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Hi all

I have a chance to grab a clean 7.5 hp engine for a kicker motor. It is an older motor, but is fresh-water use only, starts right up & the guy is practically giving it away. The only problem is that it is a long shaft.

As good a deal as this engine is, it's no deal if it doesn't work on my boat. I plan on mounting this on a 1978 Outrage 21.

Will this be adequate for a kicker motor, or will the prop be too deep in the water? Should I hold out for a short shaft?

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That sounds like the same motor I have if it is an Evinrude or Johnson.
The 7.5 hp was later changed to 8 hp.

I have used the long shaft on 3 different boats now.
1978 Montauk
http://users.sisqtel.net/jkriz/Montau...ntauk.html

1985 Outrage 18'
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...icle_id=48

1997 Outrage 17' II
http://users.sisqtel.net/jkriz/Outrag...age17.html

Using a short shaft kicker will put the power head 5 inches closer to the water. The higher the power head is from the water, the better. That's one of the reason they changed the transom on the earlier 13' models so the powerhead was higher out of the water and the water also wouldn't come into the splashwell as easily.

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Thanks for the reply Joe

The engine is a 7.5 mercury.

My engine mount is one of the "factory" setups on the older Outrage hull. I am not sure if this is really a BW piece, but I have seen these on several of the older 21' smooth side hulls. The engine will sit at teh same elevation as the old 9.9, so it will go deeper into the water.

I know that this is not ideal in real shallow water as the prop will be 5" deeper than the short shaft does. But this engine is cheap, and that has a big factor in it right now.

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How about raising the bracket 5 inches with the extension of some sort?

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I was thinking of doing that; the old bracket is, well, real old. It would be nice to get a newer brakcet that allows for the motor to get up out of the water a bit.

The only problem is trying to figure out how to mount the bracket. The transom is real tight.