What lenght outboard motor do i need for my boat?
I have Merc 500 50 HP outboard motor and have problems getting my 14 foot tri-hull to plane, it also sucks air sometimes, revving the engine.
Its an old boat and it was cheap so i don’t want to spend a fortune on fixes. I need some guidelines to find out if I might have the wrong lenght shaft. Also any pointers to do a cheap fix to lower the engine are greatly appreciated.
Tagged as: fortune · hp · merc · old boat · outboard motor · pointers · shaft
The cavitation plate must line up with the bottom of the boat . They do allow inch above bottom or one inch below bottom but no more either way
If your water intake is "sucking air" then you need a longer lower unit. Most boat repair shops do swap lower units for folks. You may even be able to swap them a long shaft (or maybe just longer) for the lower unit on your boat. It’s not hard to do.
You either have a short shaft motor 15", long shaft motor 21" or extra long shaft motor 25". Find out which you have and cut your transom down accordingly. Easy fix.