Classic AquaSport
Aquasport Mechanicals - things that need a wrench, screwdriver or multimeter => Trailers => Topic started by: hopefishing on February 15, 2012, 07:52:47 PM
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I know this is probably a silly question and the answer is right under my nose, but how do you trailer your engine with the portabracket? The trailer I am going to have built for my Pro Line will be lower than the average trailer so the motor has to be trimmed up a bit and resting on the cylinders. On my other boat I just use the transom saver, but got to thinking that I don't see that being possible with the distance from the lower unit to the trailer. I would be curious to see what others do. I trailer long and far on many occasions so I put alot of thought and money into the trailering side to prevent problems and issues. This is the trailer on my other boat, and the new trailer will be made by the same people and very similar. It really helps in some of the things called ramps that I have to launch at.
(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/blewitupsir/Boat005-1.jpg)
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I used transom savers for years and the goal is to minimize the torque effect of the engine bouncing up and down on the transom. The most optimum engine position would be to tow it vertically, just like it is when she is running; that minimizes the out of square effect on the transom. In reality that doesn't work because of ground clearance of the skeg relative to the ground. So the first thing we need to do is lash the boat down on to the trailer tight to keep it from bouncing going down the road, then find the most vertical position that the engine can be supported with the transom saver and allow the necessary ground clearance and keep the engine hydraulics from becoming the support for the hull. Just bring the gearcase into the saver nice and snug without it becoming the primary support to keep the hull from bouncing going down the road or trying to lift the stern off of the trailer. If you don't tie down the hull tight to the trailer the engine will become primary support and the hydraulics become burdened with keeping the hull attached to the trailer and creating huge stresses on the engine hydraulics and midsection. To reiterate, the key is lash the boat down on the trailer good and tight and lightly, snugly rest the engine on the saver to support the weight of the engine without it becoming part of the support. I hope this makes sense but it does work.
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That makes sense. I use good transom straps on my current boat to secure the boat to the trailer correctly.
(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/blewitupsir/Boat003-1.jpg)
My real question is due to the distance the actual lower unit will be from the trailer will the transom saver be long enough to reach the motor. If you look at my current trailer and add about another 24 inches or so of distance because of the setback of the portabracket, thats a long span.
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I'm trying to figure out the same problem with my new to me 245. The euro transom places the motor quite a ways away from the last cross member of the trailer.
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Bruce i gust tilt mine up and put the lock down, been doing that since day one and no problems, these transoms are solid.
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In regards to engine "trailering" brackets, as they are so often called. Don't know about Yamaha, but Suzuki, Honda, and Merc all state in their owners manuals the those "brackets" are NOT designed to support the motor while trailering. They are only there to assist in supporting the motor when maintenance is needed to be performed in that area of the motor.
Only OMC/BRP brackets are designed and built to support the motor while trailering...
Just a bit of info there...
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Bruce i gust tilt mine up and put the lock down, been doing that since day one and no problems, these transoms are solid.
Thats what I did for the tow home from NC
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You don't have to reach all the way to the crossmember. You can get the pointed attachment for the transom saver and plant that sucker in the garboard drain. I used to have to do this on my old bassboat as it had a tunnel and it was a long way to reach the trailer especially when the boat had such a shallow hull with a jackplate. They do make some pretty long versions of these things. There is one more option that no one has said anything about. Transom wedges, they are sometimes the only way to get any support for certain setups.
This one is almost 5 ft long.
http://www.iboats.com/Adjustable-Transo ... w_id.37977 (http://www.iboats.com/Adjustable-Transom-Saver/dm/cart_id.511329607--session_id.285643768--view_id.37977)
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My local yamaha mechanic saw me flipping the bracket on the engine down one day as I left the dealership & said that he has seen many of them break after long hauls. He said that only the omc brackets, since they support the engine on each side, can really be used while trailering. He advised me to use a transom wedge and/or transom saver. I had always used the flip-down bracket. Made it from Nashville to Naples three times & Nashville to Hilton Head twice. However, I took his advice & ordered a rubber transom wedge that fits over the hydraulic ram & compresses when the weight of the engine is loaded onto it. This essentially takes the load off of the hydraulic system. I think its called a m-y wedge or my wedge(cheaper than the yamaha brand name one). The transom saver really takes the load & torque-effect off of the transom. I found an extended transom saver that would fit the bill for my old boat & trailer. Now that I have purchased the aquasport & bought a new trailer, the cross-member is even further forward. My transom saver cannot reach the new trailer's crossmember.
So with this new dilemma on hand, I researched what everyone else was doing. I can to a thread on THT that revealed pretty much everyone was using the rubber transom wedge or even something as simple as a block of wood between the hydraulic rams & the motor bracket. For most salt water boats, the transom saver is not a viable option because the trailer cross-members are so far forward & the motors are relatively high up on the transom. Another opinion stated during that thread was that a properly built transom and/or a transom in good condition should be able to handle the torsional loads & stresses applied upon it by the engine. Transoms are built to withstand great pressures, so going over a few bumps in the road should not stress it much more than the engine does on a regular basis.
Hope this helps!
-Ben
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The M-Y wedge is a slick little deal... :thumleft: :thumleft:
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This is what my mechanic just recommended for my 250 Yammie and I bought a set from him. Haven't tried them yet since I haven't moved the boat yet. There are markings for different engines on the tube so you have to be careful to put the right end on the trim ram. I don't have the grease fitting on my motor that some were complaining about.
http://www.basspro.com/T-H-Marine-Motor-Stik-Outboard-Motor-Support/product/10205172/38779?hvarAID=shopping_googlebase&om_mmc=shopping_googlebase
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i use something simple like what rick posted but i made them out of some left over PVC pipe that slides over the rams...
2 pieces of pvc cut at 5-1/2 inches
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/recklesabandon727/IMG_20120216_192335.jpg)
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Damn, there you go again Aaron, using the old beano...and a couple of free pieces of PVC from Dad's scrap rack out back... :cheers: :cheers:
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Damn, there you go again Aaron, using the old beano...and a couple of free pieces of PVC from Dad's scrap rack out back... :cheers: :cheers:
:cheers:
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Another bonus of a porta bracket is you can lift the motor up on the lift high enough thats its not close to the ground and then trim it way down, Main thing is you strap the boat to the trailer both at the stern and bow.
Capt Matt
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Another bonus of a porta bracket is you can lift the motor up on the lift high enough thats its not close to the ground and then trim it way down, Main thing is you strap the boat to the trailer both at the stern and bow.
Capt Matt
Dead nuts here, Matt. I run transom straps from the stern eyes down to the trailer frame (I hate across the gunnels straps!), then, at the bow, the winch strap snugged up TIGHT, with a ratcheting strap forward to the trailer frame, and one aft. That beeyatch ain't moving unless I want her to...
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There is nothing I dislike more than towing a boat long distances, it always stressed me out and gave me a stiff neck. I don't even own a trailer for this one yet. Luckily I can borrow one anytime and only have to tow it a 1/4 mile to my local mercury dealer for service.
I still feel very spoiled keeping this boat on a lift after launching my other boat almost daily for over 10 yrs. The remote for the boat lift might be the greatest thing ever invented!!!
Capt Matt
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There is nothing I dislike more than towing a boat long distances, it always stressed me out and gave me a stiff neck. I don't even own a trailer for this one yet. Luckily I can borrow one anytime and only have to tow it a 1/4 mile to my local mercury dealer for service.
I still feel very spoiled keeping this boat on a lift after launching my other boat almost daily for over 10 yrs. The remote for the boat lift might be the greatest thing ever invented!!!
Capt Matt
I was admiring that boat lift all weekend. I trailer alot, but I'm used to it now so its really not big deal. Do I need to support the portabracket when I am trailering? Or is there a rubber wedge or something of the sort that can go on the portabracket cylinders so that its not having all that force on them when road travel? I am happy with running the bracket all the way up and trimming the motor down, thats perfect. I was just thinking about the force on the portabracket.
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The ram on the porta bracket is crazy strong and I could not image towing could hurt it at all. I would drop them a e-mail and find out what they say about it though.
Got any new pictures of the boat yet?
Capt Matt
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Sent Portabracket a note asking them their opnion on best postion to trailer. They let me know that the ram is rated well above what the force should be. There had never been a failure that they were aware of. But did say that if I wanted to put a rubber block on the cylinder to take the force off the ram itself, it certainly wouldnt hurt anything. May do that later, but I am going to wait a bit and see how it behaves for a bit first.
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The transom saver would not work on my boat with a Venture float on trailer. I used the block of wood for a bit and I was going to rig something different when I heard of the m-y wedge. I picked one up and a set of the centering clips and they work great!
http://www.m-ywedge.com/