correct height for outboards while traveling

I've towed our boat with a Honda 135 many thousands of miles with the trim set at the spot where the lower gearing starts with no noticeable ill effects so far. Recently a couple of people recommended tilting it all the way up with the support bracket in place so I'm not so sure what the best way is either.
 
If you do trailer with the motor trimmed up, you really need a support. There is a lot of stress on the transom due to flexing with the motor trimmed up and trailering.

A support device will eliminate most of the flexing as long as the transom is strapped down as well. In my opinion the lock down lever on the motor (not on all motors) from the manufacturer isn't adequate alone.
 
I would say we are about half way. It kind of depends on your trailer somewhat. Coming in out out of a parking lot with a large difference in elevation between the parking lot and the street is the thing you want to watch out for. In my limited thinking you just don't want the motor bouncing around trying to work up dynamic loads to better put cracks in your transom. I just have a piece of carpet covered 2 x 4 x 18" with a lag bolt in one end going thru a couple links of chain tied to a piece of cord with a snap clip. We place the 2 x 4 in between the transom part of the motors mount and the tilting motor itself and use the power tilt to clamp down on the 2 x 4. The chain cord and clip arrangement keep the 2 x 4 attached should it ever fall out as who wants that thru your windshield. Check my album under trailer modifcations I think. We could be wrong!
D.D.
 
My CD 22 has twin Suzuki's. My boat mechanic says that the power head on the motor when fully tilted places the center of gravity of the motor on or slightly ahead of the motor mounting bracket such that the "bouncing" moment is vertical over the bracket. Not cantilevered over the back end, and therefore will not induce twisting motions on the motor bracket. On the other hand, with the motors down, the CG is clearly aft of the stern, and will induce a twisting or bending load on the stern when you hit bumps.

That is what he says, and he's got 40 year of experience.

I had a small trailerable houseboat that had a heavy merc 90 on an extended motor mount. The mount was a good two feet aft of the stern of the boat and the motor hung off of that. There was a huge moment arm hanging off that stern and it always bothered me, but the boat was towed thousands of miles that way. I still stowed the motor in the up position so's not to strain the mounting bits that were part of the motor itself.

Also, to finish off this tome, my mechanic says that if a stern and motor can't handle highway bouncing around, then it is going to be a weak design under motoring in heavy seas as well.

So, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances.
 
I don't think you can compare transom stress of trailering to the stresses of being on the water under way. Unless you are jumping logs in the river. My mechanic would disagree with yours. You just have to read, research, and make your own mind up.

Watch the engine on the next trailered boat you pass. There is a huge amount of difference in the movement you see when trailering as opposed to underway on water.
 
We have trailered our twin Honda 40's tens of thousands of miles by dropping them gently down onto a nice fat dowel placed horizontally across the mount. Don't know if this is best for all but an experienced boater suggested this to us more than ten years ago and so far so good - like El's grandad used to say, "proof's in the pudding."
 
Nunya":1evqwu0w said:
I've been using the mywedge for years on boats. Turned all my fishing buddies onto it. They all use it. Good product.
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Me 2. Also use a product they make that keeps the engine(s) on centerline of boat while trailering (i.e., keeps them upright laterally.)

Warren
 
When we trailer our cc-23 or the cd-22 (when we had it) We would tilt the motor down and have a 2by6 hold it out a little like Will-c and Halcyon does .I would not trailer a boat using the little eng hold this will break first big bump in the road . We also tie the engine from moving around . Yamaha makes a rubberized product that you can insert into tilt ram that acts as a shock absorber . Check out some of the photo albums you will see how a lot of us trailer .
 
El and Bill":2vs7cli3 said:
We have trailered our twin Honda 40's tens of thousands of miles by dropping them gently down onto a nice fat dowel placed horizontally across the mount. Don't know if this is best for all but an experienced boater suggested this to us more than ten years ago and so far so good - like El's grandad used to say, "proof's in the pudding."
Click to expand...

And we followed your advise several years ago putting more tens of thousands of miles on many rough roads with zero problems, so yes indeed the "proofs in the pudding" , though for at least 20,000 miles before that just used the built in supports and those miles included some very rough roads in the Yukon, BC and Alaska, so at least with the small Honda' s it will take quite abit more than the first big bump to do damage.

Jay
 
I tow with a triangle type wedge in under the mounting system. It is enough to raise the skegs about 14" of the ground on the level. That has been enough to clear the parking lot and curb cuts we have been across. The engines are tilted about 30 degrees forward, and lowered onto the blocks to hold them in tight. (Comes from my Yamaha mechanics recommendation.)

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I use a 3/4 inch dowel like Bill and El. I've found if I put it in the notch in the Yamaha mount and wedge it, the motor may be a tad low for some gas stations etc and speed bumps. I've lately found I can put the dowel a few inches up from the notch and secure with a bungy and drop the motor till it's wedged and it stays nice and secure mostly in the down position. my mechanic concurs by saying, "it's down when you're cruising the sea isn't it?' should be ok to trailer that way. George
 
It is just amazing to me the variation in the replies to this topic. Even the mechanics we use aren't in agreement. So I guess the answer is, if what you've been doing works, then keep doing the same thing. It sounds like no one has had a transom problem no matter what they've done with their engine position. Its great when everyone is right! I wish all topics taken up by the human race could come out with the same result.
 
BrentB":3olli5j7 said:
This company has a wedge support
http://www.m-ywedge.com/
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Just a word of caution if you use this wedge. Be VERY CAREFUL if you have them in place that you don't forget they are there and try to tilt the engines down. They are very hard rubber and will destroy the tops of the T/T reservoirs. :amgry I did this very thing last fall (it's on another thread) and ended up with about $500 in repair work (not sure yet, have not gotten the bill). With the engines linked together, I got both engines at the same time!! Not the fault of the device but mine. In order to replace the tops of the reservoirs, the engine mount on the RHS has to be removed (while supporting the engine to get to the T/T mechanism.

Charlie
 
Evinrude had an intermediate trailer position support on their V-4 and up motors that is pretty nice.

I'm in agreement that the motor tilted up shifts weight forward on the transom, and so don't see any extra leverage being an issue. But, whatever makes an owner most comfortable, there really is no "wrong" answer here.
 
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