How To Care For Your Jack Plate
HYDRO FORCE R&D
Our jack plates can give you the performance you want from your boat, improving hole shot, maintaining water pressure and reducing hull lift. However, like anything mechanical, these plates can develop issues over time if they aren't cared for. Here's how to maintain jack plates using a combination of regular maintenance, cleaning and lubrication so you can avoid or fix most common problems.
How do I need to maintain my jack guard?
As with any piece of equipment, keeping up with jack-plate maintenance can save you from having trouble down the road.
Always rinse the plate off after taking your boat out, especially if you were boating in saltwater. While our anodized aluminum jack plate doesn't rust, long term non scrubbing can cause salt crystals and impurities to adhere to the outside of the jack plate. This leaves a rough, surface that makes it hard for the plate to move up and down. Rinsing can remove dirt, keeping it from building up and interfering with the plate's operation.
Check the tightness of the mounting bolts periodically. Over time, vibrations can loosen these fasteners. You should also check any wiring connections. What may seem like a damaged or dirty plate may just be a faulty connection between the plate's hydraulics, the battery and the up/down switch.
When you store your boat, keep the plate in its lowest position. This takes stress off of the mounting hardware. It also saves wear and tear on the cylinder and lines used on hydraulic plates.
Do I need to clean the jack base plate?
Most problems with shaking and sticking jack plates can be traced to dirt. Even a thin layer of dust can be enough to increase friction between the plates and rollers, keeping them from moving past each other. Shaking occurs when this buildup creates friction. In some spots, buildup increases the force required to move the plate. Once past this spot, the force needed to move the plate returns to normal. This sticking isn't always consistent. Your jack