Driving with trim in up postion

[Robert95z]

Hi everyone,

I have a 09 bayliner 185 with mercrusier 4.3.

I was wakeboarding this weekend with a friend driving, he put the trim up for a moment in shallow water to pick me up. When he launched he left the trim up and didnt lower it for 20-30 seconds or so.

The boat drives fine and theres no obvious damage, but do you think damage was done? Any precautions to take?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

If you mean trimmed up to the Normal full UP position, there is no problem.

If you mean it was in the Full TRAILER UP position, that should have been obvious immediately.
It would sound strange and likely blow water high in the air and not go anywhere fast,
but again no real damage should occur if only for a short time.

Just don't do it very often, it is hard on the double U-Joint.
If you damaged the U-Joints, you would hear it.
The good news is that even a complete replacement would be inexpensive and relatively easy.

 

[pckeen]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Should be fine.

 

[Robert95z]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

If you mean trimmed up to the Normal full UP position, there is no problem.

If you mean it was in the Full TRAILER UP position, that should have been obvious immediately.
It would sound strange and likely blow water high in the air and not go anywhere fast,
but again no real damage should occur if only for a short time.

Just don't do it very often, it is hard on the double U-Joint.
If you damaged the U-Joints, you would hear it.
The good news is that even a complete replacement would be inexpensive and relatively easy.

'

Thanks for the reply. I have always called the trim up or down position. Up being the prop is closest to the water, down being the prop as low as it will go. What is it meant by normal up position? So yes, the trim was up as if it was on the trailer. It was for a short period of time, and no obvious damage was done. But its good news to know if it was damaged I would hear it, and the fact it would be inexpensive regardless.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up position

Re: Driving with trim in up position

... What is it meant by normal up position? So yes, the trim was up as if it was on the trailer...

Down is down, but there are Two UP positions.
Normally you press the up button until the trim motor starts running.
When it stops automatically, that is the normal operating UP position.

If you now press the UP Button even harder it will go up to the FULL UP Trailering Position.
The trim motor will not stop in this position and you will hear the pump straining.
This is a LOT farther UP than the Normal UP position.

P.S. You're Wakeboarding and I am blowing snow in 15F conditions! I'm jealous!

 

[Robert95z]

Re: Driving with trim in up position

Re: Driving with trim in up position

Down is down, but there are Two UP positions.
Normally you press the up button until the trim motor starts running.
When it stops automatically, that is the normal operating UP position.

If you now press the UP Button even harder it will go up to the FULL UP Trailering Position.
The trim motor will not stop in this position and you will hear the pump straining.
This is a LOT farther UP than the Normal UP position.

P.S. You're Wakeboarding and I am blowing snow in 15F conditions! I'm jealous!

Strange, I dont recall mine ever stopping. Seems like it will keep going for however long I hold the up button.

I'll have to look at that closer

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Different motors tilt and trim differently. Mine gets to the top of the trim and then begins to tilt up at a much faster pace - no need to hit the button harder or a second time.

If the water intake was in the water when he took off, then you're likely fine. As stated, the U-Joints are stressed but shouldn't be a huge deal. For me it's just an issue of visibility. Starting off with the motor already trimmed just means that you have less visibility because the bow rises out of the water higher and for a longer duration.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up position

Re: Driving with trim in up position

Strange, I don't recall mine ever stopping. Seems like it will keep going for however long I hold the up button. I'll have to look at that closer

Does the UP button have two positions that click?
A gentle push to the first click, just 'till the trim motor starts, is all that is needed.
If you are just mashing it in all the way, you will go right past the Running UP Position, directly to the Trailering UP Position.

Then again, assuming the drive is an Alpha 1, Gen2, There may be a problem with the Trim Sender in the Outdrive.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Different motors tilt and trim differently... For me it's just an issue of visibility. Starting off with the motor already trimmed just means that you have less visibility because the bow rises out of the water higher and for a longer duration.

I have a 2012 Bayliner 185 with the 4.3, similar to the OP's.
At full UP Trim it will never get on plane without two people in the Bow.
It just stands on its tail and throws the biggest wake it can muster.

At full up trailer trim it will blow a rooster tail and barely move.

 

[nlain]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

09 Bayliner with 4.3L, you have Mercruiser, the trim button has 2 postitions on the up side, push it just enough to get the trim motor running, it should run your trim gauge about half way or just past and quit running, push a little harder and you will go to trailer position. The first part is to trim the boat while running, to get more speed at set rpm, to handle the water conditions better, etc, the other is for trailering.

With drive all the way up, use only at idle speed, for a short time only, and you will be fine.

 

[Robert95z]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Funny, I do vaguely remember the trim button have 2 different up positions when pressing it. But I never really paid much attention to it. I just didnt know. After he launched to pull me up; the boat wouldn't get on plane then he remembered he left the trim up. I could tell the trim was up just by looking. I kept yelling to lower the trim then he finally lowered it. Like I said, probably for less than 20 seconds or so, probably more like 10 seconds.

Just a side note, when cruising normal I never trim more than 25% up, if I trim anymore I start to hear what sounds like the prop cavitating.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

I am struggling with the TRIM versus TILT terminology regarding this issue. Full TRIM up would not stress the ujoints as the actual movement up is or should be limited by the trim circuits. Full TILT/TRAILER UP position in the water would be very noisy when in gear and throttled up and be trying to throw water everywhere and the prop would be ventiliating like crazy.

I had a dyslesic moment with my trim one time and went full up instead of down when taking off and all that happened was a really cool "boat wheelie".

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Funny, I do vaguely remember the trim button have 2 different up positions when pressing it. But I never really paid much attention to it. I just didn't know. After he launched to pull me up; the boat wouldn't get on plane then he remembered he left the trim up. I could tell the trim was up just by looking. I kept yelling to lower the trim then he finally lowered it. Like I said, probably for less than 20 seconds or so, probably more like 10 seconds.

Just a side note, when cruising normal I never trim more than 25% up, if I trim anymore I start to hear what sounds like the prop cavitating.

I am thinking it was only in the normal UP position.
It is very common to Ventilate at this position without a lot of bow weight.
The trailering UP position is more than 45 degrees of tilt; Almost out of the water; More water goes Upwards than Backwards.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

I am struggling with the TRIM versus TILT terminology regarding this issue. Full TRIM up would not stress the u-joints as the actual movement up is or should be limited by the trim circuits. Full TILT/TRAILER UP position in the water would be very noisy when in gear and throttled up and be trying to throw water everywhere and the prop would be ventilating like crazy.

I had a dyslexic moment with my trim one time and went full up instead of down when taking off and all that happened was a really cool "boat wheelie".

This could start a Tilt vs Trim discussion on it's own.
I would argue it is the difference between the cause and the effect.
Tilt is what you do to the motor to cause the boats Trim in the water to change.
You Tilt the motor to Trim the hull.
Call it either, and I will understand what you mean. Or just call it the Tilt/Trim Switch to make everyone happy.

Boat Wheelies are cool!
I was so impressed with the wake, I almost didn't notice that I couldn't see a thing ahead of me.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

I usually call it trim/trailer. On my controls there is the trim up/down on the handle and there is a separate trailer button down on the arm of the handle. The guy I got my boat from used it pretty much only for wakeboarding because of the good wake it made when "wheelying". With a 8'6" beam, 3100+lbs plus a fatsack full of water with the trim up it rivals some "wakeboard" boat wakes.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

UncleWillie, I know the difference, I wanted to help the OP help us determine if it was truly at full TILT when they ran it or just at the top of the TRIM limit :thumb:

I reread Robert's descripiton that it was as if the boat was on the trailer, ouch. Not sure how they even idled out of the area . I hope all is ok, but that is a long time to have it at full tilt with any throttle above idle at all.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

My VP SX-A doesn't have separate tilt and trim options, only 1 option that travels from full down to almost full up (limited trim rams installed from the factory for a swim platform). A couple :laugh: times I've forgotten to trim down while first splashing her in on the trailer. Let me tell ya, you'll know when it's too far up. It makes an distinguishable, loud, painful noise.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

Boat Wheelies are cool!
I was so impressed with the wake, I almost didn't notice that I couldn't see a thing ahead of me.

The 2 fisherman in the row boat and the jet skier that you ran over were equally impressed! :lol:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

I usually call it trim/trailer. On my controls there is the trim up/down on the handle and there is a separate trailer button down on the arm of the handle...

Yup, that's what I had on my old formula, but the normal trim 'up' position on the switch had a problem, so I had to use the trailer button if I wanted to trim up while running... you know when you've gone too far that's for sure.. :facepalm:
A buddy of mine would actually do it on purpose, from time to time, in his 260 liberator (twin 5.7s).. quite a show at 60mph with both drives shooting rooster tails! :laugh:

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Driving with trim in up postion

UncleWillie, I know the difference, I wanted to help the OP help us determine if it was truly at full TILT when they ran it or just at the top of the TRIM limit :thumb:

I reread Robert's description that it was as if the boat was on the trailer, ouch. Not sure how they even idled out of the area . I hope all is ok, but that is a long time to have it at full tilt with any throttle above idle at all.

That is why I keep wondering if they have ever had it at at the full UP TILT Trailering Position.
It sounds like all heck, blows water everywhere and gets you nowhere fast.

He may be trailering in the Normal UP TRIM Position without knowing it would go even farther if they pushed the button harder.