Motor Up or Down Between Uses

[Dave1027]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

another FYI - this is a mercury sub forum. Mercury uses ATF. ATF has additives that shorten the life of rubber and high hydraulic pressures will accelerate the demise of your trim systems internal organs. More important than whether you are up or down is that you block the engine and/or release the pressure when in storage. Just make sure the last thing you do is a bump on the switch in a down direction. It will add years to the life of your trim system.

Isn't the unit under pressure when the motor is down? How does resting it on a block remove the pressure? I'm thinking the only way to release the pressure is with the pressure release valve. I always rested mine on the transom saver but now my pump leaks so I'd say that it did not help me. Maybe I could maintained this thing by using the manual release for storage?

 

[achris]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

[size=+1]Simple... Merc user manual recommends the engine be left in the DOWN position while not in use.... That's good enough for me....[/size]

 

[Blevins]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

OK my hp merc sits all the way up so that the motor is out of the water. My boat is in the water 24/7. The small area where the slips are has little traffic and the chop hardly ever even makes waves. Is this ok as i do not trailer my boat? I am afraid of leaving that lower assembly sitting down in the brackish water along with the water pump.

 

[achris]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

OK my hp merc sits all the way up so that the motor is out of the water. My boat is in the water 24/7. The small area where the slips are has little traffic and the chop hardly ever even makes waves. Is this ok as i do not trailer my boat? I am afraid of leaving that lower assembly sitting down in the brackish water along with the water pump.

Yep, That's the tough one.... I can see reasons on both sides. Leave it up to stop growth in the water intakes etc, leave it down to allow water drain and for the carbs not to drain out...

Personally... I hate leaving my boat in the water, and I have a stern drive, so it's down anyway.... ... but if I had an outboard, then I guess I'd leave it up.

Chris........

 

[ping1968]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

Down to fit in garage and in winter also to let it drain

 

[hawkf250]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

Always stored down to drain

 

[sschefer]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

Yep, That's the tough one.... I can see reasons on both sides. Leave it up to stop growth in the water intakes etc, leave it down to allow water drain and for the carbs not to drain out...

Personally... I hate leaving my boat in the water, and I have a stern drive, so it's down anyway.... ... but if I had an outboard, then I guess I'd leave it up.

Chris........

Leaving it up while berthed is a good way to lose your prop to thieves and if it gets cold it will fill with rain water, freeze if it gets that cold and probably crack the case at a minimum. The solution to that is really simple... Raise it, bag it in a garbage bag, lower it. Keeps the voodo bugs away and the lower won't freeze unless the water does too.

 

[2stroked]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

I leave mine down when it sits on the trailer to drain out the water. I have to lift it to tow and my dealer said to lift it all the way up and then flip up lever, then lower onto lever. I'm not sure I agree with that, but that is what I have been doing. I would like to find a round piece of hard rubber, 4-5" dia. to put in and lower down the motor so it is not up as high and does not stick out as far.

 

[bobkyle2]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

in the summer i let it all the way down on sunday night... and from friday to sunday...i leave it on the transom saver when its not in the water.... in the winter its bagged and all the way down(thats what my dad did on our baja) so that wats i guess ill do this winter with my boat

 

[KeyWestBoater]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

On the trailer it's almost all the way down. I have to leave it up just a little to clear the concrete curb at the end of the garage. But not too much or it will hit the wall. It's a tight fit!

 

[Vanover]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

Down, my merc manual says to store it that way to drain it and keep the case from cracking in cold weather.

 

[Cogburn]

Re: Motor Up or Down Between Uses

My motor is tilted up BETWEEN USES because if it was down there would be a high risk of damage to it.

The motor will not go all the way down without setting the tongue of the trailer on the ground! Moving the trailer at all requires raising the motor.

The transom doesn't know any difference because tilted up the motor is balanced and the weight is straight down-less torque on the transom than with the motor down. I don't have a transom saver yet but when I get one it will probably rest on it between uses.

It gets used every couple days. During the summer it is hooked to my spare Tahoe and plugged in to a weekly timer to be ready to go all the time. I can be fishing in 20 min.!

For long term storage it gets winterized and STORED down.