# Long shaft outboard on short shaft transom question



## GRW (Aug 31, 2006)

I’ve read it will work and that it won’t work, so I thought it best to ask the OGF members who know for sure. Have a chance to pick up a very nice 1994 long shaft (20 in) 15hp Johnson. My boat’s an older 14 ft Starcraft V. Transom measures 16 inches. From bottom of transom to cavitation plate measures 6 in. So will I have an issue using this motor? Will putting a hydro foil on the plate help? Thanks in advance for any help/thought you can offer.


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## 2120Tom (Jul 2, 2008)

It'll work...... you just won't achieve ultimate top performance of the boat and motor. The extra length of the lower unit in the water creates more drag under the hull which also creates a different trim/plane dynamic.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I used a 1957 10hp long shaft Johnson on a 12 ft Starcraft and it did just what I wanted it to do, got me on the water and fishing. Was also quite fast and chine walked wide open.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> I used a 1957 10hp long shaft Johnson on a 12 ft Starcraft and it did just what I wanted it to do, got me on the water and fishing. Was also quite fast and chine walked wide open.


Did the plate on the transom have a number smaller than 10?


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

cincinnati said:


> Did the plate on the transom have a number smaller than 10?


Never paid attention to those things when I was 18 years old and knew everything and feared nothing. That was 62 years ago.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> Never paid attention to those things when I was 18 years old and knew everything and feared nothing. That was 62 years ago.


Dad had a very lightweight 12' aluminum boat, of obscure manufacture, @ his cabin up North. Rated for 7.5 HP, it skipped along like a cookie sheet w/his 7.5 Johnson. Positively exhilarating in any chop or a crosswind. He traded the hull away for a taller, wider & much heavier 14' Sea Nymph R when he realized that young grandchildren would be taking it out alone.

The Sea Nymph has since been re-powered w/9.9 Merc. but the Johnson, suffering low compression, still sits in my basement because I can't part w/it.


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## GRW (Aug 31, 2006)

well I’m back. Put hydro foil on had it out running fine pumping h2o great. Buzzin my 14 footer 18 mph. Happy as can be. After about 10 min it shuts down to 5 mph on its own : Glad I was in small lake . Seems like it zips ok in neutral but only 5 mph suddenly. This motor looks like new and trusted individual I bought it from. Wife said to buy new but didn’t listen . Will mess and check fuel system. Any ideas/ help appreciated before I take to somewhere for repair . Thanks


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

Had a long shaft for 3 years before buying a bigger boat. Worked just fine.
We are fishing not racing, eh?


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## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

TClark said:


> Had a long shaft for 3 years before buying a bigger boat. Worked just fine.
> We are fishing not racing, eh?


Aren't we all racing to the next spot we wanna hit though?


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

I don't (race to the next spot), i fish my way to the next spot and sometimes finding a great spot in the process.


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## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

I don't race either but that's becuase my boats a 16 foot tracker pro deep v with a 9.9 she tops out at 7mph which isn't awful I'm on the lake enjoying what I love but sometimes when you been out all day and are beat and ready for the trailer a few more mph wouldn't make me cry


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