MacGregorSailors.com

What do people do to give support to the motor whilst towing??
I have had a thought to make a bracket up to bolt onto the motor transom bolts to support the leg.
Thoughts please!!!

Allan

I cut one of these to size, so far I haven't lost one or crushed my hand. They come in two sizes that I know of, my Evinrude takes the small size.

I suppose I am a boating old timer now, but for 3 decades I have always supported the motor with a piece of 2X4 jammed into the bracket (about 45 degrees tilted up) and it has worked fine. Simplistic and inexpensive.

Being relatively new to outboard motors (four years), I assumed (until reading this thread) that all motors had the same device that my Honda 50 has, a little brace (on both sides of the engine) that is rotated down to support the motor while trailering. Do other motors have this, or is this not sufficient for the task at hand, trailering?

Ray

The piece of wood is the best, as the factory brace can become loose with wear and fail.

~Rich

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:I suppose I am a boating old timer now, but for 3 decades I have always supported the motor with a piece of 2X4 jammed into the bracket (about 45 degrees tilted up) and it has worked fine. Simplistic and inexpensive.

me too

Niceaft wrote:Being relatively new to outboard motors (four years), I assumed (until reading this thread) that all motors had the same device that my Honda 50 has, a little brace (on both sides of the engine) that is rotated down to support the motor while trailering. Do other motors have this, or is this not sufficient for the task at hand, trailering?

Ray

Ray
You might check your owners manual but those are not usually recommended for use when trailering, they are usually cast metal against cast metal and the shocks and arm of the lower unit can crack and snap off the smallcast pieces. Or maybe Honda is different than Mercs and I am wrong....
Ron

Outboard dealer told me they won't warrant a motor case when those little levers are used for trailering. The reason is that can cause enormous 'point-loading' during trailer and road jounce, risking a fracture of the cast-aluminum case. You're supposed to use "substantial triangulation" to support the drive unit, and to prevent motor weight from wearing the hydraulic lift cylinder and seals. I use the aforementioned high-tech solution, a stick.

Thank you one and all for the information. As is usual, while innocently perusing this board, I have stumbled upon information worth more than its weight in Rubies.

Ray

NiceAft wrote:Thank you one and all for the information. As is usual, while innocently perusing this board, I have stumbled upon information worth more than its weight in Rubies.

Ray

I have to agree, Just came in from a great day of sailing, sat down and learned something new. I would have used those little braces, in fact I just checked and the wife said that her father used those for years and many, many miles crossing the country while towing a Renken (something) with a 80hp.

I noticed while preparing my M for towing down to Mexico that the built in brace on my 60 E-Tec had completely frozen and would not move (swivel) at all - - - so I (we - Jeff Inmon helped) (OK - he DID it) put an 8 inch long 2 x 4 and lowered the motor onto the board for support. Worked fine!

So for those of you in salt water, the swiveling brace is another part to hose completely as often as possible to keep it from freezing

Rick

I just reviewed my Evinrude E-tec Operator's Guide because of this thread. I have a 2008 60HP E-tec outboard. I quote:
(pg.26)

" TRAILERING
Trailer your boat with the outboard in a verticle position. If your trailer does not provide adequate road clearance, support the outboard with an accessory trailering bracket.

IMPORTANT: The outboard must be restrained when trailering. Bouncing during transport may damage the outboard and the boat's transom.

IMPORTANT: Use of the tilt lock lever when trailering may cause damage to the outboard."

I also reviewed my 60hp E-Tec Manual (2007 Model Year p27). Maybe they have improved the tilt support? ...

Trailering
Trailer your boat with the outboard in a vertical
position. If your trailer does not provide adequate
road clearance, the outboard can be
trailered by using the tilt support or an accessory
trailering bracket. Refer to Tilt Support
on page 28.
IMPORTANT: Whenever using the tilt support
or an accessory trailering bracket, the
outboard must be restrained. Bouncing during
transport will damage the outboard and boat’s
transom.

However, I dont rely on the tilt support except for the short trip from my mast up storage area to the ramp.

For trailering any distance, I tilt the motor until it is a little above the tilt support lever then restrain it on either side with 6mm braided poly ropes from the stern stanchions to holes in the outboard leg. I then lower the motor so the ropes are fully tensioned.

The tensioned ropes lock the motor in position, preventing it from twisting on the steering mechanism. They also seem to eliminate bouncing, but maybe I'm missing something here...

Sounds as if you got it.

The objective is preventing shock loading, which is a sort of whipping (up/down, in this case), which could damage the hydraulics, or the transom. We must do the same for the mast, which is why they want the shrouds to be set at recommended tensions ... preventing any shock-loading in heavy winds.

On 2 of the larger outboard boats I have owned. I put a transom saver on the last roller of the trailer in which you would lower the motor onto it and strap it down.
However the Mac trailer is not long enough to add this device.

I just had my Suzuki 70 twenty hour inspection done by the local Suzuki dealer. His recommendation was to use a piece of 2X4 jammed between the motor and transom connection. He even showed me how to do it - simply lower the motor onto the 2X4 with then power tilt and let it jam in about 1/4" or so and that was all it took. He said he had seen a few hydraulic seals blow prematurely by people that towed regularly and did not suport the motor. He said the trim support lever was only for use temporarily and was not designed for trailering support. Suzuki does sell a support device but he did not try to sell me one, in fact, he even gave me a piece of wood to use - good customer service! Coincidently my MacGregor dealer does not support his motors with anything and did not know of any problems to date - but for the time it takes to jam a piece of wood in, why take the risk?

Cap'n Ahab