# Help..



## beagler1 (Jun 3, 2016)

This don't look right. I think the space between the transom and motor bracket is wrong!

I think it needed a jackplate and this is what they did to make up for it.

It IS THROUGH BOLTED. 

Thoughts.

Btw new boat from dealer. They installed motor.

















Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## Pappy (Jun 3, 2016)

Amazing. I would send a copy of those photos to customer service at Mercury. 

Just for information.....when the ventilation plate is parallel with the bottom of the boat is it even, below, or above? .... and how much?


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## beagler1 (Jun 3, 2016)

Thats all perfect. 


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## Sinkingfast (Jun 3, 2016)

At least they could have used a piece of treated lumber to take up the space... :roll:


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## Pappy (Jun 4, 2016)

And there is no wood on the outside of the transom for the clamp brackets to ride on. Would deaden the vibration and sound from the engine through the boat. Same on the inside for the clamp screws. 
Didn't even use fender washers on the thru-bolts for added clamp area. 
Clamp pucks are not fully supported by anything!


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## KMixson (Jun 4, 2016)

Mounting the motor this way makes the bracket more prone to breakage. There is more leverage on the twisting force that can weaken the bracket. You may think all is well and have no problems and then all of a sudden your bracket is broken.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jun 4, 2016)

Sinkingfast said:


> At least they could have used a piece of treated lumber to take up the space... :roll:


Never use Treated Wood on an aluminum boat.
A jack plate or motor raiser would be good. Is the anti-cavitation plate even with the bottom of the hull?


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## Wyatt (Jun 4, 2016)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> Sinkingfast said:
> 
> 
> > At least they could have used a piece of treated lumber to take up the space... :roll:
> ...


Sarcasm much? 

I'd be taking that boat right back up to the dealer.


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## momule (Jun 4, 2016)

Looks like a long shaft motor on a short shaft hull and rather than build up the transom they cheated. Hard to believe that an authorized dealership would do work like this....OR...do we have the whole story?
Save your pictures for court...this install is a crime in sooooo many ways. In addition to the motor mount that trailer is totally mismatched to the hull: too wide by maybe two feet. You might take it by a water patrol guy for a "legal" opinion just to strengthen your claim at the dealership. I would NOT put this in the water.


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## Sinkingfast (Jun 4, 2016)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> Sinkingfast said:
> 
> 
> > At least they could have used a piece of treated lumber to take up the space... :roll:
> ...



I ment to add rusty sheet rock screws..ya jk..


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## fl.graderman (Jun 4, 2016)

When I bought my Grizzly 1448, I went to bass pro to look at how Tracker was mounting motors on the Grizzly hulls, (I bought my hull and motor seperately), and this is exactly how they do it.

Then again, they recommended a 20" shaft motor on my hull with a 17" transom and when I called to ask if adding a jackplate would void my warranty, they asked "why would you want a jackplate?"

It's all about quantity now days...get em out the door...

Edit to add picture...





Mounted by Tracker Marine
2015 Tracker Grizzly 1448 MVX 
1996 Evinrude 25hp 3 cylinder looper


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## beagler1 (Jun 4, 2016)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> Sinkingfast said:
> 
> 
> > At least they could have used a piece of treated lumber to take up the space... :roll:
> ...



Yes


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## New River Rat (Jun 4, 2016)

momule said:


> Looks like a long shaft motor on a short shaft hull and rather than build up the transom they cheated.




More space in the pic than would be between my size 12 and someone's arse if it was returned to me this way. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for that embarrassment.


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## beagler1 (Jun 4, 2016)

I took it to Miller Boats in Ocala Fl.
I talked to the owner Jeff Miller whom i know.

He assured me it was fine. 


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## nccatfisher (Jun 4, 2016)

beagler1 said:


> I took it to Miller Boats in Ocala Fl.
> I talked to the owner Jeff Miller whom i know.
> 
> He assured me it was fine.
> ...


You can now say you know a liar.


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## momule (Jun 4, 2016)

LOL.....Ask Jeff Miller if his motor is mounted that way. Betcha it ain't...


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## fl.graderman (Jun 4, 2016)

momule said:


> In addition to the motor mount that trailer is totally mismatched to the hull: too wide by maybe two feet. You might take it by a water patrol guy for a "legal" opinion just to strengthen your claim at the dealership. I would NOT put this in the water.



Can you explain why the trailer being wider than necessary would be a safety issue? If anything, I would think it should track better than a narrower one...


2015 Tracker Grizzly 1448 MVX 
1996 Evinrude 25hp 3 cylinder looper


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## beagler1 (Jun 4, 2016)

fl.graderman said:


> When I bought my Grizzly 1448, I went to bass pro to look at how Tracker was mounting motors on the Grizzly hulls, (I bought my hull and motor seperately), and this is exactly how they do it.
> 
> Then again, they recommended a 20" shaft motor on my hull with a 17" transom and when I called to ask if adding a jackplate would void my warranty, they asked "why would you want a jackplate?"
> 
> ...



Ok i font feel bad that im not the only one!


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## momule (Jun 4, 2016)

fl.graderman said:


> momule said:
> 
> 
> > In addition to the motor mount that trailer is totally mismatched to the hull: too wide by maybe two feet. You might take it by a water patrol guy for a "legal" opinion just to strengthen your claim at the dealership. I would NOT put this in the water.
> ...



I didn't say that the too wide trailer was a safety issue. But it indicates further shoddy boating practices. If the dealer sold the boat and trailer like that what he was doing was putting junk together that he had laying around and apparently pushing it off on a newbie that doesn't know better.


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## New River Rat (Jun 5, 2016)

beagler1 said:


> He assured me it was fine.




"Fine" and "Correct" are two different things.



_Fine-Satisfactory; acceptable

Correct-To set or make true, accurate, or right; remove the errors or faults from_

While he says it's "fine", it obviously ain't "correct".


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## perchjerker (Jun 5, 2016)

this is nuts.

I would grab a hold of the lower unit and yank it side to side and see if it moves

I bet it does. it should not even budge


you want that mount rock solid. After some use I bet it loosens up


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## momule (Jun 5, 2016)

Beagler - You've gotten an overwhelming response to your "Help" posting with the majority of responses being that you're boat is set up incorrectly. You have been told that while you may get by with that mount for a while it is not correct. Over time you will see damn near every kind of oddball setups on the roads to the ramps and out on the water and some people get by with it for a while and some don't. My opinion is that your motor mount is bad to the point of being dangerous and could cause catastrophic failure of your transom or loss of your motor, maybe even while driving to the ramp. Others have correctly observed that it may be "fine" but it's not correct. Bottom line, from the feedback that you're getting, is that it's wrong, regardless of whether a friend of yours thinks it's fine or the dealer thinks it's fine, or if Bass Pro does it like that. (none of those sources will be on the water with you if things go badly). These forums are valuable because we can learn from each other...you asked for help and I believe you have recieved some very good advice. So, here's the deal: it's your boat and your problem and if you want to run that boat like that it's also your risk. Good luck to you.


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## Pappy (Jun 5, 2016)

Folks often talk to salesmen at dealerships. In most cases salesmen don't know their butt from a hole in the ground on proper rigging and set up. A boat sales person at Bass Pro probably sold hunting boots the week before. 
I do not know your friend at Miller Marine (about an hour from where I am) but if that person were me I would have a tough time telling you that was a proper set up with a straight face. That is why my first comment was that you should send those photos to Customer Service at Mercury Marine.


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## WaterWaif (Jun 5, 2016)

Transom clamps(the top of the arch) are designed to rest on transom far as I know.
Any higher should put the screw pressure at risk of being the higher torque location and break the stock that screws go through, if screws are secure with their high location in the O.P. pics and don't slip before then.


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## beagler1 (Jun 5, 2016)

Sorry guys been out on the water all weekend. I gotta figure out what to do. If i lower it, then the C plate wont be even. So ib guess i need a jack plate. Sucks. 


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## perchjerker (Jun 5, 2016)

it doesnt have to be perfectly even. Its not on my large boat and its fine

you could always try it

as momule asked but I did not see an answer for,is this a long shaft motor on a transom designed for a short shaft? Doesnt look like like a long shaft from the pics but I dont really know on these new motors


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## beagler1 (Jun 5, 2016)

15' short shaft


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## perchjerker (Jun 6, 2016)

well if its a short shaft motor and the transom still is not high enough then either Alumacraft is building boats with not enough transom height (seems impossible) or its designed for a different type of motor, perhaps a jet drive?

I have no idea but this just does not make any sense to me that they have mounted the motor like that if its a short shaft

perhaps someone with more knowledge of this will help me to understand

thanks


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## perchjerker (Jun 7, 2016)

so...

what did you decide to do about this?


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## beagler1 (Jun 7, 2016)

I decided I'm going to buy a jack plate but right now I've been working so much I don't even have time to think about that at the exact moment


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## perchjerker (Jun 7, 2016)

well that's fine you just left this thread hanging after asking all these questions about it


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## HeavyHook (Jun 7, 2016)

Man that is a weird set up they left you with... There is no way I would be spending more money trying to fix it as they are the ones that incorrectly assembled it. 

Let us know how the jack pate works.


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## beagler1 (Jun 8, 2016)

Well i know if i go to the dealer, somehow there going to want to charge me for the jackplate. Even tho i picked out the hull, and motor seperate and THEY installed it.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## perchjerker (Jun 8, 2016)

yeah might as well just suck it up and get the jack plate like you said.

I would not run it too much with it like that or you may damage something


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## Wyatt (Jun 8, 2016)

I'm still with Pappy on this. Maybe contact customer service at Mercury first to see what they say. Or just suck it up and take it back to the dealer. Nobody wants a disgruntled customer.


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## beagler1 (Jun 8, 2016)

Well the dealer said they will lower it down any way i want but the cav plate will be lower.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## beagler1 (Jun 8, 2016)

Ok i sent the pictures to merc with my concerns.

Heres the response..

"Looks fine! It through bolted as required."

We hope this information is helpful to you. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please contact our Customer Service department at 920-929-5040 between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, CST.

Sincerely,
Mercury Outboard Customer Assistance
Ref.# 2016-



Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## JL8Jeff (Jun 8, 2016)

I would want 4 bolts going through the motor bracket into the transom and not use the clamps. I would definitely get some larger washers for the 2 bolts you have to help displace the pressure on the transom. Even with a jackplate you'll want 4 bolts going through the transom.


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## turbotodd (Jul 17, 2016)

Every boat is built differently. If you have a 15" "shaft" motor, then theoretically you'd need a 15" transom....BUT problem is, every manufacturer is a little different. Tohatsu's 15" might be 15.750" from the clamp to the AV plate. Yamaha might be 14.875". Etec might be 15" even. All examples. They're "supposed" to be the same but there are differences. 

Then boats....war Eagle uses a 16" transom, which works with most 15" motors. Tracker might use a 15.5" transom. Same with the motor deal, they're all different-just slightly.

So what you're seeing is a rigger who installed the motor in the best safe position. You might not like it. But there was at some point someone (or some people) who griped about water running up the leg and into the motor well, or griped about being slow. So they figured, hey lets raise the motor a little and solve those problems.

This type stuff is exactly why working for the public sucks. Screwed if you do it one way, screwed if you do it another. Can't please everyone. And honestly I'm about to give up trying.


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## beagler1 (Jul 23, 2016)

Ok i finally got time to install a jackplate. Found it for 100 bucks.

Installed with 1/2 in bolts and 3m marine transom sealant.

So it had to be raised up higher then it previously was to be able to get the CAV plate level.

Is that normal?





Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## Sinkingfast (Jul 23, 2016)

It looks normal for your setup. If it doesn't ventilate and there is enough in the water to steer, its normal for your setup I'd say..


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## beagler1 (Jul 23, 2016)

K because i know i read somewhere like for every inch the plate sets back the motor you need to go 2 inches up. I just took a level and aligned the cav plate. I think its up like 3" higher then original tho.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## bplayer405 (Jul 24, 2016)

You'll need to give it a try now and see how it handles on the water. Adjust as necessary.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Headed out now!


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Ran perfect! No leaks either! That 15 dollar 3m sealant is worth the money!!


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## momule (Jul 24, 2016)

Congrats. Glad to know that you got this figured out with a good fix. It's always nice to know that the equipment is right so that you can spend your time with the fishing.


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## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Yes thank you! I bet the dealer will void my 5 year hull warranty and 3 year motor warranty because i had to install my motor correctly.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## momule (Jul 24, 2016)

Let's hope you never have to find out. My riveted Lowe hull is 32 years old and has never leaked a drop and it's never been garaged. Of course this is it's first year with a jet on it so it's not likely to make it another 32 years


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## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Thats awesome!!


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## wmk0002 (Jul 24, 2016)

So did you see any performance improvement? Higher rpms, quicker holeshot, better top speed, etc?


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## beagler1 (Jul 24, 2016)

Didnt really notice anything different


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jul 25, 2016)

beagler1 said:


> K because i know i read somewhere like for every inch the plate sets back the motor you need to go 2 inches up. I just took a level and aligned the cav plate. I think its up like 3" higher then original tho.
> 
> 
> Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


IIRC it's 1" up for every 4" of set back. or .250" up for every 1.00" back.


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## beagler1 (Jul 25, 2016)

Well my cav plate was perfect when i didnt have a jackplate. Im sure with that jackplate i think its 4" setback, i had to raise it about 3" 


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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