I need help! Jack plate stuck

[Tyler Skeeter]

I tried adjusting my manual jack plate tonight. But I now have broke off one of my bolts. And now my jack plate is stuck and it is cockeyed and I can’t get it back to normal! HELP!

[Rayburn Guide]

I did this years ago. If memory serves me right, I wound up replacing them all. I also had to remove the weight of the motor off the jack plate to get it squared back up. I put a very small amount of antiseize on all the bolts.

[Hchamberlin1]

I’d start by taking out the broken bolt and finding a replacement. Stainless bolt with lock nut, most hardware stores should have it. Then soak the others in penetrating oil as well as the jack plate itself. It should free up. When I adjust mine, I just loosen the nuts and as I’m adjusting the plate I trim the motor up and down to kind of shake it free. Grab a tape then to verify it’s even, you can rock it side to side to make small changes to level it

[Tyler Skeeter]

Thanks for the reply. I did get my jack plate to move down to where I wanted it. But now I still can’t get the bolts to go back in. I did jack on the motor and took some weight off the plate. This seemed to help. The bolt I broke off is the lowest bolt on my jack plate. So it is in the 1” in rectangle block. I could move the aluminum block but I still couldn’t get the bolt out. It almost seems like I screwed up the threads or something. How did you get out the broken bolt?

[Keoweefishing]

Taking weight off should help. Is the top of the bolt gone? Can you get a wrench/tool on it to turn?

[Tyler Skeeter]

Taking weight off should help. Is the top of the bolt gone? Can you get a wrench/tool on it to turn?

I broke off about 3/4 of and inch on the bolt. So I really can’t get a tool in there to take the bolt out. I don’t think the jack plate has ever been adjusted so the bolts are all really tight and are hard to move. I want to try and get the rectangular block completely off the jack plate and then try to remove the bolt and if I can’t I may have a machine shop make you a new block.

[Keoweefishing]

A tap & die set may be required to get that bolt out.

[Tyler Skeeter]

Thanks for alll the reply’s. I ended up just braking the other bolt off as well and I turned the block 90 degrees and taped 2 new holes. It went on smoothly.