Wakeplate install has any one done this

[Northofthe49th]

For the do it yourselfer's
I have 2004 OB ,No wake plate
I would love to have one
But being in Vancouver there are no dealers nearby

Has anyone ever done one themselves?
How difficult?
Where can I purchase one?
Any special instructions for set up and length of time for install ?

[maxpower220]

I have not done this, but I was looking at an Outback without the wakeplate and asked the dealer how much installed. He said $800 (which is less than the SC option). Based on that (dealer labor plus parts), I don't think that it would be too hard. It is a Bennett's trim tab. I think the hardest part would be running the wiring for the adjuster and guage.

[zegm]

Not sure why you would want a wakeplate on the Outback??? This is a ski boat and as such does not create a big wake. If you want a wake you need ballast. All the other Moomba hulls create a wake and you can use the wakeplate to shape it some but with it all the way down they create the least amount of wake. We use it on our LS to get the rear end out of the water to create LESS wake so we can slalom ski!!!! Agein we get the wake when we pull the wakeplate OUT of the water!

[04OUTBACK]

I agree with what Z said.. I had Outback prior to LSV and questioned the wakeplate.. got same response.. because the DD Outback is more center balanced, you will get very little benefit from it when you move it up all the way as that hull does not angle up much under tow speeds.. it planes out flat real easy.. when you run the plate all the way down, it mellows the wake on my LSV...
I think on the OB if you are looking for better wake, play with additional weight and location of weight. We put more weight up front in the LSV friday Eve and WOW, the wake was the bomb! LSV's like more up front.. Outbacks like a 60/40 balance.

BW

[jrbishop4]

I just had one installed on my LSV. The guy I had install it said it was not hard. When I got the kit there were no instructions so you may want to try to look at one installed one a boat so you can see how it all mounts up. If I get a chance I will try to post some pics of mine.

[zegm]

Again,
I would only think it would be worthwhile if you already had max ballast installed and you want to shape it. Other than that it will NOT create a wake on a Outback, if anything it will pull the rear out of the water more and just cause drag. Fuel eating drag!

[maxpower220]

Actually, the wakeplate does help creat a bigger wake in the Outback. It "trims" the back of boat down into the water, creating more displacement of the water and thus a slightly larger wake for board sports. It also 'shapes' the wake, changing the ramp on the wake. For slalom ski speeds, it does nothing unless it is still trimmed for wakeboarding, then it creates quite a mess.
If you are looking to improve your slalom wake, this will do nothing. If you want a slight bit more control on your board sports wake, then it helps. It doesn't turn the Outback into a wake machine.

[Northofthe49th]

Interesting debate
Why would Moomba call it a wake plate when in actual fact its more of a trim tab?
I can see it helping with sufficient ballast in the rear this would lift the stern up forcing the bow to plow and displace more water.
Now shaping the wake would it get sharper edge or roll out more ?
We run a gravity one system with four or more people the wake is sufficient for inverts and good air
I'm still debating if there is a value to installing a wake plate
Still need to know where to find one and the cost?
thanks for everyones input its all valuable

[zegm]

I would PM maxpower and ask for his phone number and call him as he has this system and would be the one to talk to. As he said combined with ballast it will allow you to shape the wake.

[maxpower220]

The wake plate is a Bennett trim tab, the warranty info provided when I purchased the boat said as such. You can contact Bennett's for info. The plate (or tab) pulls the water going under the boat around. With the tab trimmed up (or wake mode) it pulls the back of the boat into the water. When trimmed down (slalom mode) it creates a level surface for the bottom of the boat further back, which "trims" the nose down/lifting the stern.

[04OUTBACK]

North,
Here are 3 options based on size of boat:

Bennett X-14 , X-18 and X-22

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/catalog.cgi?cname=Trim-Tabs-/-Planing-Accessories&r=browse&aID=23C

found this as well:
https://forum.moomba.com/archive/index.php/t-552.html

[jrbishop4]

I got my kit from my dealer in Illinois. I payed $830 for the kit shipped to my house. I am glad I added it. The plate helps clean up the wake and is great to plow the bow down in choppy water so you don't get beat up. I was told not to get the one from overtons or barts because they were not as good quality as the ones skiers choice has even though they were both bennett plates.

[carsondoc]

For the do it yourselfer's
I have 2004 OB ,No wake plate
I would love to have one
But being in Vancouver there are no dealers nearby

Has anyone ever done one themselves?
How difficult?
Where can I purchase one?
Any special instructions for set up and length of time for install ?

North, you will need the Bennett X-22. I installed one on an outback about 4 years ago. You need to make some minor mods on the plate that attaches to the boat (round the corners so it will fit where the old plate is attached). You will need to feel comfortable drilling holes through the transom of your boat. You also need the holes to be exact. It's a bit of a pain but definitely doable. If you do this, I would recommend the guage that goes with it. Running the wires and hydrolic tubing is really the simple part. The guys at Bennett were very helpful. If you decide to proceed, there are a couple other tips I can give you to make this easier.

[Sled491]

So are you guys implying that on an Outback DD, the trim tab works the oposite of a trim tab on other boats? In other words your saying that lowering the tab will drive the bow deeper creating more wake, and then raising the plate will put you back at the stock AWSA ride?

[zegm]

Sled,

On the LS it does lift the rear end out of the water, it really changes the angle of the bow, it drops it way down, and the wake gets..................much smaller. :confused:

[Sled491]

Z, I absolutely agree with you. But in the end, while we both have DD power plants, our hulls are a bit different. This is what I'm wondering. Are the hulls different enough that the wakeplate would work opposite for my boat vs yours.

This seems to be the impression that the others are trying to make.

[zegm]

I wonder that too, the back of the MC was flat like the rest of the hull. The back of the LS is carved out some, I have heard to suck it down. Putting the slalom plate down (Upppps wakeplate) raises it out of the water and smoothes the wake.