Ufff ok now that I've got the 40 installed I'm realizing that I have almost no tilt. To get it home I had to remove the rudder arms and cross bar to give me enough tilt. At that, I still scraped the skeg backing into the driveway. These new 40 4 strokes are fat and tall! I did have a 10" setback plate installed to move the motor back and down. As a test I went out yesterday and flipped the rudder arms so they are inboard and I reversed the tiller bracket. This gives me steering but still not much tilt.
My main issue is lack of tilt for the motor. What have those of you with 19's done to get more tilt? I've been looking at steering alternatives but really dont want to loose cockpit space to a pedestal and wheel, hence the flipped steering but I still need a couple more inches for tilt.
Thoughts and suggestions welcome. I'm running out of boating funds and the admiral is running out of patience
I find if I turn my motor to one side than I can tilt it all the way up. What motor do you have?
I also heard of one person who removed the rudders and steering links all together and just uses the motor as a rudder when sailing and found that it works satisfactory. I'm also of thinking of trying this.
It's a 2014 Mercury Command Thrust 40 - it's soooo fat. I opted for controls and have designed a linkage to work with the tiller for steering. But I think Im about to revisit this whole design process. Apparently wine and planning dont mix....
EZ Stik looks like it will work. I was out taking some measurements and the admiral looks at it says "why dont you just get some tube and raise everything up 3 inches ?" Hmm she has a point, I do have a spare tiller with a 2" drop so the tiller height would be close to original. Off to do more measuring....
Well... I ended up mocking up 6" risers for the stern post and the rudder posts and will try it out on the lake this weekend. It's giving me sufficient tilt now and if this works out I'll order the tube and weld it up. It's working in the driveway but if it doesnt work out I'll order the EZ-Stick and go that route.
The worst part of the Mac 19 was the rudders. It just didn't steer well.
I ordered a pair of the Ida rudders when under different name/owner but they didn't appear to be any better, just a different material, and one was longer than the other, so I didn't even bother to use them.
Then, I noticed that the 19 rudder posts were identical to those on the 26C.
So, I drilled a hole in the top of each rudder post, and dropped a 3/16" line down it, for a rudder hold-down line.
I made new rudders, that go down 25" from the pivot point to the bottom, and fold up right against the transom when raised, out of former C-scow lee boards. They are 6-1/2" W X 1/4" =/- thick.
It steers much better.
The second worst part was that the top was hinged on the forward end.
I put 1" flagpole holders on the four corners of the deck and undersides of the top. I bought aluminum crutches at a second-hand store, and cut four 2-foot sections. Now, the top fits under the boom and I have standing head-room.
but I couldn't' figure out how to post it.