best to trailer with outboards?

[lime4x4]

I'm new to the outboard world. Recently bought a grady white with twin yamaha 150 outboards. When i towed it home i put the outboards all the way up then used the tilt lock lever to hold them in place. having them down isn't really an option. Will having them on the tilt lock hurt anything?

 

[Red9654]

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

nothin should happen. thats y their there. if it was my boat i would invest in some transom savers just to take more weight off the transom

 

[robert graham]

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

Definitely some Transom Savers...those tilt lock levers aren't made stout enough for the bouncing up and down during towing....I mean just check the weight of each of those motors!....good luck!

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

Your owners manual warns against using the tilt lock for trailering. It is not strong enough.

I used to use a trailer mounted transome saver but now use this-much easier and safer. No scratches and you don't have to worry if the motor turns off center.

Yamaha Motor Canada :: Accessories & Apparel :: Accessories :: Outboard Motors :: Boating :: Extras :: Transom Saver

 

[gdeangel]

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

There are some strongly differing opinions on this issue. The problem is the jolting and bouncing on the road. Tilt lock isn't really designed for trailing, but your trailer frame also isn't designed to handle that type of torsion force via a transom saver.

If you search the forum on transom savers, you'll find the full arguments both ways, albeit from a while ago, in all their glory.

In my experience with a smaller outboard years ago, I never had a problem with damage to the tilt lock mechanism. If the holes for the mounting pin were reamed out at all by the vibration, it was pretty nominal, although the paint did wear. And the tilt lock mechanism itself was built tough enough to have the engine dropped on it if it slipped out of your hand (which happened) without bending at all - I don't think the bumps in the road did anything to it.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

you're fine. even though they say not to trailer on the tilt lock lots of people do it and we know of not one single instance of the lock failing. If you're worried about it, don't run the PTT all the way down after you sit on the lock.

Or put a block of wood under there, but secure it so it doesn't come loose and hit the car behind you. That would be especially a good idea if you are driving at speed on unpaved rutted roads, or the Jersey Turnpike, but normal roads aren't that rough.

transom "savers" are a waste of money and I wouldn't trust a 150 to one. Your transom doesn't need saving and your trailer frame doesn't need the weight it wasn't made for.

 

[lexer440]

Re: best to trailer with outboards?

I trailered my evinrude 140 on the tilt lock always, one thing I always did was just to nudge the tilt down very gently to take slack out between motor and lock.