Kevlacat pod modifacations

[Chris20984]

Hi everyone, I need some help with modifying the pods on my 5.2 KC so they are the correct height for XL motors. I have attached a few photos with existing measurements of my 92 model pods which are designed to take Long leg motors ( I think ? ) If some of you guys with newer or modified pods ( which are designed to take XL's ) could take some measurements of yours i would really appreciate it.

Thanks Chris.

[Dean1]

Gday mate, yeah yours are designed to take L shaft motors. You basically need another 5" on top. I wont get to my boat for over a week so i cant help till then. What are your thoughts with the repower??

[hinchy]

Hi everyone, I need some help with modifying the pods on my 5.2 KC so they are the correct height for XL motors. I have attached a few photos with existing measurements of my 92 model pods which are designed to take Long leg motors ( I think ? ) If some of you guys with newer or modified pods ( which are designed to take XL's ) could take some measurements of yours i would really appreciate it.

Thanks Chris.
Hi Chris

Get 2 pieces of structural aluminium approx. 10/12mm thick to cover 75/80% of the upright pod surface and long enough to extend approx 90/100mm above the top of the existing pods,bolt these through the pods with 4 [aside] stainless bolts and fit motors.This should provide plenty of surface area for motor height adjustment.A cheap and strong alternative,the only drawback is that it will not increase your buoyancy if looking to fit overweight motors


Kind Regards
Hinchy

PS Have pic's of this finished method if interested.

[Noelm]

I have seen a very similar setup as described by Hinchy, but perhaps a tad stronger, a piece of Aluminium plate of about 12mm thickness (bigger is fine) the correct size to suit a 25" motor, and long enough on the bottom length to align with the bottom holes on the motor where it bolted to the pod, there is a piece of flat bar welded to each side at right angles to strengthen it, this is bolted onto the pod with the motor, there is two bolts through the top holes that now are free (because the motor is higher) and it just serves as an extension of the motor's mating surface (if you get what I mean from this decription) and this was to take a 175HP, still in use 5 years later. easy and quite cheap to make, requires no welding to the actual pod.

[Chris20984]

PS Have pic's of this finished method if interested.

Hi Hinchy, yeh that doesn't sound too bad of an idea. It is a lot simpler and cheaper than welding a thinner plate to the top of the pod and bracing it back to the pod with some triangle shaped gussets. Yeh i would be really keen to see some pics of that if you could get them.

Hi Noel, yeh i get what you mean, a brace to stiffen any possible flex. I was talking to a local ali boat builder and he uses 4 mm plate high tensile ali on his boats , he was quite confident in how strong this " high tensile 5086 " is.

[hinchy]

Hi Hinchy, yeh that doesn't sound too bad of an idea. It is a lot simpler and cheaper than welding a thinner plate to the top of the pod and bracing it back to the pod with some triangle shaped gussets. Yeh i would be really keen to see some pics of that if you could get them.

Hi Noel, yeh i get what you mean, a brace to stiffen any possible flex. I was talking to a local ali boat builder and he uses 4 mm plate high tensile ali on his boats , he was quite confident in how strong this " high tensile 5086 " is. Hi Chris
PM me your email address and I will forward pic's to you.

Kind Regards Hinchy

[boatboy50]

Hi Chris
PM me your email address and I will forward pic's to you.

Kind Regards Hinchy

Hey Bob,

Forward them to boatboy50@hotmail.com. I'll post them.

Hows yours going? Still have Suzuki power or did you change out?

Have you seen this one.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=9635885

Look familiar. He's removed the antifoul and changed the pods out. I have no idea why, it didn't need it.

I've currently got a 6.2m which will be on the market within a week. Very nice rig, with a bigger cockpit and usual KC ride.

Darren

[rodneyk]

never ceases to amaze me how many experts there are on this site we can build anything ;D

[Chris20984]

Thats a tidy looking KC. Not sure why he spent $3,500, plus fitting on the new pods. maybe the 60 mercs are a bit too heavy ? was there a few different options with the tournament ? because mine has a live bait tank under the passenger seat and another insulated esky under the drivers seat. along with the big permanent esky/ game chair in the center ?

[hinchy]

Hey Bob,

Forward them to boatboy50@hotmail.com. I'll post them.

Hows yours going? Still have Suzuki power or did you change out?

Have you seen this one.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=9635885

Look familiar. He's removed the antifoul and changed the pods out. I have no idea why, it didn't need it.

I've currently got a 6.2m which will be on the market within a week. Very nice rig, with a bigger cockpit and usual KC ride.

Darren

Hi Darren

Good to hear from you. The boys are still running the KC over in WA with the 70hp suzi's and it is going well,albeit the motors sit too low in the water and I am considering making up some pods that I use on the Raider Cats to put on to add some buoyancy to the rear end.
I can't believe that the owner of my old KC has repodded it as the pods on it were the original larger sized factory ones.Must have had plenty of money?
What motors are you running on the KC6.2?
There are still a few good buys in cats in the USA,run across a KC2800 the other day with Suzi's 175 4 strokes on an alloy trailer at a very reasonable price [was built by Harry Carter]
Anyway mate ,good to hear from you.I am currently in Tasmania doing a subdivision and will be here for another 6 months or so,can be bloody cold down here.


Kind regards

Hinchy

[boatboy50]

Hi Darren

Good to hear from you. The boys are still running the KC over in WA with the 70hp suzi's and it is going well,albeit the motors sit too low in the water and I am considering making up some pods that I use on the Raider Cats to put on to add some buoyancy to the rear end.
I can't believe that the owner of my old KC has repodded it as the pods on it were the original larger sized factory ones.Must have had plenty of money?
What motors are you running on the KC6.2?
There are still a few good buys in cats in the USA,run across a KC2800 the other day with Suzi's 175 4 strokes on an alloy trailer at a very reasonable price [was built by Harry Carter]
Anyway mate ,good to hear from you.I am currently in Tasmania doing a subdivision and will be here for another 6 months or so,can be bloody cold down here.


Kind regards

Hinchy

Hey Bob,

Beware of the larger US Kcats. Some nasty stories which i'm sure you've heard of.

I'm running a set of 100hr old 115hp Yammie 2 strokes. Built to survey again, so a heavy boat again. Handles well, and doesn't get pushed around.

Darren

[Chris20984]

You basically need another 5" on top.

I was hoping it was that simple but was not 100 % sure, would really love to confirm overall measurements.

Cheers Chris.

[Chris20984]

I have made up a plywood extension as a trial run to make sure i have made everything the correct size. I have chosen to make this a bolt on attachment rather than a weld on because i am worried about damaging the gel coat if i was to remove the pods. Is there a high possability the gel coat will be damaged if i was to remove the pods ? You will notice the second pic has "wings" on the gussets. These are primarily to make the 4mm ali plate more ridged and seccondly to act as a spray diverter as seen on the latest KC pods. Can someone please confirm the measurement of 640 mm from the bottom of the hull to the top of the pod as correct for XL motors. Open to any thought/suggestions.

Cheers Chris.

[Noelm]

as long as you have raised the top "lip" of the pod by 5" then it will be fine, funny things happen to boats with pods, the motor can run much higher than usual, the cav plate will be way above the bottom of the hull which is the usual way a motor well setup is fitted.

[termi]

chris i've got extra long johnsons and the top of the pod to the botton of the hull measures 635mm, so your pretty much spot on. What motors you looking at putting on it?

[Chris20984]

Hi Termi, Thanks for confirming the measurement. I have decided to put two 60 hp 4 st suzuki's on. From everything i have read and researched 120 hp on the back gives a good cruise speed of around 20-22 kts and pretty good fuel consumption of 1.5 km to 1 ltr combined. The suzuki's are a tiny bit lighter than the yamaha's and the local suzi dealer is excellent.

Cheers Chris.

[Smithy]

You'll probably need a spray deflector on your cav plate too to stop one motor throwing water on the other one. Most of the 5.2s where the pods are raised up like yours seem to have them.

[Chris20984]

Thanks Smithy, i have seen a few pics here on ausfish, like the attached file, is this style the most effective ? I also noticed that the new pods from KC have a lip about 75 mm extended out from the bottom of the pod which is also to aid in the suppression of spray.

Cheers Chris.

[Smithy]

That'd be them. The new pods like on the 2400s even seem to extend out full width and for about 100mm with a semi circle cut-out just for the leg in the middle

[Chris20984]

That'd be them. The new pods like on the 2400s even seem to extend out full width and for about 100mm with a semi circle cut-out just for the leg in the middle

I guess there is no reason an older pod could not be modified by adding the extra 100 mm.Maybe it would be a worthwhile addition, I guess the only way to find out if it is successful is to have a go. Although having the spray plate bolted to the cav plate on the motor is a proven fix though.