Tilt lock or trailering bracket?

[skategoat]

I own a 16 foot Scout with a 50 hp 4-stroke Mariner motor with power tilt and trim. I rarely trailer it but this year, I think I will do a lot more trailering.

I've never had a transom saver. While researching transom savers, I hear mention of a tilt lock or trailering bracket. I've never noticed one on my motor. Am I overlooking it? Anyone have a photo of one?

Also, I read about squeezing a piece of wood in the tilt mechanism but when I tried this, the wood simply dropped out. The motor is not locked down so if I go over a bump, the motor rises and drops the wood. Am I doing something wrong?

Here's a photo of my motor:

[Silvertip]

While a block of wood may relieve stress on the tilt/trim hydraulic system, it does nothing to relieve the stress on the transom which is the purpose of a transom saver. A tilt lock (if your engine has one) and block of wood do the same thing. If there is enough clearance between the skeg of the engine and road, you don't need either device. However, if you trailer with the engine tilted up, the tilt lock prevents the motor from dropping, but it doesn't keep it from bouncing upward and then down again which is an invitation to break things. A transom saver is the preferred device in those situations although some will argue that transom stress is not an issue. I happen to differ with that view but opinions are like butts -- everybody has one. Having a block of wood drop out of the engine at highway speeds is likely to get you a broken nose if the driver of the car it hits and damages happens to catch you. If this is your preferred tilt lock, at least insert a hook eye into it and fasten it to the boat with a small chain or rope so if it does fall out, it doesn't go through someones windshield.

[tashasdaddy]

Please edit your post and resize your picture.

[dingbat]

That motor should have a motor lock. Mine had a small lever on the upper part of transom bracket on the starboard side.

If you clamp down on a block of wood and it falls out something is wrong with your hydraulic system.


FWIW: I’m one of those that doesn’t believe in transom savers with hydraulic trim and tilt systems.

[Frank Acampora]

I always maintain that in the water, when you nail the throttle to accelerate, the stress put on the transom is far greater than any amount of engine flopping up and down while trailering will ever cause.

I use bungee cords to keep the engine tight against my trailering tilt bar. A 2 X 4 is not a reasonable trailering accessory and should be used only if nothing else is available. See if your engine manufacturer offers a trailering tilt accessory.

[skategoat]

The boat's in storage so I'll have a better look in a couple of months. I must be doing something wrong. Like I said, I don't trailer much.

The problem with a transom saver (for me) is that the back of the boat hangs out from the rearmost beam on the trailer. There is no straight line from the bottom of the motor to the beam. Therefore, I would have to make some kind of modification to add a transom saver.

[NYBo]

No problem:
Transom saver