An O.B. to rudder steering rod might be what you need...... and the Rudder would occasionally hit the prop when doing tight maneuvers.
@timebandit is on target with that idea. WM sells prop guards but they are not cheap.The easiest prop protector I have read about is simple. A plastic cutting board mounted to the cavitation
plate on the motor and cut to shape to prevent the rudder eating prop from doing it's dastardly deed.
I never noticed it. I tried to get mine as low as possible to make sure it stayed in the water in heavy weatherDoes it force the bow higher in forward and dip the stern in reverse?
At that hp on that size boat, you won't notice any change in boat attitude due to the longer shaft. Even if there was, you could adjust the trim on the motor to correct it.Thanks for the replies. Good information is always appreciated. The cost difference between an 8 and a 9.9 Isn’t bad, my main question I guess is if a shaft is longer than recommended is that a problem. Does it force the bow higher in forward and dip the stern in reverse? My old motor was a 9.9 25” shaft that only ever saw 1/2 throttle unless in an emergency like previous posts described. Thanks for any replies