Slipping/Failing Jackplate??!!

[basshole51]

I've got a 1996 Bass Cat Pantera Classic. It has the factory manual jackplate on it. I think the brand is CNC and its either a 5 or 6 inch setback. Well I am running a new prop and wanted to adjust it but noticed that someone(previous owner) had drilled and tapped holes in it and threaded bolts through it from the backside. The heads of the bolts are also glued in place with some sort of marine epoxy.

I'm worried that if I take these bolts out (pending they will budge) that my jackplate won't hold. I'm assuming the bolts are there for this reason.

Anyways Here is pictures of what I'm talking about:

20151103_181546.jpg
view of the outside

20151103_181713.jpg
view from inside the jackplate

[mn_bowhunter]

CMC is the brand 5.5" setback probably. The plate is aluminum, looks like they had the plate drilled and put in some stainless steel helicoils to accept a bolt for greater jackplate versatility. With this new prop are you trying to go up or down? Why not adjust the plate via the giant vertical bolt & nuts in the center of the plate? Almost all jackplates are held on by 4 bolts through the transom.

[jimsch]

When adjusting it, put some anti-sieze on the threads and assist in raising it with an engine hoist or similar. It makes the job easier plus you can see what condition the plate is in.

[basshole51]

The giant vertical nuts and bolt in the center of the plate do not move the jackplate up and down. The Bolts in the picture run horizontally through the two different pieces of the jackplate. Locking it in place so it can't move even when the main vertical bolt(the one you use to go up or down is loose). The bolts in the picture are acting as stops essentially.

On a side note the pictures decided to turn 90 degrees when uploading them.

Sorry for any confusion

[taylor ms]

Is that not just a piece of angle bolted to the back? Is it holding anything?

Make sure you get tension on the big adjustment rod in the front (it might be broke, who knows?), then loosen the side bolts, and if it won't move, remove these bolts and adjust where you need to be. The bolts in the side are supposed to hold the plate from moving after you adjust it and then tighten them back up. If the side bolts don't hold it, you could put a new hole in the back and through-bolt a bolt in there to lock it down, if thats what those are for....BUT if it will not hold adjustment, and you intend to keep the boat for any time, I would suggest replacing the jackplate with a new one.

Can you post better pics, from the side, showing the whole plate? Could be extended too far, upside down, cant really tell from the small pictures.

[basshole51]

I actually can't anytime soon because the boats but away for the winter...we have snow in the forecast. However, Taylor MS I understand what you are saying, I will give that a try. I tried to adjust it once (loosened side bolts, then tried turning bolt that moves the plate up and down and it wouldnt budge.) Thats when I realized that there were these "custom" bolt that ran between the plat the outboard is mounted to and the plate the outboard slides up and down on locking the jackplate into place. It was August so I left it as I wanted to finish out the season without issues. I'm thinking for $300 bucks a new jackplate may be in the works

[taylor ms]

Check out the Rapid Jack. They're pretty nice, easy to adjust, too. Good Luck

[Rip Bass]

BH,are you sure that isn't a factory stabilizer plate to join the two sides of the JP? Looks like it to me.Most old plates are very hard to move because of corrosion between the metal,it may not move anyway.

[kris_tx]

http://www.cmcmarineproducts.com/use...20Rev%2022.pdf

this has the procedure to adjust the manual plate. You have to loosen the 2 big bolts on either side before adjusting plate.

[mdtritn21]

Take a picture of the boat from the back and side to get a view of the plate and side plates so we can see the side bolts.