Are hydraulic jackplates too heavy?

[dtan6908]

I just got a 10 inch hydraulic jackplate to replace my 6 inch manual jackplate. I know all the pros for having a hydraulic jackplate but man these are heavy. Im surprised they say you can gain 1 to 2 mph in speed with this added wait. What do you guys think? I have a 1998 cobra 190 with 200 hp

[tgifish]

Which JP do you have and how much does it weigh? TH Marine's web site shows that an Atlas 10" hydraulic JP weighs 63 pounds. The reason why you should gain a few mph, IMO, is because Cobras don't have a lot of lift (more pad contact on the surface) and when you add a 10" JP it allows the engine to set farther back to help it accomplish several things: first, it's puts the prop in cleaner water, the extra weight helps pivot the pad a little, which may increase trim angle some, which increases lift (less pad contact on the surface). That's one reason why I don't keep my gas tank full, because I believe it can counter act what I'm trying to accomplish, the other reason is I can't afford to . Your 200 weighs just over 400 lbs. (dry) and you're increasing it's weight by 15%, however, it has a positive affect rather than being just dead weight. And you already know about all of the positives of having a hydraulic plate verses a manual. I won't be surprised if you see more than a couple mph improvement. Keep us posted on the results.

[dtan6908]

Ok thanks. Will do. I have the atlas 10 inch hydraulic jackplate:) will post results as soon as ice is out in michigan.

[tgifish]

You can click on the following link to see what I really meant to say: LOL! Basicsetup
(Note to self - don't get on BBC at 3 a.m. and try to provide info.)

I didn't think about it at the time, but I'm assuming that's the JP that doghouse had for sell. They are nice looking JP's. I couldn't make myself pull the trigger on a hydraulic JP, instead I settled for a 10" manual slidemaster. I think it probably weighs around 50 pounds.

Which prop and what pitch are you turning? The combination of a hydraulic JP and the right prop will help you gain some extra mph's. I gained around 4-5 mph after installing my manual 10" JP and going up 2 pitch sizes (23p to 25p) with a Tempest+. Be sure to keep an eye on your water pressure, because I read that running a JP too high can cause the lower unit to suck air in the top intake holes and cause an unsafe drop in water pressure. Water pressure needs to stay above 12 psi (minimum) and 15-18 psi is good.