How much jackplate set back?

[stevo0728]

Hi,

I have a 2002 X18 with a Johnson 150 FastStrike sitting on a 6 inch jackplate. I am not getting much bow lift and I have tried several different props and pitches with no real improvement. The motor weighs 370 pounds, which is lighter than most motors in the 150 range produced today.

Would 12 inches of set back be too far? I realize this question has been asked before and probably answered somewhere else on this forum, but this 150 is lighter than most comparable motors, so my situation is a little unique.

Thanks
Stevo

[T-Bob]

Anything from 10-12 inches will work. I actually ran 11 inches on my 18fter. A good Raker prop should lift that boat easily.

[stevo0728]

I have a Raker and it does not lift the bow much.

[T-Bob]

How old is the prop? Any work done to it before?

[jimbliss]

Adding cup to the prop helped mine. You should get close to 60 with a 23 pitch prop at 5700 rpm and prop shaft around 4 1/2 inches below the pad. A water pressure Gauge is helpful.

[stevo0728]

Tried adding cup as well. Still no bow lift. Experimented with my 200 pound Son a few times. I had him lay on the rear deck to help move the center of gravity back. The bow lifted and picked up 4-5 mph instantly. Of course that is not practical, but it demonstrates a problem with the COG and bow lift.

[stevo0728]

Hi T-Bob,
It is an older prop. I have tried others as well. Renegade, Tempest plus without lift.

[glenn-leray]

I'm running 14"

[VANDERA]

I know mine is very weight sensitive. I probably cut my tackle in half up front and that made a huge difference in speed and lift. I have a lot of soft plastics and instead of leaving all 30+ pounds in the boat I cut down to about 10 to 15lbs. I take my pedestal seat out during tournaments because I seldom use it. Also I used to keep a smaller cooler in front of my console (H series) now I use a rear compartment for the cooler. Like I said that 30 to 40lbs up front makes all the difference in bow rise on my boat. I run a 23p trophy but I am going to try a 24p trophy this spring. Maybe you have something else going on but if you carry a lot of tackle up front that's where I'd start.

Forgot to mention I have a 6" manual plate but might switch to a 12" manual.

[stevo0728]

How does your boat handle with 14" setback?

I'm running 14"

[glenn-leray]

I went from a 6" to the 14". The 6" made my holeshot suck but now it's awesome, I also picked up a couple mph. It handles awesome. but T-Bob can voluch for me on this one. You have to know how to drive these boats at speed.

[jimbliss]

A couple of other things that can affect bow lift are, water logged flotation in bow and hooked hull.