Fixed engine trim on my pontoon boat

[HotTommy]

I have a 24' pontoon boat with two U-shaped pontoons. It's about twenty years old and I bought as a rebuildable basket case last year. It came with a 90 HP Force outboard with power tilt. I got the whole thing up and running, and it served well for family fun on the lake last summer. Over the winter I purchased a damaged 150 HP Force outboard that I am repairing. I also replaced the motor pod with a much heavier grade unit capable of handling the added weight and power of the bigger engine. I also skinned the bottom of the boat.

My efforts to repair the 150 HP engine are covered in several threads elsewhere on this forum. It seems to be going well except for the power trim system. I haven't given up yet, but I may decide that the power trim system is not worth the cost and effort to fix it. And that brings me to my question.

If I do not repair the power trim system, I will just bolt some kind of spacer in its place. That means the trim on my boat will be essentially permanently fixed. Thus it would not be easy to adjust the trim at the dock for various loads and conditions. I will be able to adjust the size of the spacer after the first few times out, but after that I would leave it alone. Based on this concept:

• Do you think this will be a tolerable situation?
• Other than losing 1-2 MPH at the top, will I notice it?
• Is there an optimum engine angle to use as my starting point for adjustments (e.g., full down, full up, perpendicular to the waterline)?
• Can you offer any other practical solution that costs less than $300?

 

[midcarolina]

Re: Fixed engine trim on my pontoon boat

I'm no pontoon expert......but I am not sure the t&t is even needed on a two tube pontoon.....it's not like the new tri-toons with the big motors........
But if it is needed you could be on the lookout for a used powered jackplate....


I should clarify I am talking about the aftermarket trim system that looks like a jack plate.

 

[Nightfisher-]

Re: Fixed engine trim on my pontoon boat

My old motor did not have trim. Only a 50hp Johnson, but it did fine. I have a 40hp with tilt/trim on it now and performance seems pretty close. My only worry without it was getting too shallow on a mud flat or sand bar. Never happened, but I was super cautious about it. In my case I would have been able to manually release the motor and lift it. Would have had to get wet to do it, but it was doable.

 

[HotTommy]

Re: Fixed engine trim on my pontoon boat

Just for clarification, my 150 HP Force has both power tilt and power trim. The power trim function is needed on the higher horsepower engines because the tilt cylinders alone cannot keep the engine thrust from pushing the motor to the fully down position. I expect my power tilt function to work for launch, recovery and very low power operations. I'm just wondering if I can get by without the power trim function.

 

[morganhudgens]

Re: Fixed engine trim on my pontoon boat

Tommy,
I run a 150 Johnson on a 32' pontoon, and the power trim shows virtually no change in speed or the way the boat rides. I was checking it just yesterday, adjusting it while cruising at 90% power, just to see if it would make any significant difference in speed or ride, and I could not determine any change what so ever as I moved the trim up and down. I did have to use it to get off a shallow sand bar, which is a different issue, but as far as performance, you should be fine.