Mounting a new kicker motor with power tilt.

[retsey]

Hello, Need your suggestions here.

I want to mount a kicker motor on my 21' Hydra Sports - walkaround.

As I posted below, I am leaning toward a Yamaha 9.9T once I an convinced that is the way to go.

I will purchase it with a power trim. I really don't want to fool with a swing type mount. I would rather just fix it and lift the motor out of the water using my power tilt as I do now with my Crestliner.

It this common practice and does anyone see a problem in doing this? What about the steering rod?

My main question is how do I know and what type of mounting bracket do you suggest and how do I know it is designed (long enough) to allow the motor , cables, fuel line, ect.... to pivot when I tlt it up when I run?

also...How do you suggest connecting the two motors together for steering or should I be using a remote steer.

I really would still like to steer from my main steering as I would the main motor but don't know if this is possible.

As always....Thank you in advance .

Marty

[Ray]

I have a yamaha 9.9HT with power tilt....love this unit. I have this motor mounted on a fixed mount.

https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail

As far as connecting to the main engine. I use EZ-Steer. Works great for me. There are different sizes of EZ-steer based upon your application.

http://www.marinetechproducts.com/pages/EZSteerHome/

Ray

[rolmops]

Is there enough room in the transom cutout for 2 engines or will you need an outboard bracket?

[sszoldra]

I have a 9.9 Honda with power tilt/e-start connected in tandem with my main 90 Honda. I have 2 sets of controls (1 behind the other) mounted and a rod tying the 2 together for steering. There was another post here about the same thing so I have pics of my setup. The only thing wrong with this setup is you have to disconnect the fuel line on the main motor before tilting because if the motor swings to the left while connected you will smash the quick disconnect. Hope this helps.

[retsey]

Thank you gents....I will have to mount a bracket since my transom only has the cutout for the main motor and is if a large boat design. That is, the transon is basically 6" thick wrap around from the gunwal.

[ReelPower]

Ray I've seen a pic of your sweet kicker set-up in past posts...I'm going to a similar set-up off a swim platform mount. What length shaft do you run?

[Jack]

I used a Panther Mount , very sturdy and the price wasn't to bad ($200). You can also adjust if you want. I made a steering link out of a 3/8 stainless rod , works mint.

Good Luck !

[Ray]

Ray I've seen a pic of your sweet kicker set-up in past posts...I'm going to a similar set-up off a swim platform mount. What length shaft do you run?

Thanks RP.

I went with the extra long shaft...I am able to get more bite from the prop in the water than I would have with the long shaft.

[Hookedup]

Not the best pic but its on the swim platform. I use the EZ Steer and have never taken it off since day one. Yamaha 9.9 high thrust power trim and tilt with throtle control, also have the troll master throtle control hooked to it.

you can see both controls for big motor and kicker past my daughter

[retsey]

Nice set up Sean. Let me ask, are you able to trim both the main and kicker motor up and down with the EZ connection bar in place?

Also , are you able to override the remote troll master if you want to use the throttle? or don't you suggest even using the throttle to power the speed?

But....I see you don't have any steering cable coming off the kicker so I assume you don't even have the throttle for speed hooked up and only use it for starting and trimming the kicker???

Marty

[Hookedup]

Hi Marty, I use the throttle to power the speed all of the time on the kicker when im not using the troll master it is all set up like the big motor. Then all you do is set your throttle to idle (just ingage it to go forward) then turn on the troll master and use that. You want both if your servo motor goes out in your troll master you want to be able to use it with the regular throttle control, keeps you fishing. If you turn off the troll master its like its not even hooked up motor and throttle will function like it would if you didn't have it hoked up. If you set your EZ steer the correct way (to the correct poundage) it will slide in and out when you trim your motors in any position. I have hydraulic steering on the big motor so my garmin auto pilot will steer the kicker off the big motor even when the power is off to the big motor. One tip if you go with the Troll Master hook it up to a switch so you can turn off the power when its not in use. The small servo motor draws power if you do the install the way they want you to. I had a servo motor go bad and it was grinding its gears while the boat was in my barn. When I discovered it the motor was hot, could have been bad. So always have a way to kill the power when the boat is not in use.

[K Gonefishin]

FYI- if you have hydraulic steering teleflex has a new kicker steering cable out, it's the cats meow. I have some fancy 250.00 stainless steel bar but I've broke the connection point on my kicker twice I think I'm moving to this new system no bars at all.

I had a panther power lift on my last boat, worked great. I have a static plate now with power trim/tilt build into my pro kicker. I like it itegrated better, eventually the solenoids on the panther wear out.

Those manual brackets aren't that great, I know guys with them, they hate em.

http://www.teleflexmarine.com/products/ ... ar_kicker/

http://www.teleflexmarine.com/wp-conten ... ie-bar.pdf

[retsey]

Thank you guys especially Sean for the photo's and the suggestions.

Another hurdle to get over...

I plan on buying a T19.9 with 25" shaft.

I just measured the transom of my motor and this is what I About 30" from the bottom of the hull on where I believe the center of the kicker would be to the rub rail then another 4-1/2" from the rub rail to the top of the transom(gunwal height).

I understand that the cavitaion plate of the motor should be 1-1/2 - 2" below the bottom of the hull.

This leaves me the where the motor mounts to the bracket will set with around 7-8 inches below the rub rail.

Is this to low?

Thank you , Marty

Not sure if my photo is arttached or not. Is there a secret in making photos view on the web site?

[retsey]

Sorry...wow , the photo actaully downloaded. I like this website!

Marty

[retsey]

KHello K Gonefishin. I spoke to a tech guy at Sea Star/Teleflex and he was very helpful.

He convinced me but then ....We need an opinion proof from a few users. I checked the price and its a bout 4 bills.

I like it beacuse of no connection rod between the two and unlimited tilt , trim and steering to worry about. Any the fact that I don't have to worry about anyone stealing the $220 EZ Bar (PS...wow, nice mark -up and lots of profit made on those EZ Steer bars !)

Marty

[K Gonefishin]

I wouldn't hesitate. Since this system has come out all Ranger boats come pre-rigged from the factory with this new system and my dealer has sold a ton of the including a few to pro staff friends not one compliant yet. Seastar makes bulletproof stuff and they don't put out junk and their customer service is 2nd to none.

My Ranger came pre rigged with a tie bar as pictured below but when my kicker is tilted up so high my steering gets tight mainly in harbors and around launch ramps so I am going to upgrade to this new system as well. I can't wait to have full lock to lock turning and no bar to worry about breaking, I've broken mine twice already (where it connects to the kicker bolt) and had to get it welded, sucks thank god I have tiller and auto pilot on the bow mount.

If you look behind my buddy you can see the bar that ties mine together, don't get me wrong it works great and all but in the 4 years I've owned the boat it's broke twice and this systems cost 250.00 all stainless etc.

What model hydro is that? my buddy has a 2300 rigged with a yamaha 15hp 4 stroke with a bracket and ezsteer. if you scroll down you'll see a picture of his boat with the kicker http://fishcrazycharters.com/Night-Trol ... w-How.html

[ReelPower]

Just purchased a used kicker set up...will post pictures after installation. Here's the plan:

Kicker: Mercury 9.9 pro kicker 25", power tilt, elec., remote. Remote operation from the helm with troll master hooked up. Gonna take the independent power switch advice for the troll master...that's good info.

Location: off the factory swim platform mount on my bayliner trophy, moving mount from port to starboard for weight distribution purposes and shorter/direct remote cable run to helm.

Steering: hooked up to the Cobra outdrive w/ ez-steer. Main has piece of crap Raymarine sport pilot auto pilot...perhaps it will work better without power assited steering on (main motor off)...it is a drunken sailor at best, always over-correcting and unable to handle a change in weight distribution.

Fuel: drawn off the second outlet on the water separator.

Power output: 6 amp...not sure how this ties in to the battery bank (2 way battery switch)

Finally some consistent speed control, the ability to run slow walleye speeds, the ability to use the kicker for late season walleye trolling around cleveland harbor when the main is winterized and less gas burn/hours on the main.

Happy!

[ac holmes]

Very useful discussion, but my challenge is a little different. My 27 foot Eastern is a full inboard (5.7 Merc) with a rudder. I have a 9.9 Honda with tilt/trim mounted on the swim platform amidships and locked dead ahead. The controls go to the helm and I can switch engines without leaving the helm. It is a very nice setup, but the autohelm (raymarine) works very well on the big engine but not as well on the 9.9 because the prop wash is behind the rudder with the 9.9 and in front on the big prop/engine. I have looked at the teleflex options, including the new hookup with a cable from big outboard to small which is the ideal setup. I am researching ways of making the outboard steer from the helm. Teleflex makes a dual cable hub for big outboards and I am thinking of installing this system with one cable to the rudder and one to the 9.9. Teleflex tech disadvises this use but I think it will work fine. What do you guys think?

[K Gonefishin]

Very useful discussion, but my challenge is a little different. My 27 foot Eastern is a full inboard (5.7 Merc) with a rudder. I have a 9.9 Honda with tilt/trim mounted on the swim platform amidships and locked dead ahead. The controls go to the helm and I can switch engines without leaving the helm. It is a very nice setup, but the autohelm (raymarine) works very well on the big engine but not as well on the 9.9 because the prop wash is behind the rudder with the 9.9 and in front on the big prop/engine. I have looked at the teleflex options, including the new hookup with a cable from big outboard to small which is the ideal setup. I am researching ways of making the outboard steer from the helm. Teleflex makes a dual cable hub for big outboards and I am thinking of installing this system with one cable to the rudder and one to the 9.9. Teleflex tech disadvises this use but I think it will work fine. What do you guys think?

Having it mounted dead center of the boat is good and bad. Although not a cheap solution but without a doubt the best solution would be a TR-1 Auto pilot. It's a Auto Pilot made to be mounted to kicker motors alot of guys run them on Erie (and probably on Ontario) they are sweet.

If your running a full inboard not much else you can do, no system made for outboards is going to help you. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=11573

[ac holmes]

Thanks for the info. The TR-1 looks like a good solution, but it means more wires and mechanicals and my boat is getting too complicated. One guy here on Seneca (who is a very good marine mechanic) has suggested going from the rudder control arm to the steering tube on the 9.9 with an additional cable much like the Teleflex package that goes from OB to OB. He claims he could put it together, but may need a custom bracket made.

I am very pleased with the new "redesigned" Ray Marine X5 sport autohelm (the old version was junk) and am reluctent to invest in another auto helm when the one aboard works so well. I am going to keep thinking about it. I do wish I would have gone with the Honda 15HP as the 9.9HP is OK but can only push the 27 at 5.5 MPH, WOT. It would be nice to have a little more speed from the standpoint of a back-up engine, but it trolls very well with the 9.9. I am also pleased to discover that the 5.7 V8, now that it is fully broken in, will troll very well also...2.5 MPH at 600 RPM. My new boat is almost perfect for my needs, but I can't resist the idea of the 9.9 being on autohelm steering. That 9.9 is a sweet little motor...siops gas and is so quiet I don't know if is running sometimes.

It is nice to know that the TR-1 is a solution if all else fails.

[retsey]

Kgonefishen,

Sorry for not getting back...just noticed page two of two on the thread.

Good information here.

I have West Marine looking up a price for the Seastar kicker . Here is the rear of my 2006, 21' Hydra Sports. I thought about ging to a 23' but I launch all the time and wanted a size that would be easy for me since I'm not getting any younger if you know what I mean.

Anyways ...here are some photo's and what I have to work with. I do plan on relocating the ladder to the star side and mounting a T9.9 Yam, 25" with a fixed bracket that I will have fabricated out of stainless.

I spoke to Teleflex/Sea Star today and they confirmed that he rod will stick out 14" from the end of the tub on the kicker. So I will haveo set my kicker 28/29" from the center of the main motor to keep it from sticking out beyound the side of the boat. (hate to hit it on the dock you know)

Any suggestions/thoughts / concerns ?

Thank you gents.....this is one of the best hidden sights around and just loaded with useful information.

[ac holmes]

This company has 1st rate stuff for sale...you might want to take a peek before custom fabricating a bracket. I am using the model #1000 for my 9.9 Honda off the swim platform and am very pleased with the quality.

http://www.adventuremarine.net/

[retsey]

Thank you AC.

Others have recommended this manufacture and I might just purchase it.

I just wonder if will make the kicker stick out to far from my boat.

Do you or someone else knows how deep the bracket is?

Thank you

[ac holmes]

Here tis...

https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail

and another option...

https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail

[retsey]

Hello Ray,

I just picked up my T9.9.

Questionm How deep is that Adventure Marine fixed bracket? That is...the dimention from the back end of the transom to the center where the motor mounts on?

I wounder how much room is needed for the throttle cable to bend and go back into my splashwell.

Thank you in advance