Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

  • Trimmed up

    Votes: 4 7.3%
  • Trimmed down

    Votes: 51 92.7%

  • Total voters
    55
  • Poll closed .

billyman

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
40
I searched for threads on this topic, but couldn't find any so apologize in advance if this topic has already been discussed. However, w/ the winter season approaching many of us are (not) looking forward to storing our boats for the winter. My question is what is the best practice pertaining to whether to store the boat w/ the drive trimmed up? Or should it be trimmed down as far as possible?

Thank you for your input.
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
940
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

It should be trimmed down. Leaving it up puts lots of unnecessary strain on the bellows.
 

bgc

Ensign
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
980
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Keep em up, bad lowers are great money makers at the shop... My personal boats are kept down.
 

billyman

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
40
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the great advice.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Storing the drive down also prevents the exhaust passage in some drives from filling up with water, freezing and cracking the housing.
 

RotaryRacer

Lieutenant
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Messages
1,361
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Not mentioned yet is that water can accumulate in the exhaust/prop hub. If water collects and it freezes.......well, I guess just store it in the down position and save yourself and the outdrive.

Don beat me.
 

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

DOWN!
Up is just wrong for so many reasons.
Up is call the trailering position for a reason.
If you don't plan on moving it within the next few hours, it should be down!

The real poll should be, "Long term Winter Storage with the drive ON the boat or REMOVED?"

If you live in the part of the country where people own snow blowers, some consider removing the outdrive a part of winterizing!
 

emoney

Commander
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
2,551
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Where was the answer "Move to a warmer climate"? I searched for hours and couldn't find it, as we all know that's the best response.
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
940
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Where was the answer "Move to a warmer climate"? I searched for hours and couldn't find it, as we all know that's the best response.


Would you really want all of us winter warriors moving to Florida? It would be kinda crowded:eek:
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

I put it down for the winter, but otherwise it is up when on the trailer. Removing the drive to store it somewhere else for the winter is just craziness - or someone with too much time on their hands.
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

I put it down for the winter, but otherwise it is up when on the trailer. Removing the drive to store it somewhere else for the winter is just craziness - or someone with too much time on their hands.

Agreed. I store the drive up in the trailering position when it's in use from May-Oct, but once it goes in the shop after winterization, the drive gets lowered to within an inch of the floor. When it's on the trailer, it isn't like it is in the "full up" position anyway, it gets lowered a good bit until it almost rests on the trailering clips on the trim rams.
 

spoilsofwar

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
1,124
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

I put it down for the winter, but otherwise it is up when on the trailer. Removing the drive to store it somewhere else for the winter is just craziness - or someone with too much time on their hands.

Call me crazy, I plan on pulling my drive for the winter... Although it will be stored right along side the boat on a stand. You're supposed to remove it yearly to grease the ujoints and inspect the gimble bearing anyway, so why not do it when winterizing?
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Call me crazy, I plan on pulling my drive for the winter... Although it will be stored right along side the boat on a stand. You're supposed to remove it yearly to grease the ujoints and inspect the gimble bearing anyway, so why not do it when winterizing?

Yearly - crazy. You can't grease the ujoints that are in the modern boats unless you are actually pulling the caps off, which would be a bad idea.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

I agree with all the comments...seems like its unanimous. That in itself is strange around here.

So why doesn't anyone follow that advice?

Where I live trailer boats are usually taken to a shop of some sort at the end of the season where the guy winterizes, removes the battery and then shrink wraps. Then you drive it home and park it in the driveway with the drive up. Obviously, can't lower it with no battery and the drive all shrunk up....LOL. I would have to say that 95% are like that.
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Then you drive it home and park it in the driveway with the drive up. Obviously, can't lower it with no battery and the drive all shrunk up....LOL. I would have to say that 95% are like that.

We left our outdrive up on the trailer for nearly 20 years and only replaced the bellows twice, and never because of a leak/crack. While I agree that the drive being up stresses the drive bellows, it seems to be less of an issue than some make it out to be. We also didn't pull the drive every year, or every 4 years for that matter. We kept the zerks greased and that covered it.
 

spdracr39

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 30, 2010
Messages
1,238
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Up during boating season and down after winterizing. Minimizes the dragging effect on the skeg :)
 

90stingray

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
1,162
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

Mine is down as far as it can be unless i am getting ready to pull it to the lake. Its nice having an extra trim button on the transom... so you dont have to climb in and out. But definitely down for winter storage. I may pull the drive off for winter storage this year.
 

Oshkosh1

Ensign
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
968
Re: Stern drive: Best practices? Drive up? Or down?

I pull the drive in the winter...fits nicely clamped into a B&D "Workmate" bench. I CAN (there is one for each) grease my U-joints...so I do...every year. At the same time I can clean/lube the splines and check the alignment. The drive isn't that heavy(Alpha 1)...just a little clumsy for one person, and takes me 5 min to remove/10 to install.

During the season(which here in Wi is only about 4 months at best...unless you LIKE cold boating) I lower the drive when parked in the garage.

Probably a little on the "OCD" side...however this is nothing compared to the care/seasonal preventative maintenance of a 36y/o Cessna!;)
 
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