Cobra Jet VIPER AK-19, not as much fun installing as I hoped for.

[HangOutdoors]

I wonder if something is off with Jet or how they mounted and bolted everything from the factory.

 

[lokart]

@lokart why did you go with the Viper AK-19 with Fangs instead of the Super Ultimate AK-19 DELUXE? Thanks

I'm not 100% sure but I think it was shallow water and I didn't need any of the adjustments. My thought was the one piece design would be more rigid as well. Should I reconsider? I'm just wondering why have the AK-19 option if the Super is all anyone would ever need?

 

[lokart]

Jeff, should I reconsider and go with the Super Ultimate AK-19 DELUXE. Kind of too lake, I already reshaped the fins I have now. Does the Viper have more draft?

 

[lokart]

I wonder if something is off with Jet or how they mounted and bolted everything from the factory.

It's possible. I'm sure there are some variants from boat to boat. It's not Jeff's fault, just one of those things I guess. Just wish the videos and descriptions would have said "may require removal of ride plate in order to remove the 12mm bolt from the nozzle pivot". I would have went with the Super instead.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The picture is an exact set of the same fins you are having an issue with them making contact NEVER has happened in the past is my point so I am totally baffled that your boat had this issue that was the point something is different with your boat and I have no idea what.

 

[lokart]

The picture is an exact set of the same fins you are having an issue with them making contact NEVER has happened in the past is my point so I am totally baffled that your boat had this issue that was the point something is different with your boat and I have no idea what.

Yeap, my luck! Onward and upward.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I am now concerned because I have no idea what is different with this boat is it an anomaly or did they change something Since I don't yet know it is a real issue for me as the bolt clearance was solved I thought but you say it was still too tight and I have had several people put on this system since I changed the bolt and I have not had any negative feedback, the fins making contact with the ride plate is obviously a big issue I wish the customer that posted the picture had posted one from the side so I could see the clearance from the fins to the plate as they were not making contact they loved the system now since you have the ride plate off I would give the top surface a 1/4 of an inch extra clearance to be safe and put the thing on with the top fangs and run it and see how you like it.

 

[lokart]

I am now concerned because I have no idea what is different with this boat is it an anomaly or did they change something Since I don't yet know it is a real issue for me as the bolt clearance was solved I thought but you say it was still too tight and I have had several people put on this system since I changed the bolt and I have not had any negative feedback, the fins making contact with the ride plate is obviously a big issue I wish the customer that posted the picture had posted one from the side so I could see the clearance from the fins to the plate as they were not making contact they loved the system now since you have the ride plate off I would give the top surface a 1/4 of an inch extra clearance to be safe and put the thing on with the top fangs and run it and see how you like it.

Yeah, I'll certainly give it a go. I don't think the little bit of removal of the top of the bottom fin will have a negative effect any way. Is the Super a better performer over the Viper?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

looking through pictures not sure what year this boat is if you look to the right you can see the front of the fin clearing the ride plate it is the same type of ride plate and nozzle

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The viper obviously has more plaining surface and slow speed assistance, the other is a really good all around system and it is spring loaded . this one has a wider base for more fin influence everyone loved the viper and the top fangs but I steer people away if they run in rivers with a lot of debris or Rocks stumps etc because if it gets hammered like the one in the Connecticut river hitting the submerged stone wall it has to be sent back to me to be fixed.
See pictures below and yes that is the same one after I reformed it. All that damage and it did not harm the nozzle or pump it is designed to give on impact and there is a post on this page when this happened and those pictures are also on there.

 

[lokart]

looking through pictures not sure what year this boat is if you look to the right you can see the front of the fin clearing the ride plate it is the same type of ride plate and nozzle
View attachment 143835

Yeah, that's a lot more clearance for sure.

 

[lokart]

The viper obviously has more plaining surface and slow speed assistance, the other is a really good all around system and it is spring loaded . this one has a wider base for more fin influence everyone loved the viper and the top fangs but I steer people away if they run in rivers with a lot of debris or Rocks stumps etc because if it gets hammered like the one in the Connecticut river hitting the submerged stone wall it has to be sent back to me to be fixed.
See pictures below and yes that is the same one after I reformed it. All that damage and it did not harm the nozzle or pump it is designed to give on impact and there is a post on this page when this happened and those pictures are also on there.

Thanks for the input! I'll run it as is. Can't wait to give it run next weekend.

 

[bigwaves]

I'm not 100% sure but I think it was shallow water and I didn't need any of the adjustments. My thought was the one piece design would be more rigid as well. Should I reconsider? I'm just wondering why have the AK-19 option if the Super is all anyone would ever need?

I don’t know if you should reconsider. I was just wondering what your thoughts were regarding the Viper over the AK19 Deluxe system. I bought the AK19 Deluxe kinda late in the season last year. I have not installed it yet but plan to in the next two or three weekends weather permitting.

I believe Jeff recommended the AK19 system for me when I told him what was important to me. My #1 priority was slow speed and reverse maneuverability. Hole shots, quicker to plane, any high speed stuff is not nearly as important to me as slow speed maneuvering in and around the marinas. I can’t wait to try out my boat with the AK19 Deluxe fins.

 

[Wisefam22]

The ride plate is longer it was in yamaha release info.

They claimed it would help plain faster. Can't remember if it was 2020 or 2021 model they made it little longer.

 

[bigwaves]

The ride plate is longer it was in yamaha release infk

Great....I wonder if the ride plate’s additional length will effect the installation of the AK-19 Deluxe fins on my 2020 AR190?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The ride plate was changed in 2019 I know this and I have sold many viper ak-19 systems but the plate end did not get in the way of removing the factory bolt they made a special bolt for it and for some reason he was not able to remove the original bolt without removing the ride plate this is an anomaly as for the fins hitting it I have no explanation but to be safe I plan on making them a bit smaller on top. in the future. or just not bother with them as for the super ultimate ak=19 deluxe I have not had any problems with the ride plate as it does not come into play with those systems because I don't have to remove the bottom nozzle to install them.

 

[lokart]

Well, I finally got this installed, but even the new allen bolt still will not clear the plate. Had to cut on the ride plate to get it to clear. On another note, the top fins are at an angle, not inline with the lower fins. Is this normal? They aren't even at the same angle. The port side has less of an offset than the starboard. I'm not too impressed yet.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I wish I would have been involved, first we could have resolved the bolt issue that is still making me wonder why this one and none of the others ? Also the top fangs have nothing to do with the bottom fins but you should have them even or slightly angled out in the back end that is furthest from the boat , so you may need to make an adjustment on one of them. Those only go in the water at slow speed, the base should have a small amount of side play to change the angles since all the holes are larger than the bolts allowing the adjustment.

 

[lokart]

I would expect that the top fins would be drilled in such a way that they would already be inline with the lower fins. Not sure why I would need to make any adjustments. The fins are set all the way out using the play in the bolt holes and they are still angles in too much according to your advice.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Angle th4e front bolts in and the back holes out if you look at the pictures I attached you can see that the fins were not made to be even with the bottom fins but if you want that just make an extra set of bolt holes in the plate and place them where you want.