trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

[2stroke1971]

Ive got an old Bayliner, a capri with the Volvo 270 outdrive. From my outboard days, we always lifted the motor in order to cause less stress to the transom during travel.

Is there a need to raise my outdrive with the bayliner as well? So far I HAVE been raising it before pulling it down the road, Ive got power lift so no problems there...just thinking about stress on the bellows, etc....

So what is the "proper" technique here?
THanks in advance!

 

[boat1010]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

I guess I have never seen them trailered down. Mine is way to low to leave down. I would think that you would hit something with the lower unit if you left it down.

 

[df909]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Well, I have experience towing my boat with the drive down; then I have experience having the prop and skeg reparied. So, tow it with the drive up unless you have a very tall trailer that leaves ample clearance between the skeg and road.

 

[Philster]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Raise the outdrive to prevent damage from it striking the road/bumps and curbs/aprons in parking lots.

If you are concerned about stress on anything, then get these. Clip onto the extended ram of the outdrive tilt cylinder to take the pressure off while trailering.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...0?&cid=chanintel&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=37150

 

[diesel5599]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Never tow with it down unless you want to replace your outdrive sometime soon. All it will take is for it to hit something, anything, and it will never be the same. I have never owned an I/O that I would even think about trailering with the drive down.

I stored mine for winters on end with the drive up and never had any hydraulic or ram issues, although I have seen some put supports under the drive.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

The one time I towed my boat was outdrives down... See my signature and you will know why, and how I did that. My boat sat so high there was no need to raise them.

 

[skargo]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Up when trailering, with support.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

For the past 18 years we have trailered our 4.3 Mercruiser with it all the way up - no support used, and no problems encountered.

These things are tough. The stress from hitting a few bumps on the road is much less than the stress that results from hitting hundreds of waves on a rough lake. Now, if you were driving on unusually rough roads, a support might be a good idea.

 

[180shabah]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

OP - full up to trailer, full down when running.

BTW - he has a 270, no where to put those trailering clips.

 

[cribber]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

I put my I/O up right before we leave to go to the ramp and when we get back I put the I/O back down before flushing out the motor on muffs.

 

[skargo]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

I put my I/O up right before we leave to go to the ramp and when we get back I put the I/O back down before flushing out the motor on muffs.

Same here!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

The reason we use the hook or trailering clips isn't to save th stress on the trim system, we use it in case of a leak or malfunction which would let the drive lower while in transit. It's cheap insurance.

 

[skargo]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

The reason we use the hook or trailering clips isn't to save th stress on the trim system, we use it in case of a leak or malfunction which would let the drive lower while in transit. It's cheap insurance.

Yes sir, that's why I use mine.

 

[JaseBosto]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Forgive me if there is an echo in here but.....
Always lift it all the way up when towing...
Always put it all the way down when your storing it otherwise you will ruin the bellows prematurely.

 

[JaseBosto]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

These things are tough. The stress from hitting a few bumps on the road is much less than the stress that results from hitting hundreds of waves on a rough lake. Now, if you were driving on unusually rough roads, a support might be a good idea.

Think about the stress from trimming up a little to reach top speed and you will know that tilting the outdrive up for transit is nothing.

 

[BTMCB]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Like most others.....up for towing. Down when not.

 

[180shabah]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Always put it all the way down when your storing it otherwise you will ruin the bellows prematurely.

Myth - there are good reasons to keep the drive down, but this is one of them.

 

[JaseBosto]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Enlighten me please.
While your at it, can you tell me if putting through shallow water with the drive being almost out of the water is bad? Does that put an ackward angle on the u-joints or something?
The reason I bring that up is because on my Stingray, when I press the tilt up button, it will only tilt up a little bit, then you have to hit the button labeled "trailer" to get it higher.

 

[180shabah]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

The biggie - the drive is self draining in the full down position, also less likely for some critter to chew on the bellows, just too hard to get up in there.

When the drive is raised to much it is no longer supported lateraly, thus the trim limit. In a pinch, you can run at idle only witht he drive raised - you will here the ujoints complaining, so don't do it often. Also, before you do this, you need to verify that the ujoints do not contact the bellows otherwise they will rub through them very quickly.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: trailering an i/o motor...lift? or not?

Enlighten me please.
While your at it, can you tell me if putting through shallow water with the drive being almost out of the water is bad? Does that put an ackward angle on the u-joints or something?
The reason I bring that up is because on my Stingray, when I press the tilt up button, it will only tilt up a little bit, then you have to hit the button labeled "trailer" to get it higher.

I often use the trailer button to raise it higher in shallow water and have never encountered a problem. Similarly, when starting the boat near shore, we often run it with the drive quite high. It makes no unusual noises and doesn't seem to have hurt anything. That's with a Mercruiser, but it could be different with other makes.