Is My Motor Too Low On The Boat?

[zewski]

Hey guys, I have a 2000 Nitro NX882 with a 150 Mercury XR6 on it. It has a factory manual jack plate on it and I feel that maybe the motor is positioned too low. I see all those guys trimming up with big cat tails while i can't trim past the motor beeing leveled with the boat. maybe it is too high also i dont know. Is there a way to know if it is in its correct position? should the prop be lets says 5 inches below the hull ?

 

Let me know

[tomustang]

Depends on the boat, my hull likes the motor up high. I couldn't rooster tail if I wanted to, not like I would want to anyway, it's when you overtrim.

[Kevin22]

You do not want to see a rooster tail. If your boat gets on plane well and you have good top end speed then there is no reason to change anything. 

 

Maybe have a buddy watch you from the ramp and do a lap around and back in front of him while at WOT. He'll be able to see how your boat is running better than you will. Then adjust and try again. 

[Glenn]

My hull likes the dead-center prop about 2 3//4" below the hull.  One of the indications it's too low is if you get chine-walk at the top end. While not the only cause of chine-walk, you can reduce it by raising the motor.  However, as you raise the motor, it gets harder to steer.  So find a happy medium that your comfortable with.

 

Rooster tail has nothing to do with motor height.  A big rooster tail means it's over-trimmed...a problem with the operator, not the boat set up.  If you're over-trimmed, you won't get max speed or good boat control.  Optimal trim setting is where your rooster tail is slightly higher than the height of your motor.

[Way2slow]

Proper engine height depends on a number of variables, amount of setback, type prop, type hull and balance point to name a few. The key to a proper setup is getting the right bow lift with the motor trimmed approx vertical to the waters surface. However you will see sooooo many bass boats trimmed out where the motor is trimmed out way past vertical, that's the reasons for the tall rooster tail. The prop is wasting lots of power pushing down and not forward.

[Hi Salenity]

What's your top speed?

And RPM?

Water pressure?