Leaving ETec tilted - OK?

[innervations]

Have just moved my to a marina pen and already using the boat much more now I don't have the launch and retrieve dance. On the trailer I would lower the outboard but in the pen I want to fully tilt the motor out of the water to reduce marine growth and corrosion.

Is it ok to leave the motor tilted fully up for extended periods with the boat in the water or do I need to add some support?

[taime1]

We have a Honda BF50 and leave it tilted up (and rudders up) while the boat is in its slip to prevent marine growth. I don't think there would be any issue with the Etec to do the same.

I think the longest I've been away from the boat may have been a couple of weeks, never had an issue.

[bscott]

I've tilted mine since 08 and have not used the tilt bar. No issues to date

Bob

[mastreb]

Leaving it tilted is perfectly fine. I've kept my up out of the water for 3 years now--really saves on zincs and keeps it clean (everything here gets dingy in the water). If you're going to trailer, put the tilt-lock on, but that's not needed unless the boat is bouncing on the trailer.

[innervations]

Thanks everyone. That is reassuring

[seahouse]

Anything you might have heard about storing the motor in the upright position relates to areas where freezing temperatures are expected. In that case it needs to be upright to allow collected water to drain, otherwise freezing water could cause damage from expansion. Not applicable to your situation.

Tilting the motor also relieves some of the stress on the boat transom. However, the Mac transom is so beefy for other reasons that, again, this consideration is not applicable in your case. I have had power boats in the past where I reinforced the transom for heavier motors (because these spent more than the usual amount of time airborne on the Niagara River!) and I would say that the Mac comes from the factory with as beefy a transom as any of these after I was done modifying them.

In a somewhat related matter- I made a snap on/ snap off sprung support bracket that supports the weight of the motor while in storage, or for long distance trailering, or over rough ground.

With the batteries removed for seasonal storage the power tilt is unusable, so this bracket allows the boat to be easily trailered with the motor tilted up manually and held there, then easily dropped upon arrival at storage. A few seconds in the spring and it's tilted up again for trailering. The little factory tilt lock lever is not intended, nor constructed, to take the bouncing load that it would be subjected to while trailering over a bumpy road, though.

[seahouse]

I will also add that not only is it OK to keep it tilted up while in the water, but it's a best practice. I'm amazed at the number of outboard boat owners that I see keep their boats in the water all season and don't bother to tilt their motors up out of the "soup of corrosion" that water is, compared to air. Maybe they have more money to spend on boat repair and maintenance than I do!

[Tomfoolery]

Tilting the motor also relieves some of the stress on the boat transom.

This is exactly right. The OB, at least my BF50, is nearly balanced when tilted all the way up, so there's only vertical load on the transom, with very little moment. There isn't much load on the cylinder, either, though being hydraulic, it wouldn't care (they don't get tired). It's how I trailer it, too, but with the tilt lock in place. Bouncing down the road with the engine nearly balanced on its hinge is much better than any other configuration.

Oh, and I leave the OB tilted out of the water whenever I'm not using the boat. Keeps the crud from forming, and the silver paint nice and clean. The rod on the cylinder is either hard-chromed or SS, and it's never shown signs of corrosion. I would imagine the ETECs and every other OB are the same.

[Berber Boy]

I used to leave my ETEC 60 down overnight when moored at the holiday house jetty but I found the contamination and corrosion from the Canal too excessive and so keep it up now all the time when moored. Have had no problems!

Dave

[RobertB]

The main reason I leave my ETEC60 down In the driveway is to make sure the water is drained - especially in the winter. Real good idea to remember to tilt it back up before driving off. Both that can of white paint from Evinrude does come in handy