Floating a Jack Plate

[Leonard Bullet21XD]

I have seen post on here in the past in regards to adding balls to the jack plate. I am just now getting around to installing plates and trying to decide what type balls to get? What size do I get? How many do I use? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 12” Rapid Jack with 2 stroke 250 ProXS on a 21XD.

[eh2000]

Also interested.

[WVBullet]

Basketballs can be used or Voit kickballs (better quality kickball) like at Walmart. I have a 14” JP and am using 4 balls. 3, probably 4 could be used in a 12”.

[crank68]

I like kickballs

[Leonard Bullet21XD]

I was checking and found that there are 2 sizes of kick balls, an 8” also a 10”, I know that you want to fill as much of the cavity as possible, but they also need to fit. I understand 12” plate but that’s about all I have vertical inside the plate.

[Bullet 250]

I used a Workout ball for a long time until I put a hole in it, now I just have play balls from Wal-Mart, work just fine, but the workout ball is tougher, it runs about $10 at Wal-Mart, hard to find them in red

[WVBullet]

Getcha four 10’s, slide them all in and pump them babies up.

[tlt20xd]

I cut closed cell foam from a packing Co. To fit in mine from top and bottom. Filled entire jack plate. Worked great and kept most all the water out of it for hole shot.

[gehol]

I cut closed cell foam from a packing Co. To fit in mine from top and bottom. Filled entire jack plate. Worked great and kept most all the water out of it for hole shot.

Same here. 14 inch jp. I bought a pack from Lowe's that had 5 sheets 48"x16"x1".
I got 4 and 2/3 sheets in the jackplate. Much better than sticking balls in the jp.

[eh2000]

Any pictures?

[tlt20xd]

With black powder coat on the jack plate top and bottom plates on it all you can see is a black piece of foam through one of the holes in the side. If not looking specifically for it you cant tell what it is or if there is anything there at all.

[gehol]

What kind of pictures? You will need a plate top and bottom. Took measurements to a local shop. Made me a top and bottom plate for $40.
Simply measure what will fit and place in jp. I wound up with about 25 pieces of various size rectangles installed like a puzzle. If you take your time you can fit the pieces pretty tight with little void. It makes a neat and effective way to keep most of the water out of the jp.
This is just me but, I think stuffing balls in your jp look kind of.......well you know.

[eh2000]

Makes more sense with a top plate. Got it, thanks!

[Bullet 250]

yes it's much easier with a top and bottom plate, whoe did you get the closed cell foam around the cross bars? did you take it apart, and then drill or cut holes through it? any pics?

[tlt20xd]

I put a slot in mine to fit around the bars. From the top and bottom. Takes a little time but works great.

[whatzap]

You put a slot in the foam?

[tlt20xd]

Yes so it fits up in the plate and fits around the cross bars. If you put half in from the top and half in from the bottom you can almost completely fill the plate area.

[gehol]

Guys this is not rocket science.
My example: Jack plate is 16 inches wide and 14 inches of setback.
Install hole shot plate or similar on bottom of jackplate.
Cut a piece of foam 14x16. Cut that piece into 2 or 3 rectangles so you can get it in place around the rods that run across the JP.
Get those in place on to the hole shot plate for your first layer. For the second layer do the same thing. You may have to notch corners of the foam to clear nuts and so forth.
When you get to the first cross bar cut a piece to fit in front of the cross bar and a piece to the rear.
Next layer you can probably go back to the same as the first layer.
The trick is to cut each layer in as many rectangles as it takes to fit it all in there.
Just keep building it layer by layer until full. Take your time, measure, trial fit and get it to fit as tight as you can. Then install top plate. I had to cut a few small rectangles like 1x3 inch to fill in spaces.

The amount of lift you get is almost inconsequential. The best I can calculate figuring the volume of foam in my JP the buoyancy is approximately 50 pounds if the JP were completely submerged, which it is not. The advantage is not having to drag the 10 or so gallons of water on takeoff for a couple seconds until the bow breaks over and the JP can drain.
Just FYI for those interested a regulation basketball (un deformed) has about 15 pounds of buoyancy.

[happykamper]

This may be a stupid idea but could you put an inner tube inside there and just air it up ?

[Bullet 250]

Probably