My 04 daytona has an electric engine hatch but with the ram only on one side it leaves the other side free. It will catch the wind and raise up significantly at high speeds. It has a strap to snap it down but still lets it move around quite a bit. So does anyone know where i can get another electric ram to put on the other side so i don't have to worry about losing my engine hatch, especially while towing!

CP performance has them. Keep in mind that when your adding to an existing one they may not open and close at the exact same rate.

CP Performance - Hatch Actuators and Rams

I was having the same problem on a 270 Fundeck, don't want to lose the lid on the interstate ...

I found an extra level of security is to use Stainless Steel "Hanger Bolts" instead of wood screws at the actuator attachment points. If you have to remove your hatch to service your engine threading wood screws in and out of the same holes makes things loosey-goosey. The hanger bolts screw in as a wood screw but offer a machine thread on the exposed portion, kinda like a stud. It's alot nicer removing a machine fastener (nut) than reusing, or redrilling wood screw holes.

I buy Stainless Steel hardware on-line at "The Bolt Depot". Hope this might help.


https://www.boltdepot.com/Hanger_bolts.aspx?nv=l


Low Buck

This is true, and can be a problem. I went through the same thing with my rig. To be honest, it was a big pita, and expensive.

If your going to install dual rams, get the "dual hatch actuator accelerator". Essentially, it is a relay box that you mount in the engine compartment, somewhat close the the batteries. When this is used, there is little to no voltage drop to each actuator, so timing stays closer. The actual control switch in the helm is only used to activate the relays, and no longer has the running current going through the switch.

Secondly, purchase the hatch actuator stop collars. Using these does two things. One it prohibits over contraction and ripping your mounts out of the hatch. Secondly it will keep the actuators in time once the hatch closes and each actuator hits the stops and slips the clutch.

Also, the actuators that are for sale have the ability to life huge weight, something like 500lbs. So double check that your stop collars are actually stoping the ram and making the clutch slip. I had to double up the collars on one of my actuators, just due to variences of the clutch slip torque.

One last thing, I abandoned the original floor mounting of the actuator. It was making the honeycomb floor weak and soft, and the holes were getting egged out. I ended up mounting both rams to the transom on each side of the motor. Used a couple of color matched stringer washers on the outside with stainless hardware and sealed well. Being that the rams are only lifting 1/5 or less of it's capable limit, the mechanical disadvantage of the mounting angle is negligible. That being said, it would still be best, to have the actuators mounted to a solid floor, and pusing up on the hatch, vs pushing more out that up when mounted to the transom.

Ditch the rams and install DANA hydraulic hinges. Not a cheap option, but they clean up the engine compartment, equally quick in the up and down movement and bolt to the lips of the deck around the engine compartment. Not sure if the Eagle's are the same as the Daytona's, my 25 eagle has plywood laminated in this area. Never had the hatch cover raise with wind. The cover opens and closes in a couple of seconds.

Thanks for all the ideas! I think i might machine up an aluminum bracket to go in place of the cheap snap setup it has now. Something simple an good looking that i can just put a pin through when its closed. The Dana hinges are to pricey and I don't think they'll work on my setup. And an additional ram sounds potentially troublesome and also kind of expensive.