Issue Solved....Surprise to me!

[Johnny Maxwell]

Since my boat is brand new, has power poles, lithium pro batteries, and a 300XS on the back, I have been struggling to get it to perform well on top end. I'm not a rookie driver so I have had no problem going WOT and trimming up. I have been puzzled that no matter what prop I have bolted on (and it has been several) I always have had big numbers on water pressure, lower rpm's than expected, lower speed than expected, lower stern but sort of expected on that one, and higher bow when trimming it on up. I've made the comment several times to friends from the Allison world that I've had it jacked up as high as the plate will go and I felt I either needed to go with another jackplate with more setback and height or just get used to what I've got. I have never settled for just getting by nor mediocre performance so I kept pressing. Well, yesterday I was talking with Woody aka Jeff Wood aka Whiplash, and he told me to verify a few measurements related to prop shaft height and neutral trim. Something good and a bit embarrassing happened in the process but one I'm sharing just to let you younger guys know that you can never take anything for granted on a boat's setup. After leveling my boat and checking all the aforementioned things I had determined my max prop shaft height was 1/4" above pad when the jack was maxed out in the up position. I ran it up and down a few times to make sure of my measurements. That is when I discovered the jack was stopping alright with the shaft being 1/4" above the pad, but then I noticed that I had more gap left at the bottom beneath the jackplate bolt. Long story short.....after a lot of WD40 and probably 50 ups and downs on the jack it moved more and more till I finally had a smooth ride up on the jack to the true top of the jackplate. Wallah! 1.75" above the pad. The brand new CMC was binding solid as a rock at a spot in the lift that just happened to be 1/4" above pad. I'd like to think I would have caught that or figured it out before all the things I tried had it been a used boat with a used jack, but I can't be that arrogant of my troubleshooting skills. Thanks to Woody, Jeff, and Geoff as well as Johnny Johnson. At least you guys tried to help me figure it out. There shouldn't have been any issues with a new jackplate but the fact that the bolts were too tight and it was binding like crazy in 1 spot had me going. Now I can't wait to get back on the water and start all over with the new 29" Hydro and see how it runs. I'm thinking I'll see mid 90's anyway. Ok Lord. I have now confessed to all my boating brethren. Amen.

[JOEALLY]

Hey, the good news is that it didn't cost any $$$ to "fix it"!

[NOTGSXR]

Wow!

[atcje]

Johnny I think I'd back those bottom bolts about a quarter turn. In fact I'd unlock all 4 bolts and make sure the tension is consistent on all 4.

[River Rocket]

Good to hear you got it worked out. Now put some air under the boat and see what happens!!!

A little motivational shot for you.

[tritontr21]

Johnny, its not any worse than an unnamed friend of ours and myself both somehow running for a year with the same mismeasured heights. Sadly sometimes things just don't work as easily as it should! At least I can blame old eyes unlike our buddy! lol

[hooken203]

I hope you run mid 90s. Then I hope you tell us how. I have been working on that for 5 years. Two boats two engines. I think we have the same boats rigged the same.

[Johnny Maxwell]

Johnny I didn’t know the bolts were threaded all the way and that the nylock nut was just a safety lock till yesterday either. I liked one thing about the old style plate and bolts. You could spin the washer behind the bolts to make sure the slide was free. The new style ain’t so easy. I wish I knew a torque number to use. Asit is it seems to be flying by the seat of one’s britches. Not so good with 90+ mph and 300 horses behind you.

[Johnny Maxwell]

I am expecting mid 90’s. I will be very dissatisfied if I can’t since I was able to run 90+ with a 250 even though there were no Lithium batteries and power poles. Ive been running right at 92 with the 1/4” above pad setup. I feel safe running the big motor up in the right water till I see my water pressure down to about 15. I don’t know how far above pad that will relate to but it will be high enough for me. I’ll let you know how it goes.

[hooken203]

Were you able to buy a 29 pitch XOB from Hydromotive recently?

[tritontr21]

I am expecting mid 90’s. I will be very dissatisfied if I can’t since I was able to run 90+ with a 250 even though there were no Lithium batteries and power poles. Ive been running right at 92 with the 1/4” above pad setup. I feel safe running the big motor up in the right water till I see my water pressure down to about 15. I don’t know how far above pad that will relate to but it will be high enough for me. I’ll let you know how it goes.

96 was done with relative ease with poles and I truly believe 98 is the target! Conditions were the only factor the only test day we had!

[Johnny Maxwell]

Were you able to buy a 29 pitch XOB from Hydromotive recently?

No I bought it from an individual. I don’t trust anything in the new line from Hydromotive right now. I ran one of the new ones this past summer and it wasn’t fit for a boat anchor. I hope they get the issues worked out. I’m not hopeful if they are building them in Mexico as I was told they are now or are about to be.

[Johnny Maxwell]

96 was done with relative ease with poles and I truly believe 98 is the target! Conditions were the only factor the only test day we had!

I would be happy if I could run loaded at 95. 98 would be a be a big bonus for me.

[hooken203]

That makes two of us Johnny!

[AllyFishing]

that photo running with the bow up like that looks like most every XB2003 I've seen over the years

[AllyFishing]

Johnny is your new boat equipped with the new modified CMC with the Allison plates on the outside and full length guide plate inside and out? If so then those bolts should have been adjusted properly at the factory. Are you sure your motor is mounted perfectly vertical and square to the transom? If the motor had to be forced to one side while installing the mounting hardware (which most often does happen because the motor does not hang perfectly plumb to the engine mount bolt holes) then that forcing to one side may have caused one side of the JP guides to be a bit tweaked.

Not sure if I explained that properly but its what I've experienced while hangin a few motors over the years.

[Johnny Maxwell]

Johnny is your new boat equipped with the new modified CMC with the Allison plates on the outside and full length guide plate inside and out? If so then those bolts should have been adjusted properly at the factory. Are you sure your motor is mounted perfectly vertical and square to the transom? If the motor had to be forced to one side while installing the mounting hardware (which most often does happen because the motor does not hang perfectly plumb to the engine mount bolt holes) then that forcing to one side may have caused one side of the JP guides to be a bit tweaked.

Not sure if I explained that properly but its what I've experienced while hangin a few motors over the years.

Mine does have the new CMC mounts the vertical slides. I never thought about the motor not being perfectly plumb but that could put it in a bind now that you mention it. Based on my experience with the dealer where I got it that could be possible. I darn well will be checking it tomorrow when I go to the lake house to check on things. Thanks for sharing that idea. If it is plumb, I'm going to loosen the lock nuts, back the bolts out about 1/8th a turn to start, tighten the locking nuts down and see how it does. I may repeat that process one more time. I got that tip from another Allison buddy that has experienced some CMC issues in the past.

[Tim Powell]

Johnny, its not any worse than an unnamed friend of ours and myself both somehow running for a year with the same mismeasured heights. Sadly sometimes things just don't work as easily as it should! At least I can blame old eyes unlike our buddy! lol

[AllyFishing]

What I've learned to do has helped with the "forced sideways" "tilted engine during install" syndrome. Of course it helps and is necessary having a fork lift (or an engine hoist). I lift the engine a get some of it's weight off the transom then back off the engine bolt nuts so that it is free'd up some. this takes some fine tuning and tweaking with the hoist/lift to achieve little to now weight on the bolts. With a helper, get a small level on top of the fly wheel and start snugging the bolts with a little pressure to the side needed to level the motor. Of course, the boat must be leveled out first. That a whole other discussion. Gently allowing some of the weight back down evenly on the both sides of bolts helps align it while the nuts are snugged up all the while keeping an eye on the bubble level on the fly wheel.

Now I'm no mechanic and I'm sure some one will/should come along and give a more technical explanation and set of instructions but that is what I have contrived and it seems to have worked for me.

[Cartes Custom]

OMG I could write a chapter on the jack plate issues, motor plumb vertical, motor not being centered with the running pad and play in the steering system. BTW, I have a very nice HydroDynamic Jack Plate for sale :)