I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

[disturbthepeace]

Hello,

I have a 66 13ft sea king with a 58 johnson 35hp short shaft motor. My problem is that I have a 17.5" transom(wierd), a 15" motor shaft and Im trying to make this combo work.

I looked the boat over several times and even bought a jack plate to see if that could remedy my problem but I ran into clearence problems(so that needs to be shipped back)

Well, the motor sits up 2.5" to high and I dont think a long shaft convertion would be the right solution since then the motor will be to low and require a jack plate.

Anyone want to share a link to a tread on this kind of mod?

Im going to need to get my hands on a small section of alum cap about 2in wide any suggestons?

I included some pics to help explain. I think I just want to cut a small section the width of the outboard and drop it about 2.5. I have never done this but Im very confedent in my skills so i dont see any major issues, but then again I have never done this before:redface:

Thanks
Joe

 

[Silver Heels]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

Have you tried running the boat the way it is? I ask that because to me it looks about right- at least it looks about like the motor sits on my boat. I've never tried moving mine up or down and could not even say for certain what the correct formula is, but it came that way and it works. If you have tried it this way and it ventilates, than disregard my ramblings.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

I can't see any reason why that wouldn't work. I looks like all you will be doing is cutting the transom straight across. Any metal fab shop can bend a piece of aluminum to make a new caps. Check you yellow pages.

Where are you located?

 

[cpubud]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

go ahead and cut it down looks like you have pleanty of room , but double check the height of the tramsom above the water line with the boat in the water to make sure and allow enough forwash back when coming off plane. if you cut it you should not need any any more cap what you have will remount and maybe need to be shortened.....go for it.

 

[capt sam]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

The transom looks like it has a peak anyways, I would measure down what you need and go across the top of the transom, I think your cap would still fit, probably would just need a little trimming.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

I encountered the same thing on my tinny restoration...a 62-63 Texas Maid aluminum runabout with 20 inch transom. Extended the leg/shaft on a pair of late 50's OMC 35 hp big twins to fit the transom height. My transom is straight across, while yours has a rise in the middle. Never seen that before, but that's why your 40 hp is too shallow. The water pickup for those motors is just above the cavitation/anti-ventilation plate, so they have to run a little deeper than modern motors or you risk frying the motor...no cooling water. Looks like you could just level your transom and come out about right. An offset jack plate, OEM or home-made, would solve the problem, too. Got any pix of the entire boat? I can't remember what Sea Kings of that era looks like...from what I can see, looks like a cool old rig.

 

[disturbthepeace]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

yeah, the prop vents pretty bad and the little boat cant get on plane. Plus when i get on the gas I start to here the exhaust get louder(coming out of the water). So I dont think I have much of a choice..

I assume that Im going to have to reseal the trasome were I would cut right?

Should I just glass it then put the cap on it?


here some more pics:

 

[cpubud]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

yes just paint it with some resin to reseal it.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

S-W-E-E-T...boat, motor and lady friend. Yes, just seal the top of the cut transom with resin. If you cut the transom cap right, it will cover the cut/sealed wood anyway. That's a nice old Johnson...it's one model later than my OMC big twins. Sweet running workhorses...it should make your rig scoot along once it's getting enough prop bite.

 

[disturbthepeace]

Re: I think I should cut my transom.. Help?(pics)

thanks guys. I hope to tackel this project next weekend and Ill post pics when Im done..

happy boating
Joe