In case you've been looking for a 4-stroke kicker motor bracket , you probably already know that these issues have to be built such as tanks to deal with the weight of modern engines. Back in the day, the small auxiliary motor was a lightweight two-stroke that a person could practically toss over the transom with one hand. Those days are mostly gone. Today's four-stroke kickers are noise-free, cleaner, and far more reliable, but guy, they are heavy. In case you try in order to mount a new nine. 9hp four-stroke upon a bracket designed for an old-school two-stroke, you're asking regarding a very expensive disaster at the bottom of the particular lake.
Selecting the right bracket isn't just about finding something that suits the bolt pattern on your transom. It's about understanding the physics of hanging a hundred-plus pounds of metal off the back of your boat while you're crashing through three-foot swells. You need something that won't flex, won't rust after one season in the salt, and—most importantly—won't fall your secondary motor into the drink whenever you hit the wake.
The particular weight problem along with modern kickers
The biggest shift within the boating entire world over the final handful of decades provides been the shift toward four-stroke technologies. While it's great for your ear and the atmosphere, it's a little bit of a headache for bracket producers. A normal 8hp or 9. 9hp four-stroke can weigh anyplace from 90 in order to 120 pounds, based on the base length and whether or not it has power point.
When you put that kind of pounds on a 4-stroke kicker motor bracket , you're not simply dealing with static weight. When you're trailering your vessel down a rough backroad or working at high speeds in choppy water, that motor will be bouncing. That "dead weight" effectively increases or triples the strain on the bracket's pivot points plus mounting bolts.
If you go cheap here, the first issue you'll notice will be the vibration. A flimsy bracket may hum and tremble, which isn't simply annoying—it's an indicator that will the metal is definitely fatiguing. Over period, those vibrations may lead to hairline cracks in the particular aluminum or, worse, start to pull the mounting bolts best through your transom if you didn't use a proper backing plate.
Manual lift vs fixed brackets
One of the first decisions you'll need to make will be whether you need a bracket that moves or one that remains put. It really depends upon your boat's design and just how you plan to use the kicker.
Manual lift brackets are the most typical for smaller sized fishing boats for sale or sailboats. These use the spring-loaded mechanism in order to help you heave the motor up and out associated with the water whenever you're on the move. When shopping for these, look for "extra-long travel" options. Since four-strokes sit lower and frequently have larger powerheads, you need a bracket that will can lift the prop high enough so it doesn't drag when you're on a plane along with your main engine.
The particular have trouble with manual brackets is, well, the particular manual part. Also with heavy-duty suspension springs, lifting a 100-pound motor while standing up on a wet, rocking deck can be a workout. If you've got a bad back or just want to make life easier, you might want to consider a fixed bracket combined with motor's internal power point.
Fixed brackets are basically just heavy-duty cabinets bolted to your transom. They don't move. You rely completely on the motor's own tilt mechanism to get the particular prop from the drinking water. These are generally much stronger because these people have no relocating parts or turns pins to put on out. If your boat includes a high enough transom in order to accommodate a fixed mount without the particular motor dragging, this particular is often the more "bulletproof" way to go.
Material matters more than you believe
You'll generally observe these brackets made from two components: stainless steel or anodized aluminum. There's a bit of the debate among boaters about which is definitely better, however it comes down to where you do your boating.
Metal steel is incredibly strong and provides that classic look, but it's weighty. If you're already worried about too very much weight within the stern, adding a 25-pound stainless bracket on top of the 100-pound motor might be overkill. However, for sheer toughness and resistance to "flexing" under load, high-grade stainless is not easy in order to beat.
Upon the other hands, a high-quality aluminum 4-stroke kicker motor bracket is definitely the industry regular for a cause. Modern marine-grade aluminum alloys are remarkably rigid. The essential is to look for "black-anodized" or powder-coated finishes. Raw aluminium will oxidize and look like junk within a year if you're in a saltwater environment. Also, pay attention to the particular thickness of the particular metal. If this appears thin enough to bend with a pair of pliers, it's not going to hold a four-stroke for long.
Don't forget the mounting pad itself. Many brackets make use of a poly or wood block out where the motor clamps on. I usually prefer the high-density poly pads. They will don't rot, these people don't hold dampness contrary to the motor clamps, and they also tend to grip the motor a lot better than finished wooden, which can obtain slippery when wet.
Getting the installation right
I can't pressure this enough: your own 4-stroke kicker motor bracket will be only as solid as the transom it's bolted to. I've seen men spend $400 on a top-of-the-line bracket simply to bolt it directly through a thin fiberglass hull with nothing but a few of small cleaners on the inside.
When you install one of these, you absolutely should use a support plate. If the particular manufacturer doesn't include one, go buy a piece of 1/4-inch aluminum or stainless-steel plate in order to put on the inside of the bilge. This spreads the particular load across a larger surface region. Without it, the particular torque from the particular motor will eventually cause the fiberglass to "spiderweb" or crack around the bolt holes.
Furthermore, be liberal along with the marine sealant. You're drilling openings below the waterline (or at minimum within an area that will gets splashed constantly). Work with a high-quality polyurethane sealant like 3M 5200. It's untidy, and you'll by no means get the bracket away again without a fight, but it'll keep your transom core from decaying out from the inside.
Exactly why a kicker is worth the expense
Some people wonder if they actually need a kicker motor. They figure their particular main engine is definitely reliable enough, or even they have a trolling motor on the bow. But the kicker serves two very specific reasons that a bow-mount electric just can't match.
First, there's the security aspect. If your main engine dies ten miles offshore or in the particular middle of a fast-moving river, that kicker is your own "get home" engine. An electric trolling motor won't combat a strong present or perhaps a heavy headwind for long. Having your 9. 9hp four-stroke prepared to go on a sturdy bracket provides a degree of reassurance that you just can't put a price on.
Minute, for the trollers out there, the kicker is the lifesaver for your primary engine. Putting 100s of hours per year on a 250hp outboard at idle speeds is the great way to carbon up the cylinders and use out the motor prematurely. A kicker lets you kobold at 1. 5 to 3 with all day long while burning up a fraction of the fuel. This keeps the hrs off your "big" motor and will keep your wallet the bit heavier with the fuel pier.
Keeping issues maintained
When you have your 4-stroke kicker motor bracket installed, don't simply forget about it. Marine environments are usually brutal. Every several months, examine the pressure on the installing bolts. Vibration includes a funny way associated with loosening things you thought were limited.
If you have a manual lift bracket, grease the pivot points. Most of them have bronze bushings or plastic material washers that may squeak or hole up if they will get salt deposits in them. A bit of marine grease will go a long way in making certain the bracket actually moves when a person want it in order to.
Lastly, if you trailer your boat, consider making use of a "transom saver" or perhaps a heavy-duty strap to secure the kicker motor. Even the best bracket in the world doesn't such as the vertical G-forces of a trailer striking a pothole in 60 mph. Taking the tension from the bracket during transport may make the whole setup last very much longer.
All in all, a good bracket is definitely an insurance plan for your motor. You've spent hundreds on a high end four-stroke engine; don't ruin it simply by trying to save fifty bucks on the thing that keeps it towards the vessel. Get something sturdy, bolt it upon right, and you'll be able in order to fish with complete confidence.