81 merc 40 with broken cavitation plate problome??

[Skidooosl]

I have a 81 40 hp merc that I recently purchased, the motor has the front corner of the cavitation plate missing, ( I have it, I just have to get it welded back on) anyway, I used the boat for the first time last weekend and it ran great but had a hard time getting up on plane, it is on a 15 foot bass tracker and the only way I could get it to plane out was to have my buddy walk up to the front of the boat and it would eventually plane very slowly after a few hundred feet. Also when I turned very hard the prop would slip and the motor would rev up and the boat would lose speed. My question is, how much of this problem is caused by that broken plate, has anyone had any experience with the sting rays or other fins that bolt onto the engine. It seems like a 40 should plane that boat easily. The motor runs excellent, I just would like to be able to pull a tube but the way it was running I don’t see that happening as it can hardly get up with 2 people in it.

 

[skier]

Re: 81 merc 40 with broken cavitation plate problome??

The boken cavitation plate is your problem while turning. I don't think it has much if anything to do with your time to plane. The Dolfin, Stingray, etc. do help plane an underpowered boat. Bass boats are not light and if you had water in the live wells, then that's even more weight. You might try what a neibor did with his Bayliner Reflex. He took about 50# in free weights and wrapped them in towels and stuffed them in a tote bag and placed them in the bow. Made a big difference in the time to plane even with four people. Before we did this it wouldn't plane with four adults on board unless one stood up by the windshield.<br /><br />Hope this helps<br /><br />Craig