Uh-oh....Repowered 2320 is "Underwater"

[DaleH]

... when up on plane she runs great, but anything under plane, she throws a huge spray off the motor and if I stop suddenly, water will wash over the motor.

Doing that can KILL an OB motor! Try to NEVER do that! Water can be injested through the exhaust porting and enter the cylinder where it can't compress and the motor will bend a connecting rod, leading to instant or eventual powerhead failure ... not a question of IF, but WHEN ... and fate will determine the timing ...

 

[samsims]

Fuel tank location is not the only problem, 600 lbs of motor sitting on a arm 30" behind the transom makes the 2320 stern heavy. The stock bracket provides ~250 lbs of floatation. Adding flotation makes a huge difference, adding two tanks to the bracket added 500 lbs of flotation.

Can you share more details on your setup? What year? Is that the original "Stainless Marine" bracket that you then added some pods to? Were they custom-fabbed, or something you found?

I too have this problem and it is the ONLY thing I don't like about the boat. Its an older model, so it was always ass-heavy, but with a full tank (150 gal) and two guys standing in the back at the slip, it ships several inches of water past the ping-pong ball scuppers. I have two optima batteries in the transom and a new Honda BF225 hanging off the bracket. I've added a permatrim, and when up on plane she runs great, but anything under plane, she throws a huge spray off the motor and if I stop suddenly, water will wash over the motor.

The boat is an 2007 with the factory Armstrong aluminum bracket/platform. The tanks were custom made from foam then covered with fiberglass, then gel coat.

From the pictures I have seen of older models, the bracket is even smaller providing less flotation than the bracket on the current models. No question additional flotation will help. Ideally I'd like to have a bracket tank as wide as possible and as deep as possible. It might even provide some additional running surface.

 

[captbone]

Adding to what Dale said.

You will certainly gain from adding wedges. The typical way of installing wedges is thick side up allowing you to tuck your engine more. You need the opposite and thus "reverse" the wedge so you can trim out further. I would also recommend raising the engine on the bracket as your ventilation plate should not be level with the bottom but 3 inch higher since you have set back.

Do that first and then play with props.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[MARKW432156]

I am running a 2001 2320 (Fuel tank located aft) with twin F115's (800 lbs total). Have a twin outboard armstrong bracket and no issues with water through scuppers when standing in back.

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[no limit]

UPATE - I installed gasket all around the transom door and problem solved. The water still inundates over the transom notch but it does not get into the deck area.

Full Transom and bracket would be nice but we do a lot of drift fishing and having had inboards all my life, the less sticking out the back, the better.