Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

[libtech]

Hi guys,

I have an older in board 16' ski boat. Curious to know what the thoughts are on the position of the sterndrive while parked in the garage and also towing?

1.) Is there any problem with leaving the sterndrive tilted town, nearly full down tilt while the boat is parked for a long period of time? This would mean there is more weight on the transom than on the rams right?

2.) How about while trailering, I have generaly always trailored with the tilt fully up and the sterndrive straight. I don't use a transom saver.


Thanks.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I tow with the outdrive up, and down for storage.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I tow with mine up, and store it down. Only because it doesnt fit in the garage with it up though. Definately tow up though. No transom saver either. The issue I see with storing it down is forgetting it in that position and towing it down, and dragging it on the ground.

 

[Dave.Mishchenko]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

The service manual for an Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive states the following for storage

Store sterndrive unit in the full trim DOWN/IN position. U-joint bellows may develop a ?set? if unit is stored in raised position and may fail when unit is returned to service.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

The service manual for an Alpha 1 Gen 2 drive states the following for storage

Store sterndrive unit in the full trim DOWN/IN position. U-joint bellows may develop a ?set? if unit is stored in raised position and may fail when unit is returned to service.

WOW how long are you storing your boat for? I was talking about when I park it between taking it out, which is typically only a couple days. Does your manual say how long of a storage period they are talking about?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

doesn't matter how long..... You store it most of the time so it can still take a set over time.... It should ideally be stored down .... as far as weight on transom...... NOT a concern....

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I have been storing it down anyway, just not for any reason other than it wont fit in the garage otherwise, so I guess I am ok. The boat is 10 years old and the bellows are like new still, and I have only started recently to store it down. I guess I just got lucky.

 

[retire2disney]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I tow with mine up, and store it down. Only because it doesnt fit in the garage with it up though. Definately tow up though. No transom saver either. The issue I see with storing it down is forgetting it in that position and towing it down, and dragging it on the ground.

if you tow it long enough in the down position eventually the problem will go away!!lol

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

if you tow it long enough in the down position eventually the problem will go away!!lol

I cant get out of the driveway with it down, but it does make a hellacious noise and scuffs the hell out of the skeg. LOL

I have actually only done it once. Hopefully that is all it takes to keep me from being stupid again, but luckily I cant go far like that.

 

[retire2disney]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I cant get out of the driveway with it down, but it does make a hellacious noise and scuffs the hell out of the skeg. LOL

I have actually only done it once. Hopefully that is all it takes to keep me from being stupid again, but luckily I cant go far like that.

That is the factory installed alert option to remind you that you forgot to do something. I know I speak from experience!!!

 

[nlain]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

Up for towing, down for storage, I bought a new boat in late 86, it was a 87 model, that is what I did with it, I also sprayed the bellows with silicone spray several times a year, when I bought my 04 boat I traded the 87 in, it still had the original bellows on it and they still looked good.

 

[Thad]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I put the trailer down when at home. Even if I am going out the next day and the trailer is still hooked to the Avalanche. I do it as a matter of safety. I feel that if the drive is down, there is less chance of someone (not paying attention) to run into it. You ever done that? It hurts! I especially do not want one of my girls to hit it.

The bellows is another reason to store it down. But to me, that was secondary.

As far as leaving it down, not an issue for us. Among other things, part of our pre-trip ritual is to put the plug in, it is much easier with the drive up. So, I know if I see the drive down, the plug is not in. Another thing that makes it easier is I have a trim switch mounted on the transom. I can stand right there and watch how far down/up it goes. It really comes in handy for the down...I know it is time to stop BEFORE the boat starts coming off of the floor.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

17 year old bellows? You got lucky. Silicone spray does nothing except make the bellows look shiny.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

The boat is 10 years old and the bellows are like new still

I take it that "like new still" to you means that they aren't leaking at right this moment?

Or are you seriously claiming that you can detect internal cracking that isn't visible in your bellows?

Take a piece of rubber and start bending it back and forth. You really think you can predict which side will crack first? Have you ever seen what grease and oil will do to rubber? You know what's on the inside of your bellows? Yep, grease and oil.

When are you going to change the bellows? Are you going to wait until it leaks just a little, rusts the outdrive input shaft, and takes out the outdrive upper seal? First sign you'll have of that is the big crunching and banging noise when your outdrive gears and bearings come apart from lack of oil.

It's been my experience that "money pit" boats are the ones where the owners don't believe in preventive maintenance. Just never understood why some people won't change a $100 limited-life part every 5 years to save thousands in repairs, especially in the case of a bellows which can easily lead to a sunken boat.

Anyway, store it with the outdrive down as much as possible.

 

[Fed]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

There's no end to the learning in this place I had no idea the bellows was supposed to contain grease and oil. I'm now feeling pretty bad for the guy I sold that boat to after replacing the bellows.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I've pulled my drive off each season for the past 4 years I've owned it, there's always been a small amount of grease that slings off the u-joint, I inspect the bellows pretty closely, I'm almost afraid to replace it, fear of getting a cheap low quality product that won't seal right as well as harden and crack before it's time.
Oh and my boat sits on the trailer between outings with the drive up and sometimes down, sometimes half way, it depend on where I park, I keep the bow high so I can't put the drive full down or it hits ground, when I put it down quite a bit of water drains out so that's the main reason I like it down, very good point about the teenage daughters or friends taking it out with a bumper.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

Still a bit of learning to go- the bellows doesn't so much contain grease and oil, but exclude water.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

Still a bit of learning to go- the bellows doesn't so much contain grease and oil, but exclude water.

That's an understatement, the bellows seal that big hole in your boat that the driveshaft goes through, without it your boat sinks.

 

[642mx]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I do it as a matter of safety. I feel that if the drive is down, there is less chance of someone (not paying attention) to run into it. You ever done that? It hurts! I especially do not want one of my girls to hit it.

Good point. I don't lower mine between outings, but I do have some neighbors that often hangout in our driveway and they have 3 little girls that like to play around the boat. I bought one of these to help protect them from the prop. http://www.bblades.com/products/product.cfm?productID=21 It works well and only takes a minute to install/remove.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Sterndrive position when parked and towing.

I always caution swimmers to keep cear clear of the prop. I'm so paranoid one of the kids is going to get their foot sliced wide open, my stainless prop blades are knife sharp at the tips.
Your post gave me an instant idea for a simple homemade protector, not to protect the prop as much as to protect the kids playing around the boat.