Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

[tony_cliffy]

My dealer recommended I use the tilt support lever to keep my engine tilted during trailering. He said he feels the road shock from using a transom saver between the engine and trailer roller was worse than using the built in tilt support. I notice the manual says to not do this (use the tilt support lever) but I went with my dealer's recommendation. No harm seen yet but others have asked me about this practice. Boat is a 20' aluminum CC with a 115HP 4-stroke Johnson and I trailer about 100 miles each way several times a month, sometimes further.

 

[DJ]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Transom savers can cause damage if not used properly.<br /><br />To use them properly, the stern of the boat needs to be tied down to the trailer firmly. Also, the engine must be tied securely to the transom saver.<br /><br />If those steps are followed, there is no load transfer to the engine on a jounce.<br /><br />Using the "trailering" bracket leaves a lot more room for the engine to have a cantilever effect on the transom-not good.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

That trailer roller is fitted to a 5/8" or 3/4" shaft that (Worst-case) would need replaced.<br />Yes, the engines pivot point has "approx." the same amount of "weight" on either side but the lower half is the "longest arm" and can create tremendous leverage. The farther you can get your support from the pivot point, the available leverage becomes less, period.<br />That kind of dealer is proof "the dealer doesn't know it all".

 

[tony_cliffy]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

I keep my transom straps as tight as I can get them and have recently started using a dedicated bow strap over my winch strap. I think I have the boat as tight as I can get it.<br /><br />Do you think I should get one of those shock-absorbing transom savers? I'm wondering how the hydraulic tilt motor can handle up/down motion regardless of method if it is supposedly pressurized to support the engine at the given amount of tilt.

 

[DJ]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

The shock absorbing doesn't make any sense to me. If the engine is tight to the saver and the stern is tight to the trailer, nothing should move.

 

[tony_cliffy]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Do you think the engine would induce any of it's own motion given it is mounted at basically one pivot point? I realize the transom saver gives it another mount point....just asking is all. Understand I'm starting with the fact my dealer advized against this....

 

[swire]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

I recently just started using a transom saver instead of the tilt support. I had towed it to a lake 2 hours away with the tilt support and when I put it in the water I noticed that there was a noticable gap where the top of the transom had been pulled/flexed out of shape by the motor.

 

[JB]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Go with the manual's instructions, Tony.<br /><br />A correctly installed and connected transom saver can do just that: save your transom.<br /><br />Moving this to Outboards.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

In my experience, I've seen transom savers do far more harm than good. The shock absorbing ones do the least. Some have a bolt crosswise holding in a rubber V-block. Eventually the V-block wears out or splits and next thing you know you have the leading edge of the gearcase all chewed-up from the bolt. Others have plastic or rubber pucks that pinch against the gearcase. Sooner or later pieces break off or wear flat and next thing you know the side of the gearcase is all gouged up.<br /><br />This is where the manufacturers really need to put together enough brain cells to design effective Trailering tilt locks. They've all been Pure Crap. All of them. Always. Except for the ones on Johnson/Evinrude FasTrack midsections. Now there's a tilt lock that was intelligently designed! First one. Only one! I don't know if your 4-stroke has that, but if it does, use that and forget the Transom/Gearcase Destroyer.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Well, Im still using mine, cause I can and I beleive in it. I hope Im smart enough to change my rubber block when it gets old. There is no way in H*ll Im letting my 150 bounce around on the back of my transome, it just aint going to happen.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Not using a transom saver because sooner or later a part on it will need replacing, is like not wearing a pfd, cause sooner or later its gonna need replacing.<br /><br />Or not using the brakes on your car, cause sooner or later the pads are gonna wear out and the calipers are gonna ruin the rotors.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Originally posted by roscoe:<br /> Not using a transom saver because sooner or later a part on it will need replacing, is like not wearing a pfd, cause sooner or later its gonna need replacing.<br /><br />Or not using the brakes on your car, cause sooner or later the pads are gonna wear out and the calipers are gonna ruin the rotors.

I couldnt have said it better myself.

 

[Stumpys]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Just my 2 pennies worth here...<br /><br />I welded a 3'8" stud on one end of my transom save and drilled a hole in the trailer frame, instead of using the roller as a support. Once I tilt the motor down on it, there is no movement at all. It has worked perfect for me, and I have had my wife follow me to see if the motor was moving at all, and she said there was none.<br /><br />Anyway, as I said, this works fine for me even though my Johnson has the midsection tilt lock.

 

[tony_cliffy]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Stumpy's - how about a picture? I'm trying to follow what you said but can't picture it.

 

[bossee]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Hi,<br />I use a M-YWedge motor support<br /> http://www.m-ywedge.com <br /><br />Works fine so far with my trailer (I have used m-ywedge two seasons). I use a Yamaha F115 4-stroke.<br />Better then nothing at least.<br />/Bo

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Alot of people are not understanding (including manufacturers)what a "TRANSOM SAVER" is....<br />the M-YWEDGE IS NOT a transom saver..it protects the hydr. system from the engine and it's movement, there is nothing keeping the total movement of the engine protected from flexing the TRANSOM...EXCEPT the support method that mounts to trailer AND lower unit. THIS IS THE ONLY METHOD THAT ELIMINATES THE DAMAGING FLEX OF THE TRANSOM DUE TO ENGINE BOUNCE.

 

[duck-n-pond]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

I have no transon saver, so with regards to Tonycliffy's question, what would be the best recommended position to have the engine in? Fully up on the pin, centered or turned to one side? I have see people do it ALL different ways from fully up, only partly up and (believe it or not) full down with little clearance from the pavement. Not being an idiot, I know the differance of the last one.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

duck-n-pond, fully down is what the manufacturers recommend, IF you have enough ground clearance.<br /><br />Otherwise, firmly secured in a transom saver.<br /><br />Right on walleyehed.<br />Dad's almost new boat had the transom bend and separate due to no support on the motor which was always trailered fully down and bungeed in place. It is only a 25hp motor on a boat rated for 45, but the thing is a mess now. His mess. Heck, he won't even let me change the impeller.

 

[jjboor]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

What I don't understand is that while trailering you damage your transom so easily. In the water hitting waves at some speed is far worse then trailering could be, no? Yet everyone does so?<br /><br />I was just told to start using the little clip on bracket(dunno what else to call it) on my 120 by my mechanic, and am doing that now but my first concern was for the trim/tilt unit. Not for the transom...<br /><br />And why do the manufacturers recommend fully down? Is this how I should leave my engine when the trailer is home?<br /><br />As some of you might have noticed I'm totally new to boating, it's the first boat in the family for 5 generations... so I'm picking up as I go...

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Dealer said to NOT use a transom saver when trailering

Trailering a boat is much more wear-n-tear than use on the water.<br />Other factors come into play with the boat on the water, and the rear isn't bouncing freely up and down like it would on the trailer.<br />Full down, (when possible) allows fuel/oil to stay put, and any residual water will drain properly, and, the hydr. rams are protected from the enviornment, with no load on them.