Transom saver question

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ssobol

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
503
Re: Transom saver question

Power tilt/trim makes it easier to use the transom saver you specified. But if it is really adjustable you should be able to adjust the saver length to use it with your motor. If the predrilled holes are not in the right place you could just drill another where it is needed.

P.S. There is a difference between power tilt and power trim. I had a boat (Merc OB) that had power tilt, but not power trim. The motor would tilt up and down electrically, but it the engine RPM got over a certain amount, the tilt mechanism was disabled. You could adjust the trim electrically with the motor at idle, but not at speed. Seemed kinda strange to me at first. If you have power tilt, why not power trim. I figure doing it that way lets the manufacturer size the tilt system smaller since it doesn't have to move the engine against the prop load (i.e. when trimming bow up).
 
lncoop

lncoop

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Apr 18, 2010
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Re: Transom saver question

I'm not positive about this, but I always assumed the point of using them expressly with T&T was to insure there was enough pressure to hold the motor tight against the TS and the TS tight against the trailer, thereby more or less eliminating bounce. That said, I've used them effectively on motors without T&T. I'd say just be sure you compensate for that lack of pressure somehow, e.g. strategically placed tie downs, etc.
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 26, 2007
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23,767
Re: Transom saver question

Interesting point! The one I used came with a bungee that went around the lower unit and a tiny steel cable that went around the trailer roller. Perhaps this model is not equipped with those things and is why they made that specification.
 
lncoop

lncoop

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Re: Transom saver question

With all the ones I've seen/used the bungee was only long enough to go around the LU and hook to the motor rest, which doesn't really address the bounce. I bet in your case the mere weight of the motor was generally enough to keep things settled. Still, with the right bubba mods, or as we say down here, southern engineering;), should work just fine.
 
Texasmark

Texasmark

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Dec 20, 2005
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14,778
Re: Transom saver question

ssobol said:
Power tilt/trim makes it easier to use the transom saver you specified. But if it is really adjustable you should be able to adjust the saver length to use it with your motor. If the predrilled holes are not in the right place you could just drill another where it is needed.

P.S. There is a difference between power tilt and power trim. I had a boat (Merc OB) that had power tilt, but not power trim. The motor would tilt up and down electrically, but it the engine RPM got over a certain amount, the tilt mechanism was disabled. You could adjust the trim electrically with the motor at idle, but not at speed. Seemed kinda strange to me at first. If you have power tilt, why not power trim. I figure doing it that way lets the manufacturer size the tilt system smaller since it doesn't have to move the engine against the prop load (i.e. when trimming bow up).
Click to expand...

The reason it did as it did as the tilt is made for low compressive forces like those beaching a boat or idling along. A trim is made to move the tilt of the engine at full thrust. Obviously it takes a lot more hydraulic "force" (piston area x hydraulic pressure) to accomplish that.

Recollecting the tilt days on OMC, as I recall, you could manually (lift) an engine with a tilt and not a trim as it was powered up and down whereas tilt was only powered up making the adaptation to a transom saver a bad idea.

My current boat has PTT and had a TS on it when I bought it. I fooled with it a couple of outings and just took it off as it was a pain....... I can see my engine from my rear view mirror; my trim is in excellent shape. I don't need it and will not fool with it. Only time I had one was with no PTT, or tilt and and OB's and an I/O that only had tilt. After I started exclusively buying PTT engines I never used it, back to the late '70's, Merc 85 with the twin cylinders mounted outboard on the tilt bracket.

Mark
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

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Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,771
Re: Transom saver question

A good transom saver (more properly called a "motor deflopperizer") should have the trailer end securely mounted into a bracket with a clevis pin. The motor end should have "V" into which the motor nestles and it is secured with a "good" bungee. The degree of secure on the motor end depends entirely whether the engine has power trim or not. If it doesn't, then a very secure attachment is required to keep the motor tied down securely.
 
C

CPTom21

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
96
Re: Transom saver question

Thanks everyone. It came with a bungie to wrap around the engine. I think if I use that one on the lower unit, and add another to secure the motor somewhere else(maybe slightly below the housing or something like that) it should be more than stable. Thanks again. :D
 
A

Av8nBill

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
151
Re: Transom saver question

I use a 1" ratcheting strap to hold my outboard to the TS rather than the rubber bungie. I've seen too many "bungie snakes" on or near the ramps and going down the road to trust them.
 
P

papyson

Cadet
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
6
Re: Transom saver question

a few things on transom saver......buy one that the ''v'' that goes up against the motor is either a rubber type material or something that wont be so hard as to damage motor or wear the paint off the motor quickly.....the last one i bought was off the web and i am going to have to glue some carpet in it or something.....always use the transom tiedowns so the boat wont bounce on the trailer...and always use the pin that attaches the transom saver to the trailer......and dont trust your fishing buddy to store that pin correctly when he removes it before daylight at the launch.....the last thing is a very good tiedown to secure the motor to the saver..... then the question is just how far to trim down against the saver when you are getting ready for the highway....if the motor has the trim that has visable pistons that retract then you want to keep trimming til they retract and you can hear it trying to overdrive......
 
catfishr1

catfishr1

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 26, 2011
Messages
299
Re: Transom saver question

I have used that style exclusively until 2011 when I repowered &now have t.&t.Also switched to s.s.prop. They served me very well. No t.&t.t then. Only reason I changed to trex, prop lock feature.
 
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