Question about Mini-Jacker install

[BathtubGin]

Hi Everyone,

I am very new to boats. I have my first aluminum that I'm going to use for fishing. The motor I have is a long shaft and I'm going to install a mini-jacker because the transom is 15".

This may be a dumb question... There is 3/4" plywood attached to both sides of the transom. When I install the Mini-Jacker - should I take the plywood off? Or just drill the mini-jacker right to the wood?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[ktoelke54]

Hi Everyone,

I am very new to boats. I have my first aluminum that I'm going to use for fishing. The motor I have is a long shaft and I'm going to install a mini-jacker because the transom is 15".

This may be a dumb question... There is 3/4" plywood attached to both sides of the transom. When I install the Mini-Jacker - should I take the plywood off? Or just drill the mini-jacker right to the wood?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

The mini jacket needs all the support your transom can give it. I wouldn’t take anything off. If you have plywood on both sides use large washers to keep the bolt heads from pulling into the plywood.


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[turbotodd]

I had trouble with rigging an old unknown brand 1548 for a friend. It was a 15" transom and he had a 20" motor, so I recommended the mini jacker. He ordered it and we were putting it on. Tested yesterday. It is real high on the transom but still too low. With the setback alone, I think we could come up about 3", plus the 5" shaft length so 8" I think is gonna be close. It looks goofy with the motor lifted that high but that's what he has to work with and he don't care. The jacker is lifted on the transom and the motor is lifted on the jacker. We ran out of time and have it at 2" now and still low, I think another inch is gonna be close.

with the motor that high, it doesn't really look safe to me, at least on his. His transom is really not in very good condition.

 

[ktoelke54]

I had trouble with rigging an old unknown brand 1548 for a friend. It was a 15" transom and he had a 20" motor, so I recommended the mini jacker. He ordered it and we were putting it on. Tested yesterday. It is real high on the transom but still too low. With the setback alone, I think we could come up about 3", plus the 5" shaft length so 8" I think is gonna be close. It looks goofy with the motor lifted that high but that's what he has to work with and he don't care. The jacker is lifted on the transom and the motor is lifted on the jacker. We ran out of time and have it at 2" now and still low, I think another inch is gonna be close.

with the motor that high, it doesn't really look safe to me, at least on his. His transom is really not in very good condition.

I’ve had a similar experience with the mini jacker. What it works really well for is getting your 17.5 or 18 inch short shaft to fit properly on a 15 inch transom. (Same applies with fitting a long shaft.) Using it for a short to long shaft project is doable but a stretch. And it’s hard to get the motor high enough to level the cavitation plate with the boat bottom, for me it was a compromise, the motor is almost high enough, and about 2/3 of the jackers surface is in touch with the transom.


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[BathtubGin]

The mini jacket needs all the support your transom can give it. I wouldn’t take anything off. If you have plywood on both sides use large washers to keep the bolt heads from pulling into the plywood.

Thanks so much!

 

[BathtubGin]

Part of me is wondering if it's even worth it. It's not like my boat is super nice or anything. I'm just using it for fishing and will likely get a better/newer boat in a year or two if I like having the increased access. The jacker is $100 - should I just run with what I got or will I notice a big difference in performance. I've been getting around fine enough without it so far...

Any thoughts?

 

[ktoelke54]

Part of me is wondering if it's even worth it. It's not like my boat is super nice or anything. I'm just using it for fishing and will likely get a better/newer boat in a year or two if I like having the increased access. The jacker is $100 - should I just run with what I got or will I notice a big difference in performance. I've been getting around fine enough without it so far...

Any thoughts?

I went the mini jacker rout on an old 14 foot Mirrocraft. The motor was a 15 hp Evinrude and was just enough to get the old tub up on plane. When the motor was sitting down on the top of the transom, the cavitation plate was a couple inches below the bottom of the boat. The first thing I did was cut a spacer and place it between the top of the motor and transom, this bought me about an inch of height before the clamps were too close to the top. It didn’t gain me all that much performance. I then went the Mini Jacker route. I raise the motor till the prop started to blow out and then began to lower it in the one inch increments allowed by the Jacker. So in the end, it was very interesting. I got to spend money, drill holes, adjust, fiddle and fiddle. And maybe the boat performed a little better? So if you really like messing with stuff and can’t leave well enough alone (this is me) it’s worth it, otherwise, save your money.


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