Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

[dswi]

I do not currently have a trim indicator on the control panel...I do notice some sort of switches or something on the outdrive...What are they and how hard would it be to put a gage (lights or whatever) on the panel where I drive the boat from?? I will try to attach pics.

Thanx
Darrin

 

[blouderback]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

Looks like you have one puck on either side of the outdrive, right? The one on the port side is the limit switch. It basically stops the trim from going too high. The one on the starboard side is the sender. It sends a signal to the gauge telling it where it's set. You might wnat to look around the back of the motor and see if you can find the cable. Then, it's just a matter of connecting that trim gauge sender to the new gauge you will need to buy.

Here's a good site that explains how to adjust them: http://www.mercstuff.com/trim_limit.htm

 

[Solittle]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

You adjust the trim by the performance/ride whiole underway and not with any guage.

 

[sstone]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

You adjust the trim by the performance/ride whiole underway and not with any guage.

I agree but at the same time, I use the trim indicator to see where the trim is set when achieving best performance at different speeds. Allows me to quickly get in the ballpark and make minor adjustments from there

 

[Bondo]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

You adjust the trim by the performance/ride whiole underway and not with any guage.

Ayuh,.... Good ole Seat of the Pants trim gauge,.... No need to waste dash space with a trim gauge....

 

[blouderback]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

sstone, I agree. I do the same thing. It also helps the Admiral and First Mate when they are at the helm. They don't really get the whole "Seat of the Pants" trim gauge thingy.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

sstone, I agree. I do the same thing. It also helps the Admiral and First Mate when they are at the helm. They don't really get the whole "Seat of the Pants" trim gauge thingy.

That is EXACTLY the reason... I wakeboard often, and also often have fairly inexperienced people driving. The speed/throttle isn't a problem, the computer takes care of that (perfectpass), but trimming is still left up to the captain. Its fair easier to tell a person to run the trim gauge to about half, vs having them watch the wake and try to get the trim right from how the tip of the wake is shaped.

 

[soggy_feet]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

15,000lb displacement hull doesn't really care where trim is at, but the gauge is nice when i need to trim up to get to my mooring, which is currently in about 20" of water, approximately what I draft.

Unfortunately, my trim is all boogered up (a previous owner tried to service the non-serviceable trim pump), and Im currently using a ratchet strap to hold the outdrive up in the shallows, but I digress.

There IS value in having a trim gauge. Just depends on the boat.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

There IS value in having a trim gauge. Just depends on the boat.

Agreed, I don't pay attention to it when running most of the time. It comes in handy when the depth finder is showing under 3' of water and I need to move at idle through it. I can adjust the trim with the trim gauge and know right where the I/O is at without having to check the unit visually. It is a useless gauge when running on plane though.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

Didn't have a trim gauge on my previous boat but, now that I do and have become comfortable with the indications it gives, I do rely on it. My waters typically run only 5' to 13' so it's a nice thing to have. Despite the fact that I instinctively trim up when coming off the throttle, it's nice to have a frontal view of both the depth and the trim without having to look at the motor.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Trim indicatior on the panel...Would love one

My trim indictor is the most ignored guage in the boat.

MY trim indicator is the most valuable guage on the boat. I don't need it for running at plane because I can "feel' the right spot to be in. However, we travel though shoals very often to get to our favorite cove, so I need to trim up so I don't hit the bottom. The mark on my trim guage shows me exactly when the prop is above the bottom of the boat. Haven't dinged a prop in 35 years (since I got a trim guage).

I guess its all how you use the boat!