When you've been considering about mounting a kicker motor on a boat, you're likely searching for a way to conserve hours on your main engine or simply want that additional layer of safety when you're miles offshore. It's one particular of those upgrades that feels a bit intimidating from first—mostly because you're about to drill down holes in your hull—but the compensation is huge. Regardless of whether you're a die-hard troller chasing walleye or a coastal boater who wants a "get home" motor, getting the installation right is the particular difference between a smooth day on the water plus a massive head ache.
Why bother with a kicker anyhow?
Before we all get into the nuts and mounting bolts of the job, it's worth asking the reason why people do this in the initial place. Most huge outboards aren't really designed to idle at 1. 5 miles per hr for six hrs straight. They obtain "coked up, " they burn method too much energy, and they place unnecessary wear and tear on a costly powerhead.
A small 8hp or 9. 9hp kicker, on another hand, is built for this exact kind of work. It's quiet, it's effective, and it offers you incredibly precise speed control. Plus, in case your main engine ever decides to call it up quits while you're out in the middle of nowhere, having that kicker already mounted and able to go is a total lifesaver.
Picking the correct spot on the particular transom
The particular first big decision you have in order to make is where the particular motor is really going to sit. A lot of people choose the interface (left) side associated with the boat. Precisely why? Because on many smaller boats, the particular driver sits on the starboard (right) side. Placing the kicker on the particular port side assists balance out the weight of the captain, keeping the boat level while you're running.
However, you can't just pick a spot and start going. You need in order to check for clearances. Convert your primary outboard just about all the way left and right to ensure it's not really going to break into the kicker. You also need to look at your own swim ladders, trim tabs, and transducers. There's nothing even worse than mounting a kicker only in order to realize your fishfinder no more works mainly because the kicker's reduce unit is generating a massive wake up of bubbles right over the sensor.
Fixed brackets vs. adjustable mounts
Depending on your boat's design, you'll either need a fixed group or an flexible "lift" bracket. For those who have a flat transom that sits relatively low to the particular water, a set bracket is usually the way in order to go. They're stone solid and have got fewer moving components in order to or rattle.
If a person have a boat with a higher transom or a swim platform, you'll probably need a good adjustable bracket. These types of allow you to lower the motor into the drinking water when you require it and lift it completely out of the way when you're hanging around on your primary engine. Don't go cheap on the bracket. A kicker motor might only weigh a hundred pounds, but whenever you're bouncing throughout choppy water from 30 mph, that will motor is putting a massive amount of leveraging and stress on that mount. Appear for heavy-duty metal steel or thick aluminum.
The particular "scary" part: Drilling and sealing
Once you've marked your holes, it's time to exercise. It's always a little nerve-wracking in order to put holes in a perfectly great boat, but if a person do it right, it's perfectly secure.
Pro tip: Use a backing plate. Never just run bolts through the fiber-glass with a little washer on the back. You want a large aluminum or even stainless plate on the inside of the transom to spread the load. If you don't use one, the stoß and weight of the motor can eventually cause the fiberglass to crack or "spider" throughout the bolt holes.
When it arrives to keeping water out, skip the particular cheap hardware shop silicone. You want a high-quality marine sealant like 3M 5200 (if you want it to stay there forever) or 4200 (if you might desire to remove it someday). Slather that stuff on the particular bolts and within the holes. A person want it to squeeze out a little bit whenever you tighten almost everything down so that you understand you've got a watertight seal.
Hooking up the steering
You've got two primary choices here: a tiller handle or even a steering tie-bar. If you're simply using the kicker intended for emergency backup, a tiller handle is fine. But if you're trolling, you possibly want to be able to steer the particular kicker from the particular helm.
A tie-bar connects your kicker motor to your main outboard. When you turn your steering wheel, both motors move in unison. It's a pretty basic setup, but a person have to guarantee the geometry is best so the motors don't bind up whenever you tilt one particular of them upward. There are some "quick-disconnect" versions around that are usually great if you don't always want the motors linked together.
Coping with energy and power
How are you likely to feed the beast? Some guys just use a small 3-gallon portable tank tucked below a seat. It's simple and it works. But if you need a cleaner look, you can "T" into the main fuel line.
If you go the particular "T" route, make sure you set up a shut-off control device or a check out valve. You don't want your main engine sucking air flow from the kicker series, and you also don't would like the kicker to pull fuel aside from the primary engine when you're running at high speeds.
For that electrical aspect, if your kicker has an electric start and an alternator, you'll want to wire it for your beginning battery. This way, the particular kicker is actually getting your battery while you're trolling just about all day, which is a huge plus if you're working big electronics and livewells.
Obtaining the right height
The level of the propeller is vital. If it's too high, it'll "ventilate" (suck air) every time a small wave hits. When it's too low, you're adding unnecessary drag and might hit bottom in shallower areas. Ideally, you would like the cavitation dish (the flat b above the prop) to be about an inch or even two below the particular bottom of the hull when the motor is in the "down" position.
It might take a small trial and error. Don't hesitate in order to move the motor up or lower a hole on the bracket after your first check run. Small changes could make a huge difference in precisely how much thrust you receive and how nicely the boat deals with at low rates of speed.
Final ideas before you mind out
Mounting a kicker motor on a boat is one of these DIY projects that really changes the way you use your ship. It opens up a totally new world associated with fishing techniques and gives you a level of self-confidence that you just don't have with a single engine.
Get your time with the measurements, don't skimp on the sealant, and make sure that bracket will be beefy enough for your job. Once it's all bolted straight down and the gas is flowing, you'll wonder why you didn't do it many years ago. There's some thing incredibly satisfying about clicking that little motor into equipment, hearing it purr at a sound, and watching your GPS hit that perfect 2. 2 mph trolling speed. Delighted boating!