Jack Plate

[Drex]

I am going to have a jack plate installed on my 185 Pulse in the spring. Does anyone have advise or recommendations on which brand is best. Also how much setback would you recommend? I run an XR6 Mercury that is completely stock with a Laser II 23 pitch prop. The boat is used for skiing and just cruising around but I would like to get a little more speed.

Thanks

 

[Drex]

I am going to have a jack plate installed on my 185 Pulse in the spring. Does anyone have advise or recommendations on which brand is best. Also how much setback would you recommend? I run an XR6 Mercury that is completely stock with a Laser II 23 pitch prop. The boat is used for skiing and just cruising around but I would like to get a little more speed.

Thanks

 

[Craig]

Drec,

I would recommned a CMC lift/spacer combo. I'm not sure how much setback you would need, I'm guessing a standard 5" lift would work nice. I doubt your boat would need as much setback as a Pulsare.

Prop for all around use and skiing. Go with a Trophy Plus. They pop out of the hole and run fast top end.

-Craig

 

[175checkmate]

The CMC 5" is a good start. If funds permit a hyd plate is the ticket for the best of both worlds. Down for pulling, up for going fast. Install a water pressure gauge to make sure up have good water pressure at the raised height.

1975 Checkmate Tri-mate 2, 2.4 200+ / Sky jacker 6" plate / 25p Laser 2 prop, Currently the boat is undergoing overhaul.

 

[JW]

Drex, I added a 6" CMC Powerlift to a Pulse 171 with XR6 and it only gained about 1 mph. I still had to trim the snot out of it to get best top speed. Your boat is longer/heavier, so only going back 6" might do even less for you.
I'd recommend you start with a RapidJack Heavy Duty 12" setback and see how it runs. If you need to go to 14", then all you have to do is add 2" spacers. The RapidJack is a manual plate, so it'll cost you under $300 if you shop around.
Where are you from? If you're close to SW Michigan, I'll let you borrow my spare CMC Powerlift 6" plate so you can see what it does for you.

Checkmates owned: 1995 Pulsare 2100BR/1995 Mercury Promax 225 2.5 EFI. 1995 Persuader 183/4.3 LX V6. 1992 Pulse 171/1992 Mercury XR6 150 hp 2.5 liter.

 

[Drex]

Thanks for the offer JW. I live in SW Wisconsin and boat on the Mississippi. If you really think I would only gain one mph I don't think a jackplate would be worth the cost, considering what a hydro plate goes for.

 

[JW]

With that size boat and engine, you'd have to go back 14" to see a gain. Part of the advantages of a manual jack plate versus engine mounted on the transom is you have the opportunity to adjust your engine height without unbolting the motor. For that reason alone I've always installed a jack plate. For me, adjustability is more important than speed gains.

Checkmates owned: 1995 Pulsare 2100BR/1995 Mercury Promax 225 2.5 EFI. 1995 Persuader 183/4.3 LX V6. 1992 Pulse 171/1992 Mercury XR6 150 hp 2.5 liter.

 

[Brian]

Drex I would go with a 6" jack plate, for all around use. You don't need to go back any farther than 8", because you will defeat the perpose. I have a 6" on mine and I wish I would have gone for the hydr. jack, it makes it nicer for dialing the setup in. I like my jack plate made by panther, and adjusting it is easy to, but the hydr. is sweat

Good luck, and keep in mind that you might need a low water pick up after you rasie the motor.

 

[C-mate 280]

Drex, I haave a pulse 185 and ran it with a cmc hydrolic jack with the standard 5 1/2 inch set back and it wasn't enough. I added a 5 1/2 inch spacer for a total of 11 inches and it still needs more positive trim than i would like but it probably is enough for your motor.The down side is that as I added more set back the longer it took to get on plane, in other words poorer hole shot. I would definately recommened a hydrolic over manual because running it high gives me great handling and increased speed and running lower gives me good water skiing . (I am putting 14" on this winter)