Dillon Racing

FREE Jack Plate Plans

No high performance boat is complete without the ability to perform vertical adjusts to the motor. Shims under the clamp bracket only get you so far. And if your transom is not already substantially higher than that on a typical boat, there will be no way to get your prop up to the surface where it can really perform.

A jack plate is the equipment you need to add vertical adjustment to your motor.

After making a few jack plates for my own boats, I have come up with a simple design that works for me. It not only gives me three inches of vertical adjustment, it also gives me about six inches of setback, so my prop can ride high up in relatively clean water.

You won't need much more than a hacksaw, drill and file to make this jack plate. As always, drill press will be a big help when drilling metal, even aluminum. But with care and patience, a handheld electric drill will do the job.

Materials needed are: four pieces of aluminum angle, 1/4" x 4" x 4"; four 1/2" x 1 1/2" carriage bolts with a washer and locknut for each; six 3/8" x 2 1/2" hex head bolts with washer and lock nut for each; two 1 1/4" x #10 flathead wood screws.

(NOTE: This should be strong enough to accomodate the 40 hp, 2 cylinder Nissan or Tohatsu used in Sport C racing. These motors weigh approximately 130 lbs. For heavier 40 hp motors, consider upgrading to 3/8" x 4" x 4" angle.)

You will also need enough plywood to laminate a motorboard, approximately 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" thick. The finished, trimmed size of the motorboard is 9" x 12".

Click on each of the drawings below to open them fullsize. Then save them to your computer, or simply print them directly from your screen.

Then go HERE for the construction notes for these plans.