Outboard depth question

[tstraub]

So I was reading another thread on this forum about motor shaft length be transom heights and it got me to thinking I just put a motor on my 14 foot semi V and I never have a thought to the shaft length.  I just bought based on price.  It's an old 2 hp Elgin I got real cheap because it didn't run.  Any way a can of carb cleaner, some gasket material and a whole lot of elbow grease later it runs like new.  I measured my depth and I'm almost 2 inches low.  It this a concern on such a low hp motor?  Would moving it have any effect on performance? The boat works as well as I expected it would I can go about 5 or 6 mph at wide open throttle with just me and my gear.  I haven't ran a GPS speed with passengers but with 2 of my son's on board it didn't feel like it was a whole lot different.

[Way2slow]

The only reason to give that one any concern would be the extra clearance it would give you in really shallow water.  There would no such thing as a "performance" gain with that motor and for no more speed that you would be seeing, the extra drag caused by it being as low as it is would not be measurable.

You could build you a 2" extension on the top of your transom to raise the motor but as small as that lower unit is, I'm not sure it would be worth the effort unless you spend a lot of time in some really shallow water.  Then, if the extension is not supported real well, you could knock the whole motor off in the water.  Adding a jack plate would not be very practical.

[tstraub]

Thanks, that's what I figured. I might try to bring it up for clearance. I had it in the river a couple weeks ago and I did bounce the skeg off rocks a few times then caught one really hard and broke a shear pin.  Lucky I had a spare and the water was warm enough to step out and change it real quick.

[WRB]

Not to worry with your small 2 hp OB, you are not on plane. If you want just raise the tilt trim up about 3 position notches when running shallower water. 

Is your old Elgin a manual pull rope start 50's vintage? 

Tom

[tstraub]

3 minutes ago, WRB said:

Not to worry with your small 2 hp OB, you are not on plane. If you want just raise the tilt trim up about 3 position notches when running shallower water. 

Is your old Elgin a manual pull rope start 50's vintage? 

Tom

Thanks, I think I had the trim somewhere near the middle I'll raise it up next time. And probably wait until the river is higher. I went when it was pretty low because I wasn't sure how it would handle the current.  It's still new to me and I'm learning as I go.  Yes it's an old pull start air, cooled, single cylinder 2 stroke.  I don't remember the model number but I did look it up and found out it was made in either 1954 or 1955.  Starts on the first pull as long as I get the coke settings right.  I'm still learning when to coke it an when not to if I stop and anchor for a bit.

[WRB]

Be careful who sits behind you when pulling the rip cord so the end with the knot doesn't wack someone.

We just pulled the choke out full, started the engine and pushed it 1/2 in for let run about a minute then push the choke all the way end as you give it more throttle.

Good luck,

Tom