Transom Saver Problem

[Bayou Dave]

I just bought a different boat 2 days ago. It has a Suzuki 140 on it. When I take the tramson saver off the motor the transom saver flops right down to the ground. This does not seem normal. How am I supposed to move the trailer to park or come back to the ramp to retrieve the boat? Just drag the transom saver on the ground? I should have asked the PO, but too late now. I am thinking of getting a rubber motor wedge but am not sure if that will work as well as a transom saver is supposed to. Any thoughts?

 

[Sprig]

You need to remove the transom saver when launching and re attach it once the boat is back on the trailer. Never back up with the transom saver on the ground. If it snags on something you could do great damage. All the transom savers I've had have some type of quick release system so you can quickly and easily remove and re attach them when launching/loading.

 

[fhhuber]

It should pull right out of the fitting on the back of the trailer.

I tied a rope to my transom saver so if I forget when launching it doesn't end up lost at the deep end of the boat ramp. I had a convenient place to store it on the back deck of the bass boat (now sold) so the rope was cleated to the boat. You might want to tie that one to the trailer... and use bungees on it to keep it handy for when you put the boat back on the trailer.

You put the transom saver back in place after you pull the boat out. (make sure to raise the motor so the prop is JUST in the water before pulling the boat forward all the way into the trailer, then bring it ALL the way up before pulling the rig up the ramp.)

 

[daanbc]

Mine just swings to either side, I then use a bungee cord and wrap it around the trailer beam.

 

[Bayou Dave]

I tried pulling it out and it is attached to the bracket on the trailer. I found a removable one here on iboats and plan on ordering one.

 

[fhhuber]

Attached is fine...
Actually better than the removable.

Go with the bungee to keep it from dragging.

 

[Bayou Dave]

Attached is fine...
Actually better than the removable.

Go with the bungee to keep it from dragging.

The problem with leaving it attached is that it drags on the ground. When I take the transom saver (motor deflopperizer) off the motor to launch the boat it just flops onto the ground. That interfers with backing the trailer down the ramp. With a removable one I can jsut take it off and throw it in the back of my truck.
At any rate I ordered this one last night.

http://www.iboats.com/Adjustable-Tr...uctInfoContainer__Customer_Questions__Answers

 

[daanbc]

Why don't you leave it on while backing down.? Then when your ready in the boat to start it, raise the motor so the saver drops, then lower motor and start and pull out. You can drag it safely up ramp out of water then use a bungee to hold it till you get back.

 

[WIMUSKY]

The problem with leaving it attached is that it drags on the ground. When I take the transom saver (motor deflopperizer) off the motor to launch the boat it just flops onto the ground. That interfers with backing the trailer down the ramp. With a removable one I can jsut take it off and throw it in the back of my truck.
At any rate I ordered this one last night.

http://www.iboats.com/Adjustable-Tra...tions__Answers

That's the kind I use. Has a cork screw at the end that you twist to remove it. Easy peasy. I take mine out when doing a pre-launch. taking off transom straps, loading gear etc...... I like to completely take it off to get it out of the way. Seconds to remove, seconds to install.....

Dragging one is never a good idea......

 

[Bayou Dave]

I crawled under the trailer this morning. It has a offset piece on the rod that goes in a slot on the bracket. I had to turn back and forth a few times for it to line up for removal. Not as easy to remove as it probably was before the rust set in over the years. The one I ordered has the cork screw type on it and hopefully will go on and come off easy. Thanks to everyone for the comments!!

 

[jimmbo]

Take it off and throw it in a dumpster. Those things, while they were good to use on the old, pre 1984 mercury outboards and pre 1978 omc without power trim, can do serious damage to boats whose motors use the power trim to hold the engine in a trailer position. On the old mercs, when the engine was all the way up, you had to grab the engine, lift it up a bit more and rotate a cam for trailering. However the engine wasn't locked rigid and would bounce up and down. There the transom saver was useful, if the boat shifted a bit the engine could still move. On newer units the hydraulics hold the engine from moving and if the boat were to shift a transom saver will place all the strain on the transom

 

[Bayou Dave]

Take it off and throw it in a dumpster. Those things, while they were good to use on the old, pre 1984 mercury outboards and pre 1978 omc without power trim, can do serious damage to boats whose motors use the power trim to hold the engine in a trailer position. On the old mercs, when the engine was all the way up, you had to grab the engine, lift it up a bit more and rotate a cam for trailering. However the engine wasn't locked rigid and would bounce up and down. There the transom saver was useful, if the boat shifted a bit the engine could still move. On newer units the hydraulics hold the engine from moving and if the boat were to shift a transom saver will place all the strain on the transom

Suzuki says to use a transom saver and not to rely on the PTT only.

 

[daanbc]

I would think the transom saver would be better then just using the PTT. When the boat bounces on the trailer, the motor is bouncing on the transom which "could" cause a little flexing. The transom saver takes that load and shifts it to the trailer instead of the transom. I may be wrong in my thinking tough.

 

[jimmbo]

Suzuki says to use a transom saver and not to rely on the PTT only.

Maybe Suzuki didn't design their trailering support/lock as robust as others

 

[NYBo]

Take it off and throw it in a dumpster. Those things, while they were good to use on the old, pre 1984 mercury outboards and pre 1978 omc without power trim, can do serious damage to boats whose motors use the power trim to hold the engine in a trailer position. On the old mercs, when the engine was all the way up, you had to grab the engine, lift it up a bit more and rotate a cam for trailering. However the engine wasn't locked rigid and would bounce up and down. There the transom saver was useful, if the boat shifted a bit the engine could still move. On newer units the hydraulics hold the engine from moving and if the boat were to shift a transom saver will place all the strain on the transom

Most instructions that come with transom savers state they are for motors with PTT only.

 

[jimmbo]

I would never use one except for the units I mentioned before.