor lengths include the following. While this is the case there is certain saltwater motors that are extra extra long at 30 and 35 shaft. This could also affect your travelling capabilities on the boat trailer. s = d.createElement("script"); var addyd53b59933f6c3f2e8b59f1b4a6d41fa5 = 'info' + '@'; To measure the transom height, measure from the center on for transom (rear of the boat). When trimming your motor, they provide you a greater bow response. Re: Dinghy with a long shaft motor? Or it can have an angle degree as high as 30. What the relationship to the pontoons is, I couldn't say. ensure that your measurement is accurate. How the outboard will sit on the back of the boat depends on how the transom is designed. In addition, motor totes will not harm the finish of the lower unit. Trimming in, trimming down, and trimming out are all terms that a beginning boater should learn. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. would be more accurate.) "brackets". The transom is the boats flat vertical part at the back. To achieve 35 mph with a 6 hp engine, the total weight is 135 lbs (boat motor fuel passengers). The general guideline for longer shaft outboards is that the transom height should be at least 20 inches (50,8cm) above the waterline. As summer approaches there will be more boaters taking to the water. To achieve this, the motor itself has to be attached at the correct height. Remanufactured 4 Cylinder 4-Stroke Cylinder Heads, Remanufactured 6 Cylinder 4-Stroke Cylinder Heads, Trim Relays, Trim Solenoids & Sending Units, Remanufactured V6 & V8 4-Stroke Cylinder Heads, Volvo Cobra SX Bearings and Bearing Carriers, Volvo Cobra SX Driveshaft, U-Joints & Parts, Volvo Cobra SX Transom Assembly & Bellows. August 9/08). A deep Vee hull will result in a different measurement than a flatter . The boat transom height is measured from the lowest point on the keel along the center line to the spot where the outboard motor's mounting holes bracket rests. This will be the 2019s List of the Best Recreational Pontoon Boats for Sale. For example, you can have the Mercury outboard shaft length by model code. Assistant Measuring tape Grease pencil Ask a friend to hold one end of a measuring tape at the extreme outer edge of the top of the transom while you pull the tape across its width to the opposite outer edge to measure the "length of the taffrail," which is the width of the boat across the top edge of the stern. Take the center measurement from the top to the bottom of the hull. As mentioned above, the operation of the propeller relies on the transom height. What's the best height for my boat motor? Whether you already own a boat or looking for your first watercraft we are here to service your needs. Before we start measuring the outboard shaft length, lets get it clear about whats referring to when we talk about the outboard shaft length. It is extremely important that the boater understands the significance of the transoms height. Measuring Motor Height - BassBoat Central The boat transom can be flat with zero degree angles. This is the dimension you'll need when selecting a width for your outboard motor's mounting bracket. Then finally test your outboard, if the mount is perfect. This is probably the worst case scenario out of the two. Simply start with the engine in idle, followed by, If you decide to make some custom adjustments we have the. Outboard Motor Shaft Length & HP to Boat Calculating 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. h[0].appendChild(s); function loadScript(script) { The mounting height of the outboard engine is the equivalent of the distance between the base of the motor and the top of the propeller. Rebuilt - What You Need to Know, Lower Unit and Sterndrive Break-In Instructions. enableMoreInfoLink: true, If you have a question or need additional information,contact ustoday. Boats that use longer outboard shafts include: Boats with more engine power and weight require longer shaft outboards for better balance. not sure that it's still used. The center is the point where your outboard motor is (ideally) located. Beyond motorboats designed for large outboards, you will see outboards hanging on the sterns of everything from small canoes to large cruising sailboats. var xmlHttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); Its important to note that manufacturers call their models different things. At least if its too long you can raise the motor or "build up" your transom. the propshaft below or above the pad. since 1986. Proper Mounting Height for an Outboard - Gone Outdoors It moves an outboard up and down to optimize performance and enable a boat to venture into shallower water than it might otherwise. Take your time and understand your boat and your entire transom. Yes, if there is adequate space while the engine is tilted in the up position, a larger shaft length than what is specified may be used. The transom is the back of the boat where the motor is hung. Boat hulls are designed in three basic types that range from slow displacement and semi-displacement hulls to the fastest planing hulls. You can order an outboard in lengths ranging from 15 inches to 30 inches, depending on its power output and possible uses. Smaller boats may use adjustable jack plates that can be changed to fit any outboard. If your boat planes, pay extra attention to getting the shaft length as close to perfect as possible. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. With it comes a lot of responsibility and new things to learn including boat maintenance and boat basics. If you are looking to repower, they may be able to offer some sage advice. The pros and cons of properly . Once you know what will fit on your hull, you can fine-tune your choice based on the performance youre looking for and how you use the boat. They operate as a planing surface, allowing your boat to climb to the top more quickly. PDF Outboard shaft lengths and transoms - Boat Builder Central Whether your on a pontoon boat, fishing boat, or speedboat boating is always one of the best times you can have. Long Shaft vs. Short Shaft Outboard (What Are the Differences?) brackets. Industry transom height standards have been evolved during the last 30 years: 15 for short shaft engines, 20 for long shaft engines, and 25 for extra-long shaft engines. Keith Allen, a 1979 graduate of Valley City State College, has worked at a variety of jobs including computer operator, medical clinic manager, radio talk show host and potato sorter. Measure straight down to the lowest point on the hull. Your goal is to measure how the outboard will sit, so start from the clamping plate and follow the centerline of the hull. There is a simple test to see if your outboard motor is set at the best height. Recommended Engine Oil 2-Stroke Outboard Motor Oil. The amount of degrees the transom leans back from vertical is known as the transom angle. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How to Find Your Shaft Length | ePropulsion Measure from the top of the straight edge to the center of the front The propellers will also have trouble reaching the water. The distance between the ends of a transom is measured in inches. 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}'); Check the literature about your model boat online, and you may be surprised to find that the number is published for you. How Transom Height Is Measured It was a 23-foot Crestliner Grand Cayman pontoon boat. Any questions? This is simply a measurement taken from the top of the transom (top of The boater must also consider if the boat transomsupport is designed to bear the weight of a higher mount. 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. In the case of a dinghy or johnboat, this point may be the top of the transom. A2: Instead of changing to the short outboard shaft, you can try the Jack Plate first. Beginning boaters should be aware of the boats measurements. These allow the mounting of a standard length outboard behind the transom. The average transom angle is around 14 degrees. It is unsafe to have the engine block too close to the water on a low transom. Place the rulers end on the ground behind the club and let the club to rest on top of it. s.setAttribute("rel", "stylesheet"); Check out the full chart of the Mercury outboard model code and its features. Its where the outboard motor is attached, and its also where some boat owners put the boats name. Youll also want to pay attention when youre in shallow water because your prop will be lower than normal. Generally, the anti-ventilation plate on most engines is aligned with the bottom of the vessel. There are instances where a lower mount may be okay. Take your time and understand your boat and your entire transom. This distance is very important to the performance of you boat. To do so, take a measurement from the very top to the very bottom of the transom in the precise center. Ten years ago I bought my first boat. Pretty easy to figure out but like I said its crucial to pairing a motor with a boat. Having the cavitation plate a bit lower than the transom is preferable to having it too high. resting on the transom if you had the motor all the way down on the boat Another important measurement is the transom angle. If we run into that scenario, I would still show you the different options of motors and go over pricing, but I would also ask you to hold off and do one thing before you pull the trigger. 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. Youll need a short shaft outboard if its 15 or less than an inch shorter. height (that I'm aware of); probably the most common is: With the outboard shaft length too long, meaning the prop is too deep in the water, the engine wont be as efficient, and the fuel burn is high. Another important measurement is the transom angle. Propshaft in Make sure that you are measuring straight up, at a 90 degree angle to The brackets can add 1 inch to the overall mounting height of the outboard. This provides seaworthiness and offers maximum protection from large seas. Boat transom angles play a pivotal role in the flexibility of the boats trimming abilities. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. To sum up, there is a simple calculator of the shaft length for outboard motors: Outboard Shaft Length = Transom Height +/- Factors. (updated (127 mm). When the boattransom is too low, the motor could end up underwater. } Boats with extended transoms, brackets that extend the mounting bracket for the outboard motor behind the back of the boat, can use a higher outboard height. The outboard comes with mounting holes and brackets. If you have a small boat with a 15 to 17 inch aft transom, youll most likely need a short shaft outboard. a Detwiler manual jackplate. Raising the motor increases the speed of the boat while decreasing the effort needed to turn the boat. When the right length motor is hung on the transom of a boat, the cavitation plate (the large plate that extends out over the propeller) should be even with the very bottom of the boat. With more than a decade of experience cruising the lakes in my Crestliner Grand Cayman pontoon boat and my Boston Whaler, I now want to share everything I've learned with my community here at Boating Hub. If you are running a twin-engine setup, then measure the same distance from each clamping plate to the bottom of the hull. Doing this can have adverse effects. If you have a jackplate, you may have to get a bit creative in your For boats equipped with a bracket, calculate the same measurement but based on the bracket and not the transom. 7. Place the bracket on the transom to the left of the main outboard or rudder. |. Copyright 2017 Dealer Spike All Rights Reserved. Small motors built for sailboats might come in a unique configuration with an extremely long shaft since these are mounted higher off the water. #2. For vessels with transom-mounted outboards, you can easily figure out which type of outboard you need to get. In lower mounting, the engine is set lower than the recommended standard. Place the clubs bottom on the ground as though it were going to be used to strike a golf ball. Basically, there are three main ways to measure motor The height of the boat transom dictates the size of the outboard motor. Copyright 1999-2023 Boats Group. According to MarinePartsMan.com, the outboard can be raised 1 inch above the standard height for every 10 miles per hour of speed the boat can attain. Cutting the transom down is the only legal method to utilize a short shaft engine on a tall transom. Some outboards have a serial number that tells you which shaft length to go for. % want to measure from the transom to the flat part of this bracket, Spark Plug 25.0nm(18.4 Ft-lb) (2.55 Kgf-m) Later in the article is an image that shows you exactly where to measure. if (PayTomorrow) { There The performance of these boats depends on quite a lot of factors, but getting the outboard length just right is an essential first step. (1) Multiply the overall length of your boat (in feet) by it's widest beam at the stern (excluding any Fins and or Shear) (2) Locate that value on the left hand vertical column of the chart below. This is measured by the propeller shaft being parallel to the vessels bottom. If the height of the boat transom is off it can cause major issues. No one wants to have issues with a new transom or boat repairs. The first order of business is to measure your boat for the ideal fit. To do so, you will want to measure at the exact center of the transom from the very top to the very bottom. 3 0 obj I mean it is better to be safe than sorry, am I right? Outboards designed for saltwater applications usually have longer shafts. maxMicroAmount: 0.0, Required fields are marked *. This placement is not only recommended but it will give you the best performance compared to something that is too long or too short. (function () { 1855 Alpine Avenue NWGrand Rapids, MI 49504This email address is being protected from spambots. Here we will guide you in how to get the right boat transom height. Thats it. What is the Virtual Sundance Film Festival? And the rule of thumb is that you should keep the cavitation plate level with the bottom or keel of the boat. 7. How high exactly do you have to raise the transom?- - Outboard Jets The standard installation of an outboard has the top of the transom of the boat at the same level as the bottom of the motor portion of the outboard. Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. Extra-extra long shafts are 30-inches long. If possible for your peace of mind and not let down that magnificent purchase opportunity, place that 08 kicker at back transom and test for yourself. endobj xmlHttp.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json'); How to Choose Between a Motor Tote and Transom Saver to Support an bracket forward with a straight edge to where you can then measure up Gear case sits just below or at the hull depth due to the deep v. What types of boat need an extra long shaft? It also decreases the boats lift and increases the time it takes for the boat to reach plane. So if you are measuring the outboard shaft length for the powerboat, planing boat, or any boat for which the speed is the priority, take the outboard shaft length 1 to 1.5 (depending on your boat types) shorter than standard would be better. When the jet drive is on the motor, set the height so that the leading edge of the intake is flush with the boat bottom. Mounting kicker motor - General Discussion Forum | In-Depth Outdoors (function (d) { Check out the Westshore Marine & Leisure Youtube page! 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. Keep these numbers in mind if you ever have a need for a new outboard motor for your boat. Variables to consider when determining the mounting height include the size and style of the boat and the length of the outboard motor's shaft. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I would ask you to go back and measure the transom of your boat. The Effects of Standard, Lower and Higher Mounting. Boat Transom Heights - The Beginner's Guide | My Westshore Top 10 Choices for Boaters, Mercury Introduces 600HP V12 Verado Outboard Engine, The Outboard Expert: Tohatsu Propane Outboard Engine. A hydrofoil will typically level off the ride by driving the stern up and the bow down, and will stop or considerably minimize porposing on a 16 footer with a mid-sized outboard and no tabs, for example. former editor at Boating Magazine and contributor to many national publications The transom is the rear wall of the boat where the outboard engine is mounted in the middle. straight edge on the top of the transom to "extend" it out It also cuts into speed and fuel efficiency. For vee-shaped hulls, the lowest spot of the hull will come to point, while on flat-bottomed boats it will be more or less level. <>/Metadata 127 0 R/ViewerPreferences 128 0 R>> This number will likely be shorter than that for a single-engine installation since you do not necessarily measure to the point of the keel. Since the length of the shaft of your outboard is associated with the size boat, smaller engines will generally have shorter shafts. maxTerm: 36, Theyre also useful if the back of your boat has a non-standard measurement. Engine Oil Type Genuine or Recommended 2str Engine Oil. 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. However, you will need an understanding of how the degrees will alter the boats usability. 5/rC,aQhsK@Q. If the propeller fails to ventilate, the motor is mounted to low. This is also known as the shaft length. Selecting the Correct Size Outboard Shaft, What is the Best Outboard Motor for Saltwater, Diagnosing Common Outboard Motor Problems, Best Beginner Boats Everything You Need to Know. When you measure the width of the stern, mark the center with a grease pencil. What are Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and Channels? endobj 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. MPW eBay Store - Thousands of New OEM Old Stock Parts! 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. Chances are the boat was designed with a specific size of outboard in mind. I also love helping others, which is why I created this website. e-mail He is a Cavitation is when the propeller is out of the water due to the boat forming a wake of "air bubbles" or "vapor cavities" around the prop. Most of the time, adding a hydrofoil to an outboard improves performance. You reply, "Im not sure, I think its a long". Picking the right shaft length is mostly a factor of the transom height or the back of the boat. However, the motor should not be raised more than 5 inches above the standard position. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is where the outboard is mounted, and some boat owners place the name of the boat. How do you measure a transom on an outboard motor? It doesnt matter if you have a fiberglass boat, bay boat, big or small boat. The height of the boat transom dictates the size of the outboard motor.

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