posted 01-31-2001 08:48 PM ET (US)            

And check the service manual for the right
way to rig the sling on the engine.

posted 01-31-2001 09:36 PM ET (US)         

The idea is simple. Just HANG (not lift) the engine on a static wire cable or chain (not rope - it will stretch), and use the trailer tongue jack to raise or lower the TRANSOM as necessary. For raising an engine one or two bolt holes, well within the range of your tongue jack, do this: (2 persons are best for this job, although no strength or lifting is necessary) A lady or kid can be your helper.

1. You will first need to get your supplies together. The engine MFG's lifting eye (Merc's costs about $60 and threads into the top of the flywheel), some wire cable and cable clamps (4 or 6 for safety), from your local Ace Hardware,(adequate diameter to carry twice the engine weight - store will have tensile weight carrying rating.) An "S" hook for the end, to hook the engine lifting eye, and a short length of chain. The top end of your "hanging" cable will be looped over the beam and clamped, and the bottom end will have a small loop for the "S" hook, then a few adjusting chain links, then another "s" hook into the engine Eye.

2. Back the engine under your overhead beam, (BE SURE IT IS STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY ENGINE WEIGHT) and drop the trailer tongue all the way down as low as it will go. This will raise the transom and engine as HIGH as it will go. Engine should be in the perfect vertical position to the ground. Then rig your wire loop over the beam, and adjust the total length so it is as tight as possible on the engine eye. You won't be able to get it totally taut, but that's ok. Inserting a few chain links really helps in getting it tight. Then RAISE the tongue jack (dropping your engine) just enough to tighten the slack on your hanging cable so that it is beginning to carry the complete weight of the engine (but not lifting the whole transom of the boat! - a few creaks and groans are good - that means you're transfering the engine weight to the cable) Now put some wood blocking under the skeg so the engine is supported here also, or at least can't drop more than 1/2". The idea is that the engine can't move down much and get away from you in case you haven't properly tensioned the cable.

3. Now loosen up your engine bolts carefully, and remove. You will find the engine totally hanging on the steel cable! Nothing has to be disconnected from the engine. As a matter of fact, all the cables will help keep it in position. This is a good time to clean up the transom under the engine, replace bent washers, add transom stiffeners, etc. Have your clear silicone caulking ready when you re-install the 1/2" SS engine bolts. Occassionally these lock nuts can freeze up on you, so have a hack saw available and a few spare bolts/nuts ready. Use some grease on the bolt shank before re-installing the locknut.

4. Now, raise your tongue jack some more, which will lower the transom, until the bolts will slide into the next LOWER engine bolt hole and into the transom holes. This, in effect, RAISES the engine on the transom. (Instead of lifting the engine, you're lowering the transom - easy to do with the trailer jack!) Caulk and bolt up tight, and you've got a higher engine. The reverse can be done if you want to DROP an engine, or if you get it up TOO high.

This whole thing sounds like a lot, but it will take less than an hour/engine. However, anybody going to the bother to do this, should at least consider inserting a $200 6" setback transom jack at this time. Then, you can easily adjust your engine height any time with out this bother. Be sure to get a ONE unit jack. The cheaper earlier designs have two distinct parts, and are not as easy to use.

posted 02-01-2001 11:40 AM ET (US)         

Look in the major catalogs such as Bass Pro and Cabelas for other brands. All of these have a large threaded center bolt shaft, that is turned with a prop wrench to raise and lower the engine. I use the Springfield Marine one piece unit, which works the same as the CMC, except the mounting bolts and engine bolts are exposed. But the unit looks smaller on the boat. Most brands come in either 1/2" anodized silver aluminium or black painted aluminium. In the Rendezvous section JimH shows a close up of one of these with a Yamaha 200 mounted on it.

The Springfield units are available in either 6, 10 or 12" setbacks. I think for a Montauk or smaller, I'd go with a 5"-6" setback like Rex is doing. For 18 Outrages and up, I'd go for the 12" setback. The transom stiffener bar, at least across the top bolts on the inside, is a good idea, since these things do add a little more stress to the transom.