Any Outboard Jet experts?

[lovemywinchester]

Looking for tips for setting up my jet on my Jon boat. I know lots of you guys run jets so hoping I can get some advice. This is my first jet so learning as I go. I'm putting a short shaft Yamaha 50 2 stroke on my Lowe 1852 MT. I have it mounted temporarily until I decide if I will run a jack plate or not. What I am concerned about is the keel runs right in the centre of the intake. I have read this is a shitty set up as the keel will disturb the water and get bubbles in the intake (cavitation). I can't take the keel off due to it fastening the two pieces of the hull together and its riveted through the hull. I am thinking I can cut a foot or two off just at the back before the transom and that this might flatten the water out before the intake. Here is what I am looking to find out.

-How much of the keel would I have to take off to get the water to calm down before hitting the intake.
-If I run a jack plate so the intake is 2-3 inches farther back would that allow the water to calm before the intake?
-Should the front of the intake be flush with the hull or just a bit above or below?

Any tips are appreciated, Thanks

[Ride Red]

Have you tried running your boat without modifying the hull? Lots of guys run outboards on jon boats without issue or mods.

[Downwindtracker2]

I don't know anything about jets, but I know a little about aluminum boats , I wrapped an aluminum canoe around a rock . To straighten it, I split it, then hammered it out. I put the keel, a T shape, back on with "double bubble" solid end pop rivets. They are a specialty rivet, but they have a pressure rating. I would use a T shaped extrusion on the inside to bind it together . You want the T for rigidity . And overlap the inside and outside. When you use the rivets ,use a two handed manual gun, NOT A AIR GUN, they don't pull. I used silicone , a mistake, should have used a poly urethane like Silvaflex or 3M 5200.

[Drillbit]

^Ya

Try it before you dig into it.


I run a pretty haggard welded 14' sled with a yamaha 60/40 on it.
The bottom has so many ripples I have to hang the bottom of the foot about an inch below the bottom of the boat. Any higher and if calves too much.

It works great even with it hanging down a bit. In the skinny stuff, i just step and drift it sideways over the logs/gravel and the foot never catches.

A tunnel no doubt better, but if you know what you're doing you can get pretty far without it.

[lovemywinchester]

Thanks Drill bit. I'll try it out and see how it goes I guess. Come on spring!!

[CHEAM]

I ran a 14 foot with the same hull design and had no problems. I ran the front of the shoe lined up with the bottom of the boat. You will still have some water piling up on top of the shoe at that height most likely.