Help! How do we mount our 9.9 hp kicker?

Jeff and Diane

New member
Help! How do we mount our 9.9 hp Kicker? We just got the 90 Yamaha back from the dealer, installed and ready to go for the long break in drive, and Jeff wants to know how he should mount the kicker on the back of the boat. It looks a little crowded to me, and we are going to lift the kicker on the back of her and try to get her ready for the water for a Sunday ride. Should it be mounted any special way to jive with the Yamaha 90 hp? :idea The rookies are asking for professional opinions!

Thanks :!: :P :wink
Diane
 
Jeff and Diane- I assume you're mounting the engine on the transom, along side the new Yamaha 90, and not on a separate bracket (motor mount) further off to the side directly behind one of the lazarettes.

If you're going to mount it on the transom, along side the new motor and therefore steer and operate the throttle with the tiller handle, your only option is to mount the kicker to the left side of the main (starboard side of the boat) because the tiller handle is on the right side of the kicker. There's simply no room to swivel the tiller handle if you mount it to the other side. Mounting it on the right (port side of the boat) would require the separate motor mount and a cross-linking steering arm/link to the main motor.

The trick is to mount the motor far enough away from the main to allow it not to inhibit the turning/steering of the main, while still allowing the kicker enough room to swivel and steer and not bang into the side of the transom well. Too close to the main and you lose some of the steering/maneuverability of the main, too close to the other wall and the kicker loses some of its maneuverability. The exact way this works out depends on the physical dimensions of each particular combination of motors.

To accomplish the above, or find the sweet spot, mount the kicker somewhat losely on the transom, and move it back and forth, right to left experimentally until the main can swivel fully and you have preserved the maximum amount of kicker "swivelability" at the same time. Be sure you save room enough so that you can tilt up and lock the kicker out of the way when going fast with the main motor to avoid dragging the lower unit of the kicker. Often a compromise is necessary. For example, on my Johnson 15 and and EvinruEvinrudet up, the kicker maneuverability is about 75% of the normal maximum to allow the main to fully rotate, so you might not get a perfect 100% + 100% combination. Maintaining main motor maneuverability takes priority.

If this arrangement is unduly restrictive on the kicker's steering, you may want to consider a auxiliary motor mount for the kicker in the future. Then you would have your choice of which side on which to mount it.

If you have a rubber mounting pad to place over the transom to protect it from the kicker's mounting bracket and clamps, this would help insure you don't mar the finish on the motor well.

Make sure you have room to attach the gas hose to the kicker once it's mounted plus any other required connections (electrical, if required).

If you like the placement of the motor and the arrangement, you may want to consider for the future a steering link that will connect the two motors, either at the front or the rear, to allow you to steer with the helm's steering wheel as opposed to the handle on the kicker. You'll still have to operate the throttle and shift mechanism from the motor, of course, unless you opt to install remote controls for these.

Sometimes the final placement of the kicker is affected by a number of factors such as the desire to place it on the opposite side of the boat from a single person/operator to balance the weight distribution of the boat better, or to avoid interference of some other accessory, such as a swim step, but you can deal with much of this later. For now, get it mounted where it can serve you as a back up motor and a trolling motor and take your time to make a final decision carefully.

Hope this includes everything and helps! Joe
 
"Port" and "Left" have 4 letters and refer to the same side of the boat.

"Port" Wine is red, and the navigation light on the Port Side is also.

Literally all auxillary outboards are mounted on the Starboard (AKA Right side looking forward) side of the transom. 8)

-- Chuck
 
Chuck- Don't tell Da Nag Bill he can't mount his kicker on the port side of Da New Da Nag (!) I know it's harder to do, requiring a steering connecting rod, an auxiliary motor mount with swing up capability (best electric actuated), and (preferably) and electric starting auxiliary with remote throttle and shift controls, but it can be done, usually for balance purposes.

After 32 years of racing sailboats (we also share this second life-long interest !), I know port from starboard, but sometimes when writing posts I like to kind of over-explain things in a way that others can, in re-reading a post later , make sense of. Part of that I just habit from the 35 years in the classroom, I guess! Have a great weekend!!! Joe.
 
I have always had my kicker mounted on the Port side and it works great for me. I fish alot and I'm right handed, so when I operate the kicker, the tiller handle is in my left hand and the fishing pole in my right. The kicker is hanging off a transom bracket (Port side), so to offset the lateral balance, I mounted both batteries on the starboard side.

Chuck, up here in Port Angeles alot of people fish and have the kicker on the port side. Do you fish at all?
Jon
 
On Snoopy-C I mounted my 8 hp honda on the starboard side so that the tiller could swing farther when trolling. On the port side it would hit the side of the lazarette when just starting to turn starboard. I balanced the motor out by putting 2 batteries in the port lazarette. Also, the seating on my 22 cruiser plus the water reservoir more than balance out the kicker and the captain. Regards, Ron http://www.c-brat.net/albums/Snoopy-C/IMG_0773.thumb.jpg[/url]
 
I just go up to see if anyone had responded to our cry for help :!: It is comforting to know that all of you C-Brat Junkies are quick with the response. We really appreciate it. You answered our question with bountiful knowledge. Thanks for sharing. I had to wake Jeff up and share with him. He feels that I am now supplied with the knowledge base necessary to complete the objective. I'll finish my coffee :tea Jeff is all ready to have me go slap her on. We'll check back in after we have successfully completed our mission :smiled

Oh, fishing is in our near future as soon as we figure out how to get the Immacu-nada out of the driveway with the new "Rig" we need to acquire. We are also on the hunt for a Ford F250 dp(something...forgot the last letter in the acronym) with the 7.something, I think the 6.something is the newer one out the past 3 years, but anyways we need to find a 2000-2003 beauty to haul our baby. Got to upgrade from the '94 F150.

Thanks for all of your help and input. :love "Sugar Lips signs off!"
Diane
 
Diane,

Looked at your photo album, nice CD. Major parking construction, but lots of fire wood :).

:note A little ditty, bout' Jeff and Diane. Two American kids, boatin', the best they can.

Enjoy your toy. Jon
 
I'm going to go slap this baby on while Jeff is sipping coffee :tea and calculating the weight/balance/distribution...whatever equations that have thrown him back into his "Flying" days. My wonderful :love "Boeing Engineer" husband has to mathimatically equate the entire process. I'll have this baby mounted before the ink is dry :!: I'll just make sure I don't accidentally put her on the bow!

Sugar Lips :lips (Diane :love)
 
You Rock :P :!: "The Little Ditty about Jeff and Diane...Two American Kids Just Doin' The Best That They Can" is our coined joke :!: We :love Ya, Man! You're Quick :lol:
 
Jeff and Diane-

One thing more, if the two engine seem to get in each other's way, but not too bad, the condition might be relieved somewhat later by adddng the cross-connecting tie rod, which will keep them turning together in "parallel" fashion which makes more efficient use of the room available, providing, of course, they're not so tight to make the dual set up possible without adding a separate auxiliary motor mount. Hope you had a great day! Joe.
 
I removed our swim-step and put the kicker on the starboard side. All the fuel lines, battery cables, controls etc are there already, so one more engine there makes sense, vs on the port side.

Much less crowded to port. More importantly, I moved the swim-step to port where there are no trip hazards. We use it to ingress/egress the dinghy.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
 
Nice job localboy.

We have our 9.9 kicker with tiller control on the port side which works well for us. While fishing, I sit on the full height transom and have the benefit of full steering motion (with the tiller) because the tiller is the furthest distance away from the main. Remember, the tiller is on the right side of the kicker. Sportcraft Marina in Portland Or. routed all cables and fuel lines in such a way (with new boat motor installs) that we easily step over them when using our swim platform. Glad you are happy with the move of your swim platform and kicker. You did a great job.
 
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