Vance Manufacturing Jack Plates

[wmk0002]

Does anyone have one of the 40hp and below manual jack plates made by Vance Manufacturing? They have two for that hp range: the JPL2412SB which has a 5" setback and the JPL2712SB which has 7" of setback. Both have 3" of vertical adjustment and the engine side of the plate is 2" higher than the transom side so you can get 5" of total offset if you need. Their prices seem very good tome. I purchased Dillon Racing jack plate plans a couple years back with the intention of building my own, however, I estimated the cost to still come out to about $100 or more. For double the money getting a good, quality, machined product is worth it to me. The 7" setback model seems like overkill and make it difficult to reach the tiller without an extension so I was leaning towards the 5" model. Would love some real life reviews on their products as well as advice on the setback to get.

My boat is a 1648 Alumacraft flatbottom currently powered with an OMC 15hp 2-stroke and the hull is max rated for 35hp. The boat is a 15" transom and my motors are all matching short shafts. I plan to get a 25hp 2 stroke this spring to match the hp restriction of a couple of local lakes. Ultimately, I would like to replace it with the newish Yamaha F25 4stroke. My current motors place the anti ventilation plate about 1" or so below the bottom of the hull. My rig as is performs pretty well but I would like to get an adjustable jack plate for better performance and the ability to fine tune the height for a number of motors.

https://www.vancemfg.com/product-p/jpl2412sb.htm

 

[wmk0002]

I think considering the price and the few reviews I saw on another forum, I will go ahead and buy one. Now I just need to choose the setback. Can anyone offer some advice on if I should choose the 5" or 7" setback model? I know the further back the motor is set back the higher it can run, however, I'm not looking for a super shallow running boat since my hull is thin and riveted. I'm also concerned about too much setback causing an issue reaching the tiller handle/shifter. My current motor mounted to the transom has about a perfect length tiller handle in relation to my seat location but the shifter is on the side of the motor so it is annoying to reach. Not sure if a new 25hp (or even older 25hp) will have a longer tiller handle than my 9.9/15 though. I know at least the shifter will at least be located in a better position.

 

[Jim]

I reached out to Vance Manufacturing to help answer your questions. I'm hoping they respond. [-o<

 

[wmk0002]

I reached out to Vance Manufacturing to help answer your questions. I'm hoping they respond. [-o<

Thank you Jim!

 

[turbotodd]

I have in the past used a CMC breakaway (5" set back) with a Suzuki 25. Suzuki's have short tillers, or at least the old DT25C I had did. With the short tiller and 5" of set back, it was TOUGH to get turned in tight quarters such as flooded timber. It was just a long reach, that's all. Most of the newer motors have longer tillers than that old Suzuki had. The pre 2017 Yamaha 4 strokes were short, but still longer than a Suzuki. The '17-newer are longer and angled toward the operator a little which is really nice-probably work pretty good with a set back. I haven't tried it yet, though I do have a jack plate in the shop ready to bolt on....problem is, boat won't fit in the garage with 5" more length. I have maybe 2" to spare.

 

[wmk0002]

I have in the past used a CMC breakaway (5" set back) with a Suzuki 25. Suzuki's have short tillers, or at least the old DT25C I had did. With the short tiller and 5" of set back, it was TOUGH to get turned in tight quarters such as flooded timber. It was just a long reach, that's all. Most of the newer motors have longer tillers than that old Suzuki had. The pre 2017 Yamaha 4 strokes were short, but still longer than a Suzuki. The '17-newer are longer and angled toward the operator a little which is really nice-probably work pretty good with a set back. I haven't tried it yet, though I do have a jack plate in the shop ready to bolt on....problem is, boat won't fit in the garage with 5" more length. I have maybe 2" to spare.

Thanks Todd. I'm really happy to hear that about the new Yamaha tillers.

 

[wmk0002]

Vance got back to me and suggested the 5" setback model. I'm going to order one as soon as I hear back from my dealer...shipping straight from Vance is about $20, however, tax free since I'm out of state. Depends on how much the dealer upcharges.

Edit: Just ordered online direct from Vance

 

[wmk0002]

So I have had this sitting in my shop uninstalled for 3 months now. Think I will finally try to put it on soon. Having never have done one before, does anyone have any sealant recommendations? I will stick away from 3M 5200 but really don't know if I should go with a silicone sealant or a poly one.

 

[wmk0002]

As an FYI to all, this unit does not fit well with a 25/30 Yamaha 3 cylinder. I'm now glad I held off on installing until I got a bigger motor because I don't think it would have worked. On top of that I got a Panther TnT unit with the motor and it has a BIA transom pattern which is larger than this jack plates transom side fastener pattern. So if I would have installed it, then to add the Panther unit I would have had to drill 4 new holes.

I bet this unit would still be perfect for a most 25hp outboards, but be advised to check before you buy. Vance has a model JPL6000 which is a manual model rated to 150hp which is a few pounds heavier but has a standard BIA pattern on the transom side and can be purchased with a board on the motor side to accommodate a clamp on motor or one without the BIA bolt pattern.

 

[nccatfisher]

As an FYI to all, this unit does not fit well with a 25/30 Yamaha 3 cylinder. I'm now glad I held off on installing until I got a bigger motor because I don't think it would have worked. On top of that I got a Panther TnT unit with the motor and it has a BIA transom pattern which is larger than this jack plates transom side fastener pattern. So if I would have installed it, then to add the Panther unit I would have had to drill 4 new holes.

I bet this unit would still be perfect for a most 25hp outboards, but be advised to check before you buy. Vance has a model JPL6000 which is a manual model rated to 150hp which is a few pounds heavier but has a standard BIA pattern on the transom side and can be purchased with a board on the motor side to accommodate a clamp on motor or one without the BIA bolt pattern.

You can make it work with that motor but it is somewhat of a PITA. You have to make an adapter plate.

As to the offset 5" is plenty. I have run either T&T or jack plates on several boats the size you have mentioned. Luckily the last was on a Yamaha with all the controls on the tiller and the longer tiller. Earlier one was on a Yamaha and one was on a Suzuki and I made extensions for both of them. Quite frankly I don't see any plus to offsetting any farther back. You can raise the motor considerably higher at 5".

 

[wmk0002]

As an FYI to all, this unit does not fit well with a 25/30 Yamaha 3 cylinder. I'm now glad I held off on installing until I got a bigger motor because I don't think it would have worked. On top of that I got a Panther TnT unit with the motor and it has a BIA transom pattern which is larger than this jack plates transom side fastener pattern. So if I would have installed it, then to add the Panther unit I would have had to drill 4 new holes.

I bet this unit would still be perfect for a most 25hp outboards, but be advised to check before you buy. Vance has a model JPL6000 which is a manual model rated to 150hp which is a few pounds heavier but has a standard BIA pattern on the transom side and can be purchased with a board on the motor side to accommodate a clamp on motor or one without the BIA bolt pattern.

You can make it work with that motor but it is somewhat of a PITA. You have to make an adapter plate.

As to the offset 5" is plenty. I have run either T&T or jack plates on several boats the size you have mentioned. Luckily the last was on a Yamaha with all the controls on the tiller and the longer tiller. Earlier one was on a Yamaha and one was on a Suzuki and I made extensions for both of them. Quite frankly I don't see any plus to offsetting any farther back. You can raise the motor considerably higher at 5".

Yeah, I was going to make an adapter and just roll with it. But I then decided a tilt and trim would be really beneficial on a motor this size. On my smaller 9.9/15s it was never a big deal. The only downside to the setback is the controls are that much farther back. This Yamaha has the factory old small tiller. Would be nice to buy one of the big tillers with the longer arm and more forward shifter but man those things are pricey. I'm going to see what I can do to rig up an extension. I have found where you can get a new Etec grip with the trim switch insert/switch for $50 and adapt it on there I will just need to combine that with an extension of some sort.