foobar
17.06.2021 0:23:16
3. Snug It Down
With the outboard or drive centered, use the power tilt to snug it down reasonably tight ("don't overdo it," Stuber says) in the cradle of the Transom Saver to minimize bouncing or flopping side to side.
See full version: How to Support an Outboard or Sterndrive While Towing
3. Snug It Down
With the outboard or drive centered, use the power tilt to snug it down reasonably tight ("don't overdo it," Stuber says) in the cradle of the Transom Saver to minimize bouncing or flopping side to side.
Tips for protecting an outboard or sterndrive while towing.
Are sterndrive and outboard support devices really needed while towing? And if so, what are the best devices to use? For the answers, we asked Mercury Marine’s chief engineer for outboard midsections, Bob Stuber, who offers these insights.
1. Transom Trauma
Boat transoms can be subjected to punishment on the road. "Unsupported outboards in particular bounce a lot — the shock impact and flexing can damage a transom over time," Stuber says.
2. Transfer the Load
Eliminate the jarring and flexing with a device such as a Swivl-Eze 4000 Transom Saver (attwoodmarine.com) that transfers the load to the boat trailer's rear cross member, the engineer advises.
4. Avoid the Flip-Lock Bracket
If not using a Transom Saver, just tilt up the drive or outboard to clear the pavement. Don't use the flip-lock bracket, because it is not designed for the kind of shock impact experienced while towing, Stuber says. Flip-lock brackets are designed to relieve pressure from the tilt pump while the boat is stored in the water with the engine raised.
Grasp the bottom of the outdrive behind the propeller. Pull the outdrive up and hold it until the person on deck ties the rope onto a cleat, completing the manual raising of the Mercruiser outdrive.
Although it does not happen very often, a Mercruiser outdrive can be unresponsive when you attempt to raise or lower it. Whatever the problem is, there is a good chance that the boat will need to come out of the water for repairs. When the outdrive trim system is inoperative, the only alternative is to lift the Mercruiser outdrive manually so that no damage occurs when retrieving the boat from the water. While this is a simple operation for two people, one person cannot do it without the risk of personal injury or damage to the boat.
Idle the boat to the boat ramp it was launched from. Back the boat trailer into the water and clip the hook of the wench to the clip hook on the front of the boat hull. Have another person crank the wench to rewind the cable. Stay at the stern of the boat to gauge when the outdrive is in water shallow enough to allow safe removal of the power trim pistons from the outdrive. Instruct the other person to stop rewinding the winch cable at that point and to board the boat.
While the boat is still in the water, remove the nuts on the mounting studs for the power trim pistons using the proper sized box-end wrench from a tool kit. Remove the flat washers that normally sit between the nuts and power trim pistons. Pull the ends of the power trim pistons off the studs.
Tie one end of a rope around the lower portion of the outdrive. Ensure the rope is long enough to reach from the outdrive to a cleat on the deck. Hand the other end of the rope to the person on board.
Tom Price began writing in 1989 after earning his master's degree in English at the University of Notre Dame. He has served in positions ranging from features writer to the managing editor of the "Daily Herald." Before college, Price was a GM factory trained tech and owner/operator/truck-driving instructor. He is also a private pilot as well as a lifelong expert boater and woodworker.
A lot depends on the outdrive type. Because it takes less hydraulic pressure to lower a drive than to raise it, sometimes folks with MerCruiser Alpha drives — and, rarely, Bravo — find that upon spring commissioning, the drive is stuck in the Up position and requires all kinds of jumping on the drive, or fluid draining, to lower it. You’ll find that problem mostly in areas where the unit has been used in salt water and corrosion has built up behind the ram seals. I haven’t seen the problem in any type of dual-prop drive, but since they have the same sort of setup, assume it can happen — though the dual-prop systems have much more weight to assist in lowering the drive. [links]
I have heard of and seen two different ways to position the outdrive for winter storage: full up and out of harm’s way, or full down to relieve the pressure on the hydraulic system. Is there any real harm to the hydraulics when you leave the drive up for the winter months, or is it truly best to store the boat with the outdrive fully deployed in the down position? here
If you want to compromise, you could run the drive all the way up, then place a two-by-four board where it won’t damage the boots or the rams and lower the drive lightly onto the board. That will take most of the hydraulic pressure off the system, keep the unit safely up for reversing the trailer and give you a fighting chance in the spring by allowing you to push the drive upward first. Obviously, if the drive rams are sticking on corroded seals, it would be best to replace them and make this whole conversation moot. Except the two-by-four part. here
You can now send me fifty dollars for this advice!
What about separating the hydraulic trim cylinders from the outdrive and lowering it by hand? You'd probably want to put a block of wood under the skeg for support to prevent ALL the weight from hanging on the bearings.
Good luck and keep us informed of your findings and resolution.