trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

[bassboy1]

How do all of yall with out power tilt trailer your motor. My johnson 50 hp has a little doohickey that pops out when the motor is lifted. It doesnt seem strong enough and seems like the motor would bounce out of it. Dont want to buy a transom saver and could easily fab one up out of steel and aluminum. is it better to have the motor straight ahead or flopped over when trailering.

 

[DJ]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

You're right, that trailering support is not strong enounh, in my opinion .

Keep the motor straight ahead.

Remember that a trailering support must be strapped to engine and the trailer as to not bounce out.

 

[JB]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

Ditto DJohns.

 

[Chunder06]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

The same applies for auxiliaries when on the water.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

If you have tilt or trim it helps. I used a 2x4 when I had a 125 V4 with tilt only. I could use the tilt to bring the engine down and keep the board from flopping out.

Or you might use a bungie cord and a 2x4 and bungie the lower unit to the trailer. Ought to work.

As stated, the bracket is for holding your engine out of the water, not trailering.

Mark

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

2 X 4 with an inverted "V" cut on each end and 2 small "I" bolts screwed 1 foot in from each end of the board to hold the bungees is a cheap and effective transom saver..Used to do this in my "Cheaper" days...

 

[Silvertip]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

If the skeg on the motor is high enough off the ground with the motor sitting vertical you don't need a transom saver. The Shock load in that situation is vertical so there is little or no stress. If you have to tilt the motor for clearance, then you need one because you now have twisting forces at work on the transom.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

The skeg is only about 3 in. above the ground. The springs have more travel than that. And my driveway is real steep and would scrape when starting up it. The 2 x 4 idea sounds a little crude. As i said I can work with and weld steel and aluminum. And should I have it resting on the doohickey and the transom savor or just the transom saver? I dont have PT.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

One end of the transom saver has a cradle (a "V") into which the lower unit sits. The other end fits into a socket of some sort on the trailer frame. Both ends need to be tightly secured. The transom saver essentially ties the flopping motor, transom and the trailer together so they move as a unit. No stresses that way.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

If you want to make it yourself, just get a short length of stock and weld a u-bolt (Exhaust type) on either end to cradle the motor and attach to the trailer. Slip some round insulation over the bolt on the motor end to protect the paint and bungee it down...

 

[bassboy1]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

Okay, thanks to all of you who supplied imput.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

Take their advice. I once trailered my 57 Johnson 18 hp, bungeed straight down, vertical with the transom. Bad jolt on a bad road bounced the outboard up and down, breaking part of the transom clamp. Took awhile to find a replacement for the old jewel. From then on, I carry the outboard in the truck and install it once at the ramp. Had a transom saver on my 73 Ebbtide 15 foot trihull with 73 Merc 500, it always kept the outboard rock solid even on some bad roads.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: trailering motor w/o PT. transom saver?

We are getting a peice of 1.5 in square stock and mounting a bow V-block on it to cradle the motor. Then we are using a ratchet strap around the lower unit down to the trailer. Probably gonna have some type of clevice to mount the support to the trailer.