trim limit switch debate!

[monk-monk]

i want to address this topic first at this forum level because so many threads have been coming in about this topic! its possible it will be moved to another catagory but, if you are interested please follow! i do believe this should be considered a repair topic! Please listen and consider this: the trim limit switch is a "safety device" plain and simple, for two reasons, personal safety and motor safety! i know...i've read the posts about "its not needed, i do it by the seat of the pants and the RPM'S thing...fine, this tells me you are on "the fly", but consider the safety issue...first personal safety, the switch is designed to stop excessive up or outward trim which will cause the boat to "porpoise" out of control, that is why once you pass the trim limit cut-out it requires two buttons to be pushed to further continue upward movement, hence, you have to mentally "know" this is where you want the motor to be...you gotta push two buttons! secondly, its not hard to figure that if you have no trim cut-out switch and a pushbutton messes up or one of the solenoids freezes in the closed position, then your motor can simply take a mind of its own! i incorporate a trim limit switch, a trim position sensor and a water pressure gauge...PRICELESS!

 

[Chris1956]

Re: trim limit switch debate!

Monk-Monk, You are expecting a lot of a trim limit switch. First of all they are designed to protect the transom bracket of a motor, by not allowing the motor to trim up beyond where the bracket supports side thrust of the motor. Most boats will ventilate well before this, so there is no side thrust(or forward thrust for that matter) at trim limit. Secondly, if a solenoid malfunctions and sticks in the energized position, the trim limit switch will not fix or affect it. Thirdly, most boats porpoise well before the trim limit is reached, and this varies depending on speed of the boat, weight in the boat and distribution of that weight in the boat. In other words, if you set the trim limit switch to eliminate porposing, a slight change in weight or loading will either cause it to porpoise, or will cause the boat to not be able to achieve the best trim position, depending where you set the trim limit switch. It is not a trim optimising switch, by any means.

BTW- A water pressure gauge is very important to have. The other gauge is just about useless, due to it's inaccuracy and the differences caused by waves, current and boat loading.