Motor tilt angle

[Roy & Dixie]

My Yamaha manual states that my F-80 4-stroke should be kept in the vertical position unless it must me raised when trialering due to road clearance. My lower unit would only clear the road by 6-8 inches if left vertical, so I raise it and set the safety latch when enroute on the road. I keep the engine vertical at home on the trailer and in the water when out overnight on the hook. So far, all my anchoring has been in fresh water. When anchored in salt water along the ICW and in the Chesapeake Bay would it be better to raise the lower unit from the water overnight or leave it vertical? My concern is growth on the lower unit. I will be underway everyday while in salt water. Does it harm a 4-stroke to leave the lower unit raised overnight? Also, while anchored out, there is no way to flush with fresh water. Is that a factor in the decision.

[thataway]

A lot of folks leave their outboards up when they are in the water as you do to avoid growth, and even on the trailer, when in storage. I have never heard of any issue with oil in the crank case when left in a trailering position. The only problem I am aware of if you are in freezing weather, the water passages may not drain well when in the trailering position.

I have never seen that in the manuals of the motors I have owned. Now the small 4 strokes, you can only lay them down a certain way--usually on one side.

There are a number of people who feel that the motor should not be on the "safety" latch when trailering. Many use a synthetic rubber block on the trailering cylinder or a piece of wood between the motor and the mount on the transom.

[Lono]

i was just reading the manual for my Yamaha F50 and it says when storing and trailering, the motor should be kept in the normal running position (vertical).

It recommends using a transom saver if theres not enough clearance to the ground.

It also says the boat should not be trailered with the motor tilted up using the tilt support lever as the motor could shake loose from the tilt support and fall.

So what kind of 'transom saver' do you guys recommend???

[thataway]

There has been a recent discussion of the transom support--there are the hard rubber sleeves as I described above which goes over the trailering position cylinder arm. There is also the spring loaded device which attatches to the trailer frame member aft, and then cradles the lower unit. I have one of the latter on the 140 Suzuki which is on my Caracal Cat. I also use a rubber strap with S hooks to be sure and hold it in place.

There is also the wooden block method, again I noted above.

[dutch123]

I have an F-80 as well and have always transported it in the partially raised position employing a homemade transome saver and have never had a problem. Like you stated I would be more concerned with damage caused from unintentional ground contact from the close proximity of the skeg to the ground in the down position.

[Sunbeam]

On my 2002 version of your engine (F80) it specifies not to use the tilt lever when trailering. It says that if possible to trailer vertical (my engine would scrape the ground for sure so that is not possible), but if that can't be done to support it somehow.

I would think the benefits of getting the lower unit out of the water (especially in salt water) would outweigh any disadvantage when at anchor (i.e. tilt it up), but I'm not a mechanic. Still, even if there were a problem with oil all running out of necessary areas (or whatever), I can't imagine it would happen overnight (?). Also, I would think (dried) salt damage would come from completely dried, crusted salt deposits, not "wet salt" that you would be re-wetting come morning.

Be interested to hear what mechanics who understand the inner workings would say.

[Roy & Dixie]

I questioned my mechanic on this and he stated that he had never known of any damage done by tilting motor up either when towing or at anchor. He also stated that he had never known of a broken safety latch if that was used along with the engine being tilted up.

[starcrafttom]

sunbeam, I just have a question. why would you tilt your motor up while at anchor?? If its to prevent salt corrosion inside the motor you are better off leaving it in the water. Salt crystals will build up in the motor when residue salt water is exposed to air. As when you tilt your motor up and out of the water and most , but not all, of the water runs out. Now this is different then tilting it up at the dock where you are moored all summer. At the dock you have to worry about stray current eating your metal parts. And at the dock you should have a way to flush out the motor before leaving it. Same if you are leaving it at a mooring buoy for a long time. figure out a way to flush it.

[rogerbum]

[Sunbeam]

Aside from what Roger said, maybe my thought of tilting it up is wrong. My background is more either freshwater (with outboards) or salt water (with inboards), so I have never had the situation. But... I would have though the salt would have stayed "wet" enough overnight not to dry and form crystals (and then it is re-dunked in the morning)? Maybe that's incorrect though? You have about a million times more experience than I do with outboards in salt water.

(Roger's reasoning sounds good to me though, on the line/wrapping point.)

[browntdb]

I had this discussion with my local Yamaha marine dealer, he recommended that I leave the engine down when in Salt. I think part of his reasoning is that when the engine is hot, raising it causes the engine to get salt encrustations. I am not sure if that will dissolve easily when re-immersed in salt water.

I never thought about the engines wrapping around the anchor line. That is a consideration.

Terry