Thread: Hydraulic Jack Plate help

Yes you should see a rpm and speed increase going from low to high. Whole idea for that plate is to let you from motor down to get a good hole shot then raise plate as you increase speed for performance. They are primarily installed on boats like yours for fishing shallow water and driving around at slow speeds. Like flats fishing. They can come in handy for crappie and bass fishing for same reason. Let you get larger boat into shallower water. One thing you have to be super careful of is not raising motor to the point you lose water pressure. If you don’t have one that would be first on my agenda. As to where to set it is hard to tell with not being at the boat. I would serch around for a costal boat dealer and check to see if they have anyone experienced with them. If you could take some pictures with motor trimmed down level. Take one from rear of motor that shows bottom of hull, then a couple of side shots across transom showin skag of motor in relation to bottom. One all the way down and one all the way up.

My understanding; the decavitation plate on the foot of the motor is supposed to be just below the bottom of the low point of the v on the hull. My thought is to start there and move it up and down an inch at a time until you find out where it comes out of the hole best and remember that point. Once on plane and trimmed at a comfortable rpm, lift it up until it begins to over rev and drop it back down til it behaves and watch for overheat or water pressure drop. If either of these aren’t right, drop it another inch or two until it pressurizes or the temp comes back down. If I’m out in left field, someone please set me straight.

Thanks for the responses guys. Even with the plate all the way up, the boat shoots out of the hole immediately and never cavitates unless the trim is way high. I don't have a water pressure gauge, but I feel sure there's plenty of pressure because it doesn't overheat even at high rpms for extended periods.
I can't let it all the way down on the trailer because it hits the driveway before it's all the way down.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

x2 on the water pressure guage.
Always with a jack plate.

Originally Posted by NCkenner

Thanks for the responses guys. Even with the plate all the way up, the boat shoots out of the hole immediately and never cavitates unless the trim is way high. I don't have a water pressure gauge, but I feel sure there's plenty of pressure because it doesn't overheat even at high rpms for extended periods.
I can't let it all the way down on the trailer because it hits the driveway before it's all the way down.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Sounds like the motor is too low on the plate based off of what you’re describing. Like cray said, if you could take some pictures with it as far down as you can without hitting the driveway and showing how much is left to go down on the plate that might help make a better diagnosis without being able to see the boat in person.