Engine Setup

shuckbo

Cadet
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
26
HI i Have a 225 Johnston on the back off a 18ft speedboat what i want to know is why has the engine been mounted 2.5" off centre , if you know what i mean, when i look at the rear off the boat the engine is 2.5" more to the right , when i have the boat on the water the boat never sits level , you would think that all the weight was on the drivers side because the boat lies to that side , so to to make it level i have to put more weight on the other side , would it be better if i mounted the engine centre or is there a reason for mounting it off centre , this boat will reach speeds off 65mph but at that speed you would think that the boat was going to go on its side especially if im in the boat myself and there is no weight on the other side , steve<br /><br />Oh and by the way i'm from Northern Ireland , if you look on the map you'll spot the big lake right in the centre , Lough Neagh which is the largest fresh water lake in Europe i'm right on the south shore off it , oh and by the way this is a very good forum , pity our Johnson service centre wasn,t as good , their a joke , cant get service and cant get parts , no wonder any guys over here wont buy johnson engines , i personally love them , if only we had a decent dealer , i phoned them the other day beacuse my gears were jumping out off reverse the find out what may have happened and see if they would have a look at it , when i told them it was a 1988 it said , " Oh it about time you changed that engine its a bit old to start working on , i can do you a very good deal on a new Johnson" well i managed to fix the problem myself thanks to this forum , the guy before me that had replaced the dog didn't set the hieght off the rod at the right height so i was getting forward ok but just wasnt just not engaging in reverse so i set it at the height the manual said took the boat out and now it works fine.
 

WillyBWright

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Messages
8,200
Re: Engine Setup

I've never seen two things. A main motor mounted off-center. Or a 225Hp on an EIGHTEEN FOOT BOAT. :eek:
 

DHPMARINE

Captain
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
3,688
Re: Engine Setup

Does this mean you don't want a test ride ?We could keep it down to about 55 MPH if you want.<br /><br />GRIN<br /> (maybe the port 225 got stolen)<br />DHP
 

shuckbo

Cadet
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
26
Re: Engine Setup

hi , does the motor need to be dead centre on the transom? should i move it to dead centre? Heres a pic off it..<br />
boaty.jpg' width=400 height=300  >
 
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
23
Re: Engine Setup

this is only a sugestion, prop walk torque? With the engine trimed out and with the power you have this would make the boat walk left or right depending on the rotation of the prop. The engine has probably been set to one side to stop that effect. The boat, what year model?
 

Dhadley

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Feb 4, 2001
Messages
16,978
Re: Engine Setup

With a single engine set up the motor should be centered on the keel/pad. It may not necessairly be in the center of the transom. Some boats are not exactly the same from the center of the keel/pad to each side. However 2 1/2" is a bunch.
 

Docdoc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
196
Re: Engine Setup

I think I'd wear a parachute in addition to a life jacket, just in case you ever have to bail out of that rig at full speed. *grin*
 

umblecumbuz

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
1,062
Re: Engine Setup

That looks like an old Fletcher, made in the UK - right?<br /><br />Maybe the guy was right - sell the engine and get a new one - but sell it with the boat huh? Those old Fletcher's tended to rot a lot.<br /><br />Seriously, the motor should be central for a start. So move it across, and then sort out any remaining troubles afterwards. <br /><br />Lough Neagh - great pond.<br /><br />Have fun, Irish. I'm in love with Arklow.<br /><br />f my memory serves, those boats had a top hp rating of about 150, so yors should be a bundle of fun.
 

muskyone

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 17, 2003
Messages
814
Re: Engine Setup

am i the only one thinking that boat should be going a whole lot faster then 65 center it
 

walleyehed

Admiral
Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
6,767
Re: Engine Setup

well, my set-up isn't far off from that, but I don't have a pad, and my boat is alum. 18ft'r.<br />That hull, when straightened out, has more than 65 in it...<br />The reason they put the driver on the right is because of prop torque when on plane...it's trying to twist the boat to port..it should ride near level on plane. check the pad (If it has one) and as Dhadley said, center the engine to be in the center of the pad bottom...
 

Dhadley

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Feb 4, 2001
Messages
16,978
Re: Engine Setup

We used to see a lot of 225's on 18's around here but not so much anymore.<br /><br />Not since they came out with 250 and 300 V6's.
 

Richard Petersen

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
778
Re: Engine Setup

Off setting engines or angleing the fixed shaft and prop jobs is a last ditch, way to try and cancel out some of the oversized torque the boat can not accept. ORRR. A person just slapped a motor on for the sale of the boat and could not care less.
 
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