Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

[bobdec]

Picked up an old but new in box Bennett tab system over the winter. It bench tested fine and I am pulling the boat to install the tabs next week. Problem is my ProLine 201 Outboard has very little spare space. The two rear battery compartments on each side of the OB don't have enough flat surface to fit the unit. I noticed the HPU comes with a plastic side mounted bracket with four screws that actually holds it in place. I was thinking of mounting the HPU bracket on the inside of the transom above the port side battery (I have dual battery setup). Would the bracket hold up to the stress of mounting it on a vertical surface only w/o any support from the bottom, sort of hanging in mid-air. It looks like they are designed for that but it seems a lot of weight for just the bracket to hold.. Has anyone mounted theirs this way? Maybe TABMAN is looking ...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

Would the bracket hold up to the stress of mounting it on a vertical surface only w/o any support from the bottom, sort of hanging in mid-air. It looks like they are designed for that but it seems a lot of weight for just the bracket to hold.. Has anyone mounted theirs this way?

Ayuh,.... I've got 1 that's been that way for over 10 years now....

Pretty common mountin' option....

 

[Tabman]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

Yup,

It's meant to be mounted that way! It will do just fine. Once we had a boat builder who doubted the strength of the bracket for the HPU, so we build a climbing wall out of plywood with about 5 HPUs in their brackets and had him climb up it using nothing but the HPUs for support. I think he was about 200 - 220 and he mad it to the top no problem.

Mount away!

 

[bobdec]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

Music to my ears, Thanks Bond-o & Tom ... FYI this relates to a thread I opened back in January this year http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=528805 . The tab kit I picked up off of Craigslist has 8 X 18 tabs, all new in the box wiring and mounting HW, never installed by the PO. Switch is the old joystick, so it's an older setup probably sitting around for a while, cost was 1/2 of similar new so I figured it's worth the try. Maybe update the joystick to indicating rocker switch and add auto retract later on . I'll update the January thread with Before-After performance in a week or two... Bob D.

 

[Tabman]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

Very good Bob,

It sounds like you got a great deal! Let me know if I may be of any help when you are installing the system.

 

[JEBar]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

I'm in the process of installing a Bennett tab system on our boat and have much the same issue finding a place to mount the pump .... I understand it is best to mount it as close to the rear of the boat as possible but with our hull design that is going to be a problem .... anyone know if mounting it in the boat's mid section (about 10' from the transom) would present a problem

Jim

 

[Tabman]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

Jim,

It's fine to mount it that far from the transom. In fact om my old Aquasport 20 walkaround the pump was mounted under the helm.

They can be mounted much more than 10' from the transom if need be, so you are good to go!

 

[JEBar]

Re: Bennett Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) mounting question.

They can be mounted much more than 10' from the transom if need be, so you are good to go!

info appreciated, that will simplify things considerably .... hope to get back to work on the install on Monday

Jim