Towing old motor in partial up position?

[jimpittman]

This is probably a waste of your time , but I have an old 115 hp 1988 (rebuilt in good shape) Johnson motor. I have it on an 18 ft wide, deep flat boat. I recently changed trailers to a lower trailer ( easier to launch at the short boat launches in louisiana). My problem is that I now have had to raise the motor while towing. I have been using one of those devices that fits on the motor shaft and the back end of the trailer to hold the motor up. I am not comfortable with this as i feel there is a lot of pressure on the lower unit.
Is it better to use the device or just tilt the motor up and let it go.
I did repair a stress crack in the exhaust housing about a year ago. I guess that is where my fear is coming from.
Anyway thanks for any advice you can give me.
jamescpittman

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

Stick with the transom saver in my opinion. It transfers the weight to the trailer and not your transom.

 

[jimpittman]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

That's what I thought you might say.
Thanks I will.
jamescpittman

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

I don't care for "transom savers," but I will say this - if you are going to use one, make sure that the boat is firmly secured to the trailer, so that it moves as little as possible, in relationship to the trailer. Any tendancy of the trailer and the boat to move independently of the other, is going to transmit stress directly through your transom.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

I don't care for "transom savers," but I will say this - if you are going to use one, make sure that the boat is firmly secured to the trailer, so that it moves as little as possible, in relationship to the trailer. Any tendancy of the trailer and the boat to move independently of the other, is going to transmit stress directly through your transom.

Agreed. Boat must be strapped down securely. With a 140 on a 16.5 ft boat I am at the max for weight on the transom so feel better having some support there.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

your boat should be strapped down anyway. use transom saver. also that 1988 is not old, just a teenager, rebuilt because someone did not care for her.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

The 115hp motor might weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 lbs, so it probably would have been a good idea to have used the transom saver even before you changed to a lower trailer. Perhaps you haven't had far to tow it.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Towing old motor in partial up position?

The 115hp motor might weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 lbs, so it probably would have been a good idea to have used the transom saver even before you changed to a lower trailer. Perhaps you haven't had far to tow it.

My 140 weighs in at 365lb