towing with motor up

[heman37]

I normaly tow with my motor down , but a friend of mine says the proper way is to use the motor lock and in the upward position, i did this a few times , but didnt like the idea of the motor bouncing in the air and putting the weight on the transome possibly wrecking it . so my question is what is the correct way to haul the boat motor home up or down? i only use the motor lock for if in shallow water fishing and dont want to run aground. please help a newbie with right way and thanks.

 

[rg33]

Re: towing with motor up

Suggest you buy a transom saver to prop up your motor while towing it. It uses the trailer frame to support the weight of the motor. You want it up to avoid possible damage to outboard and lessen the strain on you transom.

 

[heman37]

Re: towing with motor up

thanks , gonna have to look into 1 of those as i dont really feel like replacing the transome. I forgot to mention that the motor is a 1974 chrysler viking 35hp and that it has a lock on the plate of the motor mount. or is this for just lifting out of the water in shallow water?<br />Iam new at this so all the help the better and is muchly appreciated.

 

[JB]

Re: towing with motor up

Have you considered mounting a wheel on the skeg?

 

[rg33]

Re: towing with motor up

Originally posted by heman37:<br /> I forgot to mention that the motor is a 1974 chrysler viking 35hp and that it has a lock on the plate of the motor mount. or is this for just lifting out of the water in shallow water?<br />

I am not familiar with the motor as to how high the lock holds the motor up. I believe the should be water cooled and a stream of water should be present when it is running. If the lock raises the motor where it cannot pick up water, it may overheat. Do you have a stream (pissing) coming from your outboard when running and tilted up? Check the Chrysler outboard repair threads on this site. <br />Ah, JB knows more than I

 

[heman37]

Re: towing with motor up

the motor is not running when iam taking the motor out of the water, the reason i do this is so that if i want to go fish in the lower water we pull the motor , of course shutting it off as to not kill the motor and wreckinfg the impeller as lack of cooling. and what is a skag wheel? or is that supposed to be sarcasim, if so like i said iam new and just asking a question and dont need stupid answers , thanks guys for the help, guess i will buy the transom saver and drop this disscussion.

 

[phantoms]

Re: towing with motor up

A transom saver rest between you motor's foot and the rear of the trailer or last roller. It provides support for the motor and keeps it from bouncing as you hit bumps. <br />

 

[rg33]

Re: towing with motor up

Originally posted by heman37:<br /> the motor is not running when iam taking the motor out of the water, the reason i do this is so that if i want to go fish in the lower water we pull the motor , of course shutting it off as to not kill the motor and wreckinfg the impeller as lack of cooling. and what is a skag wheel? or is that supposed to be sarcasim, if so like i said iam new and just asking a question and dont need stupid answers , thanks guys for the help, guess i will buy the transom saver and drop this disscussion.

I am sorry if anything I said was taken wrong. I am kinda new at this myself and was just concerned about your motor. I cannot speak for JB, but I would ask for info on the item. I have found everyone here as helpful as can be, so please do not be offended by anything said. There is more free wisdom here for the asking than I ever thought I could find. Take some time and browse the areas of this site and take in as much as you can. I now know more about my boat and how to fix it thru this site than I could find by myself. You also get promoted here by asking and responding. Just can't wait for my first check

 

[Mark42]

Re: towing with motor up

If you have the ground clearance to tow with the motor down, then go ahead. If not, buy a transom saver to tow with the motor tilted up and supported. Towing with the motor all the way up on the motor's supports is probably the most stressful for the transom. <br /><br />The transom savor is cheap insurance to prevent a smashed lower unit/prop on the motor while towing, as well as support the motor to prevent stress on the transom.

 

[heman37]

Re: towing with motor up

thanks for all the info and rg33 no offence was taken as i understand what you mean and you offer great advice , and i should have clarified my post that the motor was off when i put it on the motors support, as for JB i think that was meant as just a rude and uncalled for insult or whatever , takes all kinds i guess . thanks Mark43 , also nice boat i also have an older boat , 14' cadorette with chrysler viking 35hp outboard . I followed your posts and nice job on the boat. i have learned alot from this forum and thanks all that have been helpfull much appreciated . as for JB iam sorry that i was not born perfect and have to ask questions , must be nice to know it all. thanks again for the help all.

 

[KM2]

Re: towing with motor up

JB, Put a wheel on the skeg... Now that's funny. I can't stop laughing.

 

[82RAYSONCRAFT]

Re: towing with motor up

I purchased one of these for my 225 merc O/B.<br />www.m-ywedge.com

 

[BillP]

Re: towing with motor up

The transom saver debate is interesting. I just trailered 700 mi round trip down to Key West and back (I've made this trip 1-2 times a year for the last 20+ yrs and tow with motor up and no transom saver). I saw dozens and dozens of boats on trailers along the way and at launch ramps...this time I took special notice of how people were towing. 95% of the boats were 20-25' and it was a 50/50 split between motors towed down and motors towed up. I didn't see one transom saver and only one motor had a rope under the cav plate to keep the motor from falling. Most of the folks launching down there have heavy experience in trailering and boating...a lot of people in Miami trailer down once a month or more. I just don't get where the fear comes from about transoms and motors breaking...empirical data says it isn't a problem.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: towing with motor up

There are several factors that dictate whether or not a transom saver is needed. Note the key word "transom". First, if you have clearance to tow with the motor or outdrive down, by all means do it. The forces on the "transom" are therefore vertical and less damaging. If you don't have clearance, even if the engine or outdrive is tilted up and locked with a tilt locking device or just the hydraulics of the trim mechansim, the weight hanging out the back of the boat now becomes a big lever which creates a great deal more flexing of the transom. Using a true transom saver (motor or outdrive-to-trailer frame) negates those forces as the transom, engine/outdrive, and trailer are physically "one unit". Therefore nothing can flex. Tilt lock devices do nothing to prevent transom damage although they do protect the tilt/trim hydraulics. Last, what really determines whether you need a transom saver or not is the type of roads you travel and the speeds you travel at. Down south, a road is made by creating a flat surface, paving it, its smooth and it lasts forever. Up north where frost heaving is a problem on even the best roads, a trailer boat takes a gosh awful beating. Secondary roads (paved or not) cause even more shaking. If one does a lot of trailering up north, transom savers are essential and are very widely used.

 

[skeeterboy]

Re: towing with motor up

I bought one of those transom savers from BPS and the min i put it on I didnt get out of the parking lot and the thing snapped. Wnet back in and told them what happened and they gave me a new and havent had anyproblems with the motor bouncing or falling down.

 

[warrior17]

Re: towing with motor up

This worked great and cost next to nothing.<br />Due to ground clearance issues I was forced to tow with my 25hp O/B up. I used the shallow drive rod to hold it and strapped it down to prevent bouncing. <br />The transom motor frame is made of weak alumanum and cracked.These brackets are expensive to replace.<br />The dealer suggested using a 2"x24" long piece of hardwood wedged under the motor when lifted up.The wood rests on the transom and motor frame. Then use a rachet strap to keep the motor from bouncing.Cut an extra one and keep it with your bearing replacement kit!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: towing with motor up

to me the worst thing about trailering with the motor down is backing, especially over uneven surfaces. all 4 of my boats have transom savers, some bought, some i've made. i feel the skeg should be atleast 12-15 inches off the road. in the old days we just put a 2X4 between the motor and the motor bracket, and tied it down.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: towing with motor up

Using a block of wood is still done today. Just make sure the block of wood doesn't fall out and lay in the road for someone to run over.

 

[Pony]

Re: towing with motor up

http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=040423;p=1#000034

 

[imported_bjs]

Re: towing with motor up

how does the motor with that rubber deal on.i afarid that would give and fall out if dosent i will buy one let me know thanks