Motor angle on trailer

[rcc023]

Is there a particular angle the motor should be at when the boat is on the trailer and using a transom saver?

[genemelow]

No just make sure you have ground clearence and motor is down on saver and secure with bungie cord.

[rcc023]

Thanks

[skeet210]

I haven't used a transom saver in years. Seen them do alot more damage than good. 2003 Skeeter FX210 w/ Yamaha 225.

[rhsvipre]

Care to elaborate on how they do damage?

[kisskollector]

Some people believe they are a double-edged sword. Thinking about the science and physics behind that theory, it is true, if the trailer falls after a bump, and the motor falls, obviously a transom saver will help greatly in transferring the shock and force onto the trailer, and not the transom.

However, the opposite effect is possible as well. Hitting a bump, the initial schock would then be transferred from the trailer, through the saver, up onto the motor, pushing it up and therefore 'hurting' the transom by exerting opposite force.

Obviously both scenarios are true, however I believe using a transom saver is excellent, because never will a bump cause a very HARD or HEAVY push UP. The MOTOR is HEAVY !! The entire trailer will absorb most of the shock of an upswing. However, the heavy motor falling down will most assuredly put all its weight directly on the transom unless a transom saver is in place.

Sorry its so long, however you can see its a rather complicated issue. The debate is out on the web lots of places, but transom savers sell like crazy. Again, the motor is heavy and thats the problem after hitting a bump or pothole or something. The motors direct weight causes the problem, and therefore I believe the force going DOWN from the motor will always be 100 times worse than any force coming UP from a transom saver.

My fingers hurt.

[Al from Canada]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by scoobyskeeterfx210 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I haven't used a transom saver in years. Seen them do alot more damage than good. 2003 Skeeter FX210 w/ Yamaha 225.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well you need to use either: a regular transom saver, a Lock-N-Stow or similar, or if you have a Evinrude you can use the swing-down trailering bracket.

To tow without something is just asking for trouble; the little "clip" that holds a motor up is NOT for towing.

[skeet210]

The trim motor on the transom provides enough shock absorption that a transom saver is not necessary.

[deer0373]

Sooo, you're saying you trailer your boat with nothing holding the engine other than the hydraulics???
Wouldn't you be concerned that 1)The hydraulics might fail and the engine would fall? 2)All the bouncing/jarring that the unsupported motor is putting on the rams/pistons of the trim system would damage it(the tilt/trim system)?

Just askin...

[Olddawg]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by scoobyskeeterfx210 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The trim motor on the transom provides enough shock absorption that a transom saver is not necessary.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think that after a while of this you could take a chance of damaging your ram seals. The extra support given by using a transom saver would be better than none at all.

[skeet210]

Just saying that after 15 years of not using one, I have not had a single problem, meanwhile, I have seen others that use them having more problems than I have with a number of different things. To each is own. Some prefer it, some don't. It's like changing your oil every 3000 miles. Old habits are hard to break. After all these years of new and inovative ways of making lighter motors and better oil products, the oil companies in cooperation the the motor companies still tell you to change your oil every 3000 miles. It's a conspiracy.

[dirt2801]

I know my 225 HO is a heavy motor and when I put it on the trailor and pull up to strap my boat down and put my transom saver on, when i hit a bump or too @ maybe 3 mph the motor sure does shake and I could only imagine what kind of stress it would be under if i hit that same bump @ 55 mph...

Kiss I hear that all the time about reverse effects but
I see no reverse effect a transom saver could have, for the bump to be absorbed throught the trailor and through the transom saver and stress the transom up ward, the person would have to some how wedge the transom saver fully extended under the motor and the motor would have to be trimed all the way up.

[BigWill]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kisskollector &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

However, the opposite effect is possible as well. Hitting a bump, the initial schock would then be transferred from the trailer, through the saver, up onto the motor, pushing it up and therefore 'hurting' the transom by exerting opposite force.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think that logic is flawed. Because the trailer will be pushing up on the boat, as well as the transom saver on the motor, at the exact same rate. Therefore the trailer, boat, and motor would all have the same momentum. It would have to "flex" or bend somehow in order to give the boat motor more momentum than the boat in order to make the motor push up on the transom, or maybe if it bucked then the boat caught by the ties(making the boat stop while the motor was still going up). If they are all going at the same rate, it won't cause any damage on the way up. Going down however, its all gravity. Anything that is not touching the trailer will be absorbed through the boat.

[skeet210]

Just keep in mind that our boats are not only in transport when they are on the trailor but in the water as well. The transom receives alot more "bounce" on the water as well as on the road. We just don't think about it as much when we are going 70mph on the water like we do when we look in out rear view mirror. The transom on a boat is designed to withstand that amount of force, otherwise, our transoms would be cracking just as much on the water. Maybe I'll get one and keep it on while I'm fishing so it will help absorb the shock then too.

[Phoenix Ed]

I don't know about some of this logic. If I was really bored I would do a force moment diagram of the forces on the motor and transom, but I bet someone a whole lot smarter than me has done that at the various boat manufacturers.

After doing some research I purchased a Lock-n-Stow. On my trailer I did not like the transom saver flexing the rear cross-member. That could not be good in the long run since steel does this fatigue thing from flexing and the welds probably would not do very well either.

As to the seals on the hydraulics, you are depending on the system pressure on a cylinder to maintain the force on and support the motor. Bouncing on a hydraulic cylinder under load could create a higher internal pressure on the system, possibly rupturing a line, fitting, or seal. Count your blessings if you have never damaged anything in the system.

So for me I will use a support device on my boat and motor while trailering.

As to forces on the motor and transom while on the water, again they are designed to work as a fixed unit, probably why they are bolted together. I don't see this as nearly severe the trailering forces.

And yes if the question arises, dad gummit I am an engineer, it is a cross I have to bear!

rcc023, in response to your initial question, clearance is the key. However on my old 2 stroke 90 Merc, if it was up too high, I had issues with the carbs. I dropped it down a couple of notches and it seemed to solve the problem.

Hope everyone has a good Memorial Day weekend.

See ya.

[billius]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Al from Canada &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Well you need to use either: a regular transom saver, a Lock-N-Stow or similar, or if you have a Evinrude you can use the swing-down trailering bracket.

To tow without something is just asking for trouble; the little "clip" that holds a motor up is NOT for towing. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What Al said is correct. I've been towing boats all over the eastern half of the US for over 35 years...I've always had some kind of transom saver. I use a lock n stow right now. If you've towed without one for a long time...I'd say you are a lucky guy, or you aren't towing your rig very far at all.

[dvs-2]

I'm a new boat owner and recently lost the bungy cord off the transom saver. After much thought.........I still haven't figured out why it's important to have a bungy cord attached. If the trailer end comes off wouldn't it be safer if the TS falls off rather than only being attached to the LU? Please educate me! Thanks, Darin


Modified by dvs-2 at 6:26 PM 5/28/2009

[genemelow]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dvs-2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm a new boat owner and recently lost the bungy cord off the transom saver. After much thought.........I still haven't figured out why it's important to have a bungy cord attached. If the trailer end comes off wouldn't it be safer if the TS falls off rather than only being attached to the LU? Please educate me! Thanks, Darin


Modified by dvs-2 at 6:26 PM 5/28/2009</TD></TR></TABLE>

[Ranger 85]

I'm missing something here !!!! The bungee cord should be on the motor end not the trailer !!!!! the trailer end has a large loop to keep it on the lower trailer roller and the top just rests on the lower unit and thats were you run the bungee around the lower unit to keep it onthe motor in that spot. At least this is how mine is set up. It will take one hell of a bounce to get that saver off the lower roller. Maybe I am not looking at this right or you have some other kind of saver that I don't know of. !!!!

[rhsvipre]

F=ma
Force = Mass x Acceleration
If the transom saver prevents the lower end of the motor from moving (In relation to the trailer, assuming the boat is strapped to the trailer) then a = 0

Therefore, F = 0

It the lower unit bounces (moves) without a transom saver then there is a force induced, then applied as a torque along the length of the shaft (20") which if you take the m*a then mulitply by the 20" you can see how that could become a relatively large number rather quickly!!

And to resolve the comment about running at speeds, when the motor is in running position the distance from the transom to the prop shaft is near zero, therfore very little torque is being applied to the transom, just a linear force as the horizontal distance is negligable.

I really don't think a force diagram is necessary to see how a transom saver can help, as long as the boat is strapped to the trailer in the rear.