Benifits of Tilt and Trim

[hct4all]

I have a 89' Fishing Machine side console with a 50 HP Merc on it. I run about 30mph. Will I get any benifits from putting on a power tilt and trim. I am looking at either the cmc or panther. Will top speed or economy improve? I know a lot of people praise tilt and trim, but they never really give the reasons. <br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Rick

 

[ob]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Tilt trim feature will allow you to adjust the engine down when taking off/coming out of the hole providing optimal prop bite and once on plane will allow you to trim the engine up which reduces drag and exhaust back pressure.In short it allows for optimal engine posture at varying boat speeds and water conditions.It will also allow you to taxi your rig with ease up tp spoil banks or if trolling through shallows without as much risk of bottoming out the lower unit and damaging the skeg or prop.They're really a very nice feature once you become familiar with their operation.I can't imagine not having one since no longer owning my old 60 hp Rude that didn't come with tilt/trim feature either.<br /><br />It will also eliminate those embarrassing moments when you shift the engine and throttle up into reverse and forget to flip the lever from tilt to run position.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

When using my Tracker fishing in shallow water I would not have it without TnT. Its great to be able to raise the engine to clear the bottom. You may notice some performance and economical gains. They wont be significant but they will be there. The main benefit would be from not having to manhandel the engine anymore.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

you dont pull your back out !

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

On my 15-foot runabout, there is a 4-5 mph difference between running WOT with the motor running straight & level and when I trim it out to near maximum trim level, the difference between a 36 mph ride and a 41 mph ride. You can really feel the boat lift and start to fly.<br /><br />However, if I were to leave it at near full trim out and try to plane off from a dead stop, the prop tends to ventilate until I trim it in a bit.<br /><br />Bottom line, TNT helps with efficiency, speed and ease of use... <br />- Scott

 

[TTU_Guy]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Can anyone give some basic instructions for how to use tilt and trim? For instance should you take off with it all of the way down and once at plane pull it back up some? Or is it the other way around? What about when pulling a skier or making a tight turn?

 

[JRJ]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

All good reasons. Even my next kicker will have T/T.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Trim down for take off. When on plane "tickle" the trim-up. Each touch of the button you should notice a slight rise in the bow. You will eventually find a "sweet spot" where the boat is most comfortable. Trim too high and the prop will blow out (lose bite) and you lose water pressure (lack of cooling), over-rev the engine. Only your boat, speedometer, and tach can tell you where the best setting is.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Something else you may not have thought of....<br /><br />Did you see the boathouse scene in the movie "Amityville Horror"? <br /><br />

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Mark,<br /><br />In one of your pics you said the weeds in the lake were so bad they clog the speedo almost immediately.<br /><br />What about your water inlets on your engine?<br /><br />Mark

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

hct,<br /><br />Dunno if your 50 is big enough to show that much difference but once you run a boat with tilt and trim as indicated by the other guys, you'll never be without it.<br /><br />But you probably will generate yourself a new problem. With the boat trimmed correctly, the load on the engine will be/should be reduced, maybe significantly, and you'll be overrevving, requiring you to prop up (higher pitch). Course all this will force your boat to go faster but somethings you'll just have to live with...I guess. Grin.<br /><br />Mark

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

In one of your pics you said the weeds in the lake were so bad they clog the speedo almost immediately.<br /><br />What about your water inlets on your engine?<br />

I removed the screens on my 200...I haven't had any issues in weeds yet, and I think if it's softer vegetation, it pushes it through anyway...the water pump may shred some of it, but at faster speeds, the water pump blades never touch the sides of the housing...just haven't had any problems ...YET!....

 

[Mark42]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Originally posted by Texasmark:<br /> Mark,<br /><br />In one of your pics you said the weeds in the lake were so bad they clog the speedo almost immediately.<br /><br />What about your water inlets on your engine?<br /><br />Mark

Actually, the weeds collected on the pitot tube and mess it up. Always grabbing a handfull of glop off of it. Later on the temp started to rise on the motor and I shut down for a while. I'm sure it was weeds/slime clogging the intake. I had just idled for 15 minutes through a no wake zone that had lots of slime on the surface and I'm sure that goo clogged the intake.<br /><br />Never had these problems on the bay.

 

[wildfire]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

What causes a boat to "porpoise"? I've got a 40 hp Yamaha 2-Stroke with T & T mounted on a 17 ft. Lowe semi v. If I get it trimmed too high the bucking starts.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Porpoising is caused by condition where the boat rides up on plane, but is unstable at speed, it falls down, and the cycle repeats. Like you experience, the "higher" the motor trims, the more likely and pronounced porpoising becomes. There are two basic steps to take to reduce porpoising.<br /><br />1) Redistribute weight in the boat. If the front is light and the back is heavy, move weight to the bow. The heavier front will be less likely to "bounce around" on the water and act more stable.<br /><br />2) Adjust the trim properly. Bringing in the trim (bringing the motor closer to the transom) will force the bow down and the back up, reducing bow bounce and leveling the boat. Thats how the average boat should ride.<br /><br />A combination of these two are what all but eliminated the porpoising in my boat. It is still there under light loads and WOT, but not enough to be an issue. With a full tank of gas it's practically non existant.<br /><br />Play around with setting and loading. If it doesn't help, trim tabs might be needed.<br /><br />Someone else can give you a better explanation of porpoising. Mine was kind of simple.

 

[danie]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Now the question, wait for it... <br />What are trim tabs?<br />

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

One other method of stabilization is to increase your speed. You get on plane, say with your engine trimmed out and prop cavitating and enging revving and all, but you make it and as soon as you do, she starts a bobbin. Goosing it to a higher speed will straighten it out; course if you don't want to run faster then Mark42 answered your question.<br /><br />Mark

 

[Mark42]

Re: Benifits of Tilt and Trim

Originally posted by Texasmark:<br /> One other method of stabilization is to increase your speed.... ..... Goosing it to a higher speed will straighten it out; course if you don't want to run faster then Mark42 answered your question.<br /><br />Mark

Mark, <br /><br />I just want to include that by reducing the porpoising I was able to run faster. Infact my highest speeds have been attained with the latest setup. I doubt I'll be able to reach higher speeds with the current setup without getting more HP.<br /><br />Porpoising is a strange animal. It happens at different speeds for different boats, but generally speaking, it affects most boats at their top speeds. So eliminating it will let you run faster. Porpoising is a sign that something is not set up right. Adding a fin or trim tabs to fix it is probably just masking the root cause. Setting the boat up right will make it run the way the manufacturer designed it to.<br /><br />Adding hardware like trim tabs should be done to enhance performance (ie get on plane quicker with a full load, or run on plane at slower speeds or run level at lower speeds), not fix a problem pulling, or unusually sluggish performance, or porpoising. <br /><br />Just my 2¢.