kicker bracket- which side ?

[veedy]

Hello all,<br /> I have a 1978 16' Silverline 120 mercruiser I/O. I am outfitting it for fishing, and having trouble figuring out which side to mount the kicker bracket. I run an 8 hp Honda 4 stroke, and mount it on a lift ( scissor ) bracket rated for 20hp 2 stroke. My last boat, I had the bracket mounted on the passenger side, or the left side looking at the back of the boat. It seemed to work good there, but I see there isn't much room to mount on that side. Looking inside the boat the way it is built the corners are bolstered so you cant drill a hole directly through the transome. ( from what it looks like to me ) The right side looks similar too. Can I cut through this bolstering a little in order to bolt the bracket to the transome from the inside ? Thanks to everyone and their suggestions in advance. this forum has been a wealth of help for me already.

 

[lingcod]

Re: kicker bracket- which side ?

ok, first thing first. I would not mount this 4 stroke to a 2 stroke bracket if you are going to leave the motor on while trailering. the fours just weigh too much. as for placement, this is a personal preference. some like it port, some starboard. this is left and right, passengers or drivers side. just kidding. It is really up to you and your boats design.<br /><br />lingcod

 

[veedy]

Re: kicker bracket- which side ?

I was told that the 8 hp Honda weighed about the same as a 20 hp 2 stroke, But after weighing my Honda, i'm not so sure. It was 94 lbs wet. Ouch. I never trailer it with the kicker on, It just doesnt look safe. Even with the kicker up and going 30 - 35 mph on the lake, it looks iffy. I tie a rope to the kicker and to the boat while driving, just in case it decides to let go ! I think if the bracket were to give out, I would have bigger problems. I'm actually thinking of downsizing to a 4 or 6 hp 4 stroke, just for weight reasons. An 8 is almost too much for my size of boat anyhow. <br /> For mounting, I guess I will go for the left ( port) side. maybe I will include some digi photos, so that people have a better understanding of what i'm talking about.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: kicker bracket- which side ?

I have mine on the starboard side, mainly for balance, as my fuel tank is on the port side of the splashwell. Also, I run a 5.5 horse, which will push the boat to about 5 mph wide open. It works just fine, my boat is similar in size to yours, and is also a Silverline.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Re: kicker bracket- which side ?

The covered area in front of the transom on the sides is filled with flotation if it's like mine. I cut a portion out with my saws all, installed the bolts for my scissors mount, and then epoxied the block of foam back in place

 

[Boatist]

Re: kicker bracket- which side ?

If it was me I would keep the 8HP Honda and buy 4 cycle kicker braket rated for at least 170 puunds.<br /><br />Which side? This is mostly personal choice but there a few things to think about.<br /><br />If your helm is on the starboard side like most then if you mount <br />it on the starboard side cables shorter and have less bends.<br /><br />If you use boat alone then you and your motor are on the same side <br />so may cause boat to lean to that side.<br /><br />If when you dock you mostly have dock to your port then motor is better to starboard.<br /><br />I have a 21 foot I/O with a 15HP 2 stroke kicker that weighs 75 pounds. <br />I wish it had more power but it works pretty well. I used two 20 HP Kicker lift brackets side by side and made a new engine mounting board to tie the two together.<br />Having two brackets side by side took all the side to side sway out of the motor when on the trailer.<br />I also tied the release handels together and put extra bracing on the inside of the transom. I trailer with the motor on the bracket with no problem but did add and eye on both side of the motor so can strap it up with a nylon strap.