I'm ready to install my 10" T-H Marine Pro Hijacker HP manual jack plate plus the "hole shot plate", in hopes of getting a few more mphs and mpgs.

Where would you recommend that I set the centerline of the prop shaft in relation to the pad of the boat?

Depending upon how all the holes in the jack plate/motor line up and the starting point of the jack plate on the transom, would it be better to leave more room to adjust the motor "up" from the initial starting position or "down", if I can't find a way to mount everything so that the starting point you recommend is in the middle of the jack plate's adjustment range?

Is a high-quality marine silicone sufficient for sealing around the transom bolts?

How much torque would you recommend for the transom bolts (I'm using transom plates) and the motor to jack plate bolts?

Thanks so much for your help!

Here are the specs on my boat:

2005 Ranger Z-21 Commanche
2005 Yamaha V-Max 250 HPDI
Yamaha T-1 Prop

Since you don't have a hyd plate coming I'd set the plate so that it made as much contact between the 2 halves for strength and get my height from the engine mounting spot.

Any good major silicone will do.....GE 50 year works very well.

85-100 ft lbs of torque on the mounting bolts.