Merc 9.9 4 stroke transport question

d.boat

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
520
I have a brand spankin' new Merc 9.9 4 stroke. I know that I should store and transport the motor upright or on the tiller handle side to prevent engine oil running where it shouldn't be. The question is: is laying it on the tiller handle side for a long transport "fool proof" as far as not having any problems with the engine oil? Is there still a chance that when I get to my destination I will have any issues with the oil leaking to where it shouldn't be? If so, I'll just drain the oil and replace it when I get there. This is 350 miles each way and there'll be some bouncing.

I've read the manual and also searched the forums, but being the kind of guy I am, I'll ask anyway. I've never done this before with 4 stroke and have found over the years that even with proper handling, there's sometimes gotcha's that can be avoided.

For those that might be interested, the way I tranport kickers is to place the engine on an old trailer tire to provide cushioning. It really works well. With this new one, I'll probably wrap the cowling with an outboard cover to keep it looking new as long as I can.

Thanks for your advice!
 

d.boat

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
520
Re: Merc 9.9 4 stroke transport question

Well I see that this topic generated intense interest! ;)

Seriously, I asked the question because I had never transported a 4 stroke and didn't know if the recommended positioning actually worked OK under all circumstances. For the future info seekers who stumble onto this thread...

No problem transporting the engine in the recommended position (duh?), on the side, tiller handle down. Long journey, rough roads, no problem when put into service.

Epilog: enjoyed the quiet, reliable 4 stroke kicker for trolling after years of a few different semi-reliable, aged, smokey 2 strokes. Only down side is that even though this Merc might be the lightest 4 stroke in its class, it is still a good 10-15 pounds heavier than it's predecessor and to an old guy like me, that's significant and makes it almost just too much to man-handle by myself. But I'll figure out work-arounds, like investing in a permanent welded kicker bracket that I can just put the motor on and leave for the season as opposed to the adjustable bracket I now have that just isn't built to stand the forces of a long trip over rough roads.
 
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