2013 721 Set Up Finally!

[Phoenix Ed]

Okay after jacking around with this for a couple of weeks, reading all I could find and making adjustments on the jackplate today she ran good.

72.9 @ 5660 rpm - 3-1/4 ptp - water temp 74-75 - water pressure halfway between 15 & 30, ~~22.5 psi - stock 25 Fury - 8" TH Marine Z-Lock - winds were easy 15 plus, it was rough.

Here are some observations on the work I did and the issues I encountered along the way.

First off if anyone from Phoenix or TH Marine follow this board the design on the Z-Lock is terrible. With 2 bolts per side on the 8" the upper bolts take most of the load of the motor hanging on the plate. What that causes is the stainless steel bolts actually cut into the aluminum of the plate. So when you loosen the bolts they are not necessarily un-threading from the nut, but from the plate. Then we you re-tighten the bolts, the nuts are not tight. Yes I had a wrench on the nut. I found this out when I discovered one side was lower than the other, the nuts were loose, bolts tight though. So you design and build a jackplate for 250hp motors that can twist? The adjustment bolt is too small to lift the weight of the motor and before it failed the bolt had some teflon washer under the head to make it easy to turn, ha. I have looked for info on how TH suggests you adjust this thing, but have found nothing. The best way I have found to do it is to trim down the skeg on a block to take the load off the plate, not sure a skeg is made to do that but so far I have not broken it off. Then you can adjust the plate up, and sadly enough I had to do the same thing to get it to move down. I needed 6 frickin' hands, three 1/2" drive socket wrenches two box end wrenches and a fair amount of foul language.

Sorry for the rant, but I am a mechanical engineer, I have been working with threaded connections my entire career(a long time) in the oilfield.

I know I have options to replace it but for now it is where it is. And no I am not going to build my own plate, just not gonna do it! I'd be glad to contract out to TH for a nominal fee and assist in plate design.

Anyway after 4 years I love my boat and plan on keeping it until I am too old to enjoy it.

Have a great weekend and catch some fish!

[fishin couillon]

Sounds like a small plate for that boat...isn't 10" standard?

[Phoenix Ed]

Sounds like a small plate for that boat...isn't 10" standard?

You would think. But apparently that is what they put on the 721 up until 2015.

[TX721]

Eddie is 100% correct on all observations. Great write up!
It all makes sense now...I've found the same thing (without the twisting) when trying to adjust/tighten my 8" Z-lock plate. This issue causes my power poles, which connect to the plate with the same 4 bolts, to keep working down the plate. Yep, the bolts don't turn freely and the nuts can be tight as hell...that explains the power pole issue. It's a safety issue if you ask me. I check those nuts and bolts often because of the PPs moving down. Thanks Eddie!

Glad you got her up to speed again. I still think she has more in her...

[nightbasser]

I asked them years ago to ditch the TH plates which are absolute junk!! A Hydro Dynamics rapid jack is a high quality jackplate that makes for easy adjustments

[haus9393]

I don't know you you are turning atleast 5700. I just ran mine 25 fury full of gas at 77 mph 5920 rpm. Is 2"of plate set back really that big of a deal?

[Ray Co. Hank]

I've always said the Z-loc was great, as long as you didn't have to move it....

[arkiebass]

Eddie is 100% correct on all observations. Great write up!
It all makes sense now...I've found the same thing (without the twisting) when trying to adjust/tighten my 8" Z-lock plate. This issue causes my power poles, which connect to the plate with the same 4 bolts, to keep working down the plate. Yep, the bolts don't turn freely and the nuts can be tight as hell...that explains the power pole issue. It's a safety issue if you ask me. I check those nuts and bolts often because of the PPs moving down. Thanks Eddie!

Glad you got her up to speed again. I still think she has more in her...

Mine is the same on the brand new 2017 920. Had to get the dealer to break the bolts loose with a cheater bar just to move the motor. FYI, I would want my power poles all the way to the bottom so they go deeper in the water and are not so high when someone's on the back deck.

[DREWTICK]

I just installed Power Poles on a 2014 920 with a Z-lock last week and the inner plate was threaded for the bolts. the brass lock nuts were just to secure the bolts like jam nuts, once the nuts were backed off the bolts were easy to loosen.
I agree they are a pain to raise and lower. if I were running a manual it would be a rapid jack

Also on power pole height, I called JL Marine and they said on a Phoenix to mount them as high and as close as possible to prevent them from dragging.

[Phoenix Ed]

I just installed Power Poles on a 2014 920 with a Z-lock last week and the inner plate was threaded for the bolts. the brass lock nuts were just to secure the bolts like jam nuts, once the nuts were backed off the bolts were easy to loosen.
I agree they are a pain to raise and lower. if I were running a manual it would be a rapid jack

Also on power pole height, I called JL Marine and they said on a Phoenix to mount them as high and as close as possible to prevent them from dragging.

You know Drew that might be it right there. But why would there not be some info on this published? Now you make me want to go pull one out to look!

As to my poles, they are not all the way down, I have my SI transducer on the side of my jackplate, so one rests on top of the mount. When I bought my boat, it did not have a hole shot plate, when I asked the dealer about it they thought I was lying, had to send them a picture, so that is why it is on the side. I thought about relocating it to the center, but it works and I cannot see the 6-8" making a difference.

haus, I think some of it may be the difference in the lower units, I have the Gen 1 torque master. I heard there was a bit of difference between it and the wingmaster version.

Hank, true that!!

Thanks guys, at least I am not totally nuts!

[TX721]

...on a Phoenix to mount them as high and as close as possible to prevent them from dragging.

I'd have to agree. I'll be moving mine up...again.

[mjlambert23]

I set my pole brackets about 1/4 of an inch from the rub rail. This is on a 719.
Agree, raising the z-lock is a pain. I made sure to loosen bolts quite a bit. Then it was simply rocking the motor while it was supported on the skeg.

DREWTICK - 2.25 PTP worked out well for me. Thanks for the info.

[vanellies]

I agree on the TH marine rapid jack plate is crap! Bolts always come loose! I tighten them every other time I go out just to make sure. I had one of them sheer in half while I was trailering about 70mph and I ended up dragging the PP for about a 1.5 Miles. I guess next year it will be time to invest in a Hydraulic jack plate.