Johnson / Evinrude Trailering Tilt pin
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If I may opine….
I see many weekenders bouncing down the interstate with their motors tilted up high. As I follow them I see each dip in the road followed by a bob of the outboard lower unit. Sometimes the drivers are well over the speed limits, causing more vigorous bobbing.
I’m sure that up-and-down action flexes the transom, tilt mech and possibly the clamps. I acknowledge that similar flexing occurs when the boat is on the water, but I can’t help but be concerned about what all that out-of-water torquing does to the structural health of my boats. My family has a gorgeous Gt150 Glastron (James Bond) boat whose transom needs constant attention because of the years it’s been trailered about with the motor up (yes, the 115 hp OMC adds to the problem) and my ’65 Shell Lake had to have a 1/4 sheet of aluminum epoxied to the transom. Again, I believe the stresses of highway trailering with the motor up played a big part in the structural issues.
I get it — no one wants to bang their l/u on the pavement, but when I look at the clearance between the bottom of the skeg, there’s often a foot or more. The tilt locks were meant for beaching a boat or berthing it in shallow water. IMHO we should be advising anyone we see with the motor up that they are risking damage to their boat.
….. Sound of Ken stepping off his soapbox…..
Note that mine is in the lowest possible hole, limiting the amount of tilt when trailering. Secret: I didn’t put it on there for trailering, but for a shallow water drive. It actually doesn’t work too well for that, (too much tilt) but it’s an idea somebody might think about.
If I may opine….
I see many weekenders bouncing down the interstate with their motors tilted up high. As I follow them I see each dip in the road followed by a bob of the outboard lower unit. Sometimes the drivers are well over the speed limits, causing more vigorous bobbing.
I’m sure that up-and-down action flexes the transom, tilt mech and possibly the clamps. I acknowledge that similar flexing occurs when the boat is on the water, but I can’t help but be concerned about what all that out-of-water torquing does to the structural health of my boats. My family has a gorgeous Gt150 Glastron (James Bond) boat whose transom needs constant attention because of the years it’s been trailered about with the motor up (yes, the 115 hp OMC adds to the problem) and my ’65 Shell Lake had to have a 1/4 sheet of aluminum epoxied to the transom. Again, I believe the stresses of highway trailering with the motor up played a big part in the structural issues.
I get it — no one wants to bang their l/u on the pavement, but when I look at the clearance between the bottom of the skeg, there’s often a foot or more. The tilt locks were meant for beaching a boat or berthing it in shallow water. IMHO we should be advising anyone we see with the motor up that they are risking damage to their boat.
….. Sound of Ken stepping off his soapbox…..
Ken,
I totally agree. Mine get trailered in the down position.
David Bartlett
Pine Tree Boating Club Chapter"I don't fully understand everything I know!"
Yup, motor needs to be down and locked. Railroad tracks are the worst! That is if there is enough clearance to the road. I guess those load bearing rod thingie’s are suppose to work. The ones that go from the lower unit of the motor to the trailer when the motor is tilted. Don’t know much about them. Strapping them on might be a challenge.
dale
won’t be long now! get’em wet don’t let’em set!
I use a transom saver on all my motors and it works great. Without the power tilt on these old motors I just ratchet strap the motor back down to the trailer. Puts pressure on the motor to keep it from coming out of the transom saver bracket.
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