posted 07-10-2005 12:08 PM ET (US)        

By "tilt bracket" I refer to the flip-up support lever that will bear the weight of the motor in the tilted position while the boat is being moved on its trailer. This flip-up lever very similar to the levers I have had on numerous OMC outboard motors over the years.

While every one of the owner's manuals for my OMC motors had explicit instructions for the correct use of this device, I can find absolutely NO reference to it in the Mercury Owner's manuals. It is simply not mentioned. One of several serious omissions in this Mercury literature.

In the case of the OMC motors one flips the bracket into place and then lowers the motor onto it and then continues to cycle the trim/tilt down until the tilt rams are fully retracted. This last bit is poorly understood by many boaters but it is very important to keep the motor from bouncing.

posted 07-10-2005 02:14 PM ET (US)            

I don't know the best way to do this for a Mercury because as you mention, there is nothing in the book. On my 115 Mercury I used a support arm that rested on the rear roller like many of the other Mercury users.

I would like to clarify one statement you made on OMC motors about having to retract the trim rams are fully. It is true on motors prior to around 1996.

Starting around 1996 OMC changed their tilt/trim assembly. When you flip the trailering bracket down and then lower the engine onto these brackets, the engine stops right there. You cannot retract the trim rods any further at this point. This is part of the new design.

Just a point of interest for OMC owners with the newer design.

posted 07-10-2005 05:23 PM ET (US)            

--There is no mention in the owner's manual of any procedure requiring the trim to be run downward after locking into the bracket.

--In actual fact, once the engine has been locked into the trailering bracket, you cannot cause the trim rams to retract. Running the trim down just causes a stall overload in the hydraulic system, and the trim rams do not retract.

This is my observation on a 1992 OMC V6 outboard.

The TILT SUPPORT lever, it works in similar manner. After engaging the Tilt Support, further down operation just leads to a stall overload in the hydraulic system. The Tilt Support is specifically not to be used when trailering.

As for the Mercury outboard position when on the highway, I'd go with LHG's practice. It has proven to be a durable solution after about 80,000 highway miles. He leaves the engines down and resting on the two trim rams. This generally gives enough ground clearance.

posted 07-10-2005 11:16 PM ET (US)         

Some people just dont get it,but then again...who ever expected a computer nerd to understand basic enginering anyway.

posted 07-11-2005 11:59 AM ET (US)         

Regarding whether or not you can retract the pistons after you rest the engine on the trailer lock depends on whether you have the FasTrak System or the older conventional tilt/trim system. If you have FasTrak you do not have to/or can retract the piston any further once contact has been made with the trailer lock. The older system does in fact let you/ and is recomended to be fully retracted.

Regarding the trailer lock and the tilt lock: these are two distinctly different devices. According to my manual, ..A trailer lock is provided to relieve the pressure on the hydaulic system when trailering the boat and motor...A tilt lock is provided to support the unit and relieve the hydraulic pressure when servicing or storing the boat and motor. It is not intended to be used for trailering. page 470 Clymers Official Shop Manual 85-300 HP - 1995-1998 Manual (diagrams included)

posted 07-11-2005 05:12 PM ET (US)         

I found this on the Mercury websie under FAQs:

What precautions should I take when trailering my outboard powered boat with the engine attached?

Trailer your boat with the outboard tilted down (vertical operating position). Shift the outboard to forward gear. This prevents the propeller from spinning freely. If additional ground clearance is required, the outboard should be tilted up using an accessory outboard support device. Refer to your local dealer for recommendations. Additional clearance may be required for railroad crossings, driveways and trailer bouncing.

IMPORTANT: Do not rely on the power trim/tilt system or tilt support lever to maintain proper ground clearance for trailering. The outboard tilt support lever is not intended to support the outboard for trailering.

posted 07-11-2005 05:34 PM ET (US)            

In my time here, this topic has come up perhaps twice a year, and fervent arguments are made on both sides of the coin.

Many owners seem appalled at the very notion that their transom might need "saving." That is a load of crap and is semantics. The way people react, you'd think they were politicians reacting to a question posed using the wrong politically correct language. No matter what side of the coin they are on, they react to the language with faux horror. it's either "the transom on a Boston Whaler is so rugged there is no way that this simple device can possibly have any beneficial effect on such a sturdy boat as my Whaler" or "This is the wrong term. It should be called an outboard motor support. Only shoddy Mercs seem to need them. I hate mercs anyway so I guess if you've got one, you need to spend the money on a support."

Bottom line:

One of these devices can not hurt. In the case of Mercury owners, if you have a float-on or similar trailer that does not allow adequate clearance to trailer the boat with the motor tilted down, you NEED one of these devices. Maybe not today, tomorrow or hundreds of yesterdays, but Brunswick just made it very clear that if you're trailering in any position other than "down," they told you so....good luck getting warranty service on your new hydraulic system if it should fail, or on your lower unit if the system fails and you end up with a shiny aluminum nub under the lower unit gearcase.

Either use the darned thing or don't....but it's time that the official advice is simply:

"Use of a 'transom saver' device is recommended by certain engine manufacturers. Should your trailering configuration call for your motor to have adequate clearance in the fully down position, the use of these devices may be unnecessary, however for any other position it is recommended that you carefully read your owner's manual for additional instructions. The safer side of sorry is to include one of these inexpensive devices and use it should your rig call for the engine to be in any position other than fully down for adequate clearance when trailering. Any other action is at your own risk and discretion."

Clear as mud?!

:)

Erect identical breakwalls on the Oceanfront and one on Lake St. Clair....Both are rugged, sturdy construction, designed to withstand the elements.....both may last a hundred years. But in that time, the one on the oceanfront will have broken down far more than the one on Lake St. Clair. Why? Even though it was built to withstand the impact of crashing waves, over time, the repeated hammering by a constant supply of medium to large waves will wreck the wall. The one on lake St. Clair (taking the ice flow factor out of the equation) will have much less of an impact because it will face far fewer repeated stresses due to wave action. It is the same with your transom. Can it take those stresses from the engine bouncing around back there at 60 MPH down the highway? Sure...probably for a long time. But eventually, it's going to take it's toll.

Why not cut 3 drinks at the bar with your buddies out of your routine one month to fund the purchase of one of these simple devices and take away all of the stress from highway travel? THe more you tow, the more this should make sense to you.

posted 07-11-2005 05:42 PM ET (US)         

In addition, a long 3/8" bolt can be inserted through the last set of holes in the bracket, and then the engine lowered down to rest on this. This is a Mercury specific detail and takes all weight off the trim system.

posted 07-11-2005 11:38 PM ET (US)            

Thank you for actually answering my question, not a question I did not ask.

I have to retract a few things. I did find a reference to the "tilt lock lever" in my owner's manual. It took a while to find because it is in the Installation section of the manual.

At first I skipped to the index to see what the manual said about the lever but there is no index in this Mercury owner's manual. So I perused the Table of Contents to find the section for Trailing. No such information. Zero. Nada.

In the "Outboard Motor Installation" section there is reference to the Tilt Lock Lever:

To engage tilt lock lever:

Tilt outboard to full up position and turn tilt lock lever towards transom brackets. Lower outboard until lock lever rests on transom brackets.

End of useful information on the subject. Nice work Mercury.

That is all I was really asking but as Dave notes, this general topic always seems to elicit rather strong responses. Like tow vehicles and politics, some people really love to get bent out of shape over "transom savers".

Personally, I have never used them and do not plan on doing so. The transom of a Whaler is plenty strong to support an outboard motor or two.

Getting back to OMC motors:

Jim Hebert & Joe,

My personal experience is limited to a 1990 Johnson 150 V-6, a 1986 Johnson 90 V-4, a 1985 Johnson 70 and a 1982 Johnson 90 V-4. I would have thought my 1990 150 was the same as Jim's 1992 225 hp in terms of its mid section and trim-n-tilt. Maybe not?

I do know that with those four outboards it is very important to cycle the trim until the trim rods are fully retracted because that is the only way to fully hold the motor against the transom bracket and prevent it from bouncing.

When doing this the motor will lower onto the transom bracket and the trim rods will continue to retract (perhaps unevenly) but when both of them are fully retracted the trim motors very clearly lets you know by changing pitch and the motor itself gets a little "snug" downward. At this point you know it's locked down.

All of this procedure is clearly explained and emphasizes in the detailed owner's manual provided with these OMC motors.

To get back to my Mercury 150s, it is apparent the original owner trailered this boat without benefit of a "transom saver" and I also believe he trailered it with the motors in the tilted position using the tilt lock lever. After 17 years, neither of these motors seems to have suffered any damage from this practice.

I also know that when I trailered this boat back for California a few months ago I discovered (when I got home) that one of the motors did no even have the tilt lock lever engaged; something I feel bad about, but again, no ill effect seems to have occurred.

I think that from now on I will try to trailer with the motors lowered onto a rod in the highest tilt hole position. I have seen FAR more damage caused by skegs grinding on pavement than I have ever seen for poorly supported tilted motors on Whaler transoms. In fact the difference is INFINITE! I have yet to see a Whaler transom damaged by a tilted motor and no "transom saver".

posted 07-12-2005 05:56 AM ET (US)            

TILT STOP LEVER
Motor can be tilted up with Power Trim (see "power trim operation", following)or manually by completing instructions under "tilting engine manually", following. Lock in full up (TRAILER) position by lifting up on lower unit and rotating tilt stop lever knob counterclokwise. (figure 3) Check that tilt stop lever contacts stop on inside of swivel bracket. To release tilt stop lever, lift up on lower unit and rotate tilt stop lever knob clockwise.

I always follow these procedure when trailering my 22'. 20 years now. No problem at all. I lower the engine when stocking in the barn.

That's my 0.02