I was correct about my older CMC hydraulic JP!!!!

[AllyFishing]

Nathan, what I'm saying is tim and I have a set of wrenches to adjust and tighten the nylatron washers/pins/nylon lock nuts "on the spot" when need be as they have a tendency to "back off" or "tighten up" on their own. I'm not saying that the new plate inserts can be done in a parking lot. YOu will need a motor lift to replace the inside washers with the plates.

[AllyFishing]

I ran a cmc hydraulic on a champion with 200 omc for years. It had the same problems you had with binding. I had one of the locknuts on the side bolts wouldn't hold well when you tried to adjust . Also, you could see motor shake side to side while trailering if you drove behind it. Plate was a 97 model, maybe 100 hours use at most. I called the customer service one time about it, they sad to adjust roller tension.

I can't say I'm glad to hear there are others that have experienced this with their CMC's but it is a bit more comforting to hear and know that it is just not us having this trouble.

Should I start a post on one of the forums about this problem and see what kind of response I get or just drop it and when the time comes buy a different JP? If so, which forum?

[fishnfireman]

Another thing to consider.
(Most) bass boat owners do not use there jack plates near as much as those who own truly hi-po boats. So they are not going to wear as soon, and they will not notice an issue with the binding if they don't use it.
For instance I have a friend who has NEVER moved his.. Says it runs just fine..

[AllyFishing]

this is true

[Props4u2]

Hey Lee...what do you think about this idea of using the strips vs the thin washers in between the plates? I know you commented about the "pop" sound of my JP when you were hangin the motor last summer. Do you have any recollection of the plates instead of washers from years ago?

I think the strips will be 100% better than the washers. The larger area they cover will keep the plates much straighter without binding I believe.

[F150owner]

Craig, take pics of the replacement process and post please. It will help alot of us dealing with this. I'd rather not have to invest thousands in another JP plate, all the wiring, the motor take off/install, shop labor, etc. if we can improve the plate's operation in a cost effective manner.

[AllyFishing]

Duane, I have the forklift set up right now behind the motor waiting for me early tomorrow morning. I'll take a few pics as I go. I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and depending on the fella at CMC that they are an EXACT replacement) that I do not run into any snags such as they don't fit in between as a result of the binding scenarios squishing the 2 plates together more.

[scj]

Don't drop it!

[AllyFishing]

Up early this morning and 2 hours later had the new plastic pieces installed. the washers inside were chewed up more than I thought. It's my opinion that with the washers getting thinner and thinner from wear that the bolts or pins as CMC calls them must have drawn and pulled the plates together tighter. I got the first side in place with a piece of 2" wide by 1/8" thick aluminum that I had lying around from another project. It was about a foot long and the perfect fit to set on top of the nylatron plate and tap it into place with a hammer.

The other side was harder and here's where I think the plates must have been pulled together closer as a result of the washers wearing. I loosened the JP bolts holding it to the spacer plate and that gave the plate some "wiggle room" to allow me to get the second piece started then tapped into place with the piece of aluminum. It was tricky with some muscling of the JP in place to get it to move in alignment but finally got the second side pins in. Oh, I need to mention that I liberally spayed that side with WD40 to lubricate the nylatron plate so it would not bind as much.

I screwed the pins in to the point where the outside washers were set to factory (spin with your fingers) and then snugged up the inside nylon loc nuts. I sprayed both sides liberally and ran the plate up and down a few times. SWEET!!! Then I hung the motor with a level on the top of the flywheel (I leveled the pad first) so that the motor was level. That takes some pushing and moving with the bolts just barely snug but it worked.

Removed the forklift and ran the plate all the way up and down twice and the motor did NOT move sideways!! SWEET!!!! Checked the washers and they did not move nor tighen up at any height.

Went to the lake today and tested and it worked perfectly. This can be done in 2 hours with a lift and the right tools.

Here's a few pics

[kris_tx]

Cool. They should sell the plate with that installed

[fishnfireman]

[xb03fs]

Any reason these couldn't be added to inside and outside (2sets) for best smoothness?

[kris_tx]

I think you could possibly use them on the outside, but you would need the outside washer plate used on the V8 style jack plates.

[scj]

Good work Craig!

I'm going to order the strip plates......an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure......

[Cartes Custom]

THAT IS GOOD WORK AND SHARING OF INFO!!! Thank you sir. With the inside surface corrected I think a better quality washer under the bolt head on the outside would probably be close to a total fix. Those plastic washers under the bolt heads should be machined not punched and made of HDMW material. Craig if i build a set of washers out of HDMW would you install and test?

[scj]

Go ahead and send me a set too CC........might as well change it all at the same time.

[AllyFishing]

Cool. They should sell the plate with that installed

YES they should. I told them I had a JP with them in the early 90's and was told they were not used then

[AllyFishing]

THAT IS GOOD WORK AND SHARING OF INFO!!! Thank you sir. With the inside surface corrected I think a better quality washer under the bolt head on the outside would probably be close to a total fix. Those plastic washers under the bolt heads should be machined not punched and made of HDMW material. Craig if i build a set of washers out of HDMW would you install and test?

You talking about replacing the outside washers under the metal ones? Oh man please don't ask me to pull them pins out again and hoist the motor!!!! hahahahahah How bout this....if someone is going to replace the washers inside with the new plates how bout they use the ones you make and test?? deal?? I really don't want to ever touch those wrenches again!!!

[AllyFishing]

[QUOTE=AllyFishing;8135249]Here is a pic of the strips that CMC sent me.





Here is the pic from page 2 on this post. It shows the part number and description of the strips I used. When you call ask for Rick, he has been there for over 30 years and the fella I've talked to over the years. I told him if these worked he may be getting calls from some of us. Please tell him and back me up that there are far more complaints they do not hear about with the inner washers that most guys have just switched out their CMC's for other brands because of that inner washer assembly.

I started a post on the 3 liter forum and a few chimed in the very same problem and one dealership that has seen that problem as well

[Cartes Custom]

SCJ, I'll make a set for you sir. BTW, the material I will use is glossy black so it will look better than the gray IMO.