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Well, if it means anything, I keep mine up all the time, including in the water.

BUT, for winter storage, it's always down. Water will drain out of it properly to prevent freezing, and the prop shaft cavity (in front of the prop) won't hold water, which it will if left tilted up. I've seen marinas prep OB's for winter, including shrink wrapping the prop, and leaving the engine tilted (same picture I posted above, but you can't see the prop wrapped up), but I won't do that because if any water gets in there, it may not end well for the lower unit. I take the prop off, and leave the engine all the way down.

That flip down lock is not really intended for trailering, it's not strong enough for that (you might find that warning in the owner's manual). All the bumping will eventually bend or break it, the one in the picture is about the heftiest I've seen, though. In the next few days I will post pictures of a quick on and off bracket I made to relieve the strain from both the transom and the tilt-up lock (the pix are on another computer at home).

If you can completely clear the water, it's better to tip the engine out, it's what I do, it keeps growth at bay. The engine is sometimes kept in the down position in the water because the anode, which will then be submerged, only can do its magic that way, so more growth, but less electrolytic erosion of the metal.

I attached a separate anode for that purpose, submerged, but electrically continuous with the motor and its mount, so it's still protected. No growth, no corrosion,win, win.

Note : see pic in posting below...

I can't get mine out of the driveway without carving a groove with the motor due to the incline of my driveway.

Since I installed the adjustable rudder crossbar linkage, I can't raise the motor up enough to engage the flip-down stop without contacting the crossbar. I thought about making a clip that installs on the hydraulic cylinder to hold the motor up. My first attempt with pvc was too flexible and wouldn't work.

The argument for leaving it in the water (other than seahouse pointed out about corrosion) is that if you're in salt water the salt won't crystallize inside when it dries out. That and freezing temps. If you think the temp will drop below freezing leave the leg in the water. I leave mine up while slipped with the exception of the beginng and end of the season when temps can drop, and it stays down all winter when on the trailer.
Also we used to keep a 18" x 5x5" block of wood that would fit perfectly in behind the suz70 that required the engine to go all the way up to get in then you could bring it down a little and lock it in place. This would prevent the ob from dropping all the way in the event of hydraulic failure.

Hello,
I use the hydraulic trim sys to hold the motor tightly down against the tilt flip lever to eliminate the motor bounce. In my experience, it is the shock loading of the motor that ruins the lever.

For the few weeks a year (spring, fall) it's in my driveway, with the motor down, I place a short piece of 2 X 4 under the skeg, then wind the tongue jack up just so the weight of the motor is on the wood, and not the transom. It's just a habit, the Mac transom is so beefy to start with that this old habit, that dies hard, is likely unnecessary.

But for long-term storage this both relieves strain on the transom, and allows storage with the motor in the down position. The support needs to be forgiving (flexible, crushable), like a piece of wood that would crush, in case something happens, like a tires loses air.

RussMT wrote:

NiceAft wrote:I don't believe this was explained, but the motor should be kept in the up position only while towing. When at rest on the trailer for storage, the motor should always be kept in the down position

Ray

Why is this Ray? I store mine down on the hard to allow draining. Especially important in winter to keep water from freezing. When in the slip, I tilt it UP and dry to keep junk from growing on the prop etc.

--Russ

Several years ago my boat mechanic told me after he winterized the Honda 50 for winter storage in my driveway.. I never did question him, I just said "OK".

Now I just did some research as too why, and here is what I found. This is from B.O.A.T.U.S.

A final consideration is the position in which to store your engine. The best way is to either leave the motor on the boat or on an engine stand in an upright position, not tilted. If neither of these are an option, try to make sure that the engine is in an upright, self-draining position. If you can't do this, be sure that the cooling system is drained completely. Also, don't store the motor with the gearbox higher than the powerhead, since any water in the exhaust passages can run into the cylinders and cause serious damage. Look carefully at all the mounting hardware you loosen or remove from an installed engine. Replace if there is any wear or other impairment. Also, protect the motor from such as mud daubers that may stop up cooling and other holes.

So Russ, your reasoning is quite correct.

Ray

I read that you both do the exact same thing Russ & Ray. Up while towing and down while stored

Except he did it because of good rationalization, and I did it out of respect for someone's knowledge. I should have inquired about why, if not just for being well informed. Russ does keep it up while sitting for long periods (at the dock).

I have not seen any motors tilted up so high that the second precaution mentioned in the article warns against. I imagine that you would have have the trailer backed onto a steep hill.

Ray

My reason for tilting up is I don't want water to try to make its way into the gears and slime builds up on the prop and intake. But mostly because I like to keep it clean.
When storing on the trailer, always down. Seems to make more sense to have it in a natural position.

I see an equal amount of boats with feet in the water as out. *shrug*

--Russ

Same here Russ. The only other thing I've heard about and it seems to be engine specific is tilted up can have oil leak into the cylinder and casue some fouling issues, think that was 2-S though or maybe Merc or Suz 4-S can't remember now.

Motor support bracket for trailering, bodged from 1"X 1/16" aluminum angle, a piece of scrap 1/4" Spaulding fibre (so it won't rust or damage the paint on the motor), a spring (I forget where that came from), and a couple of 1/2" bolts and nuts.

The inward facing bolts are bent so as to be parallel when they enter the bottom holes in the motor mounts. With the motor up, the thing gets sprung open and snapped into the holes in the mounts, then the motor is let down onto it. When the motor is lifted up far enough again, it disengages the bracket which drops down out of the way, so the motor can then be lowered, which I do upon arrival at the storage facility.

For seasonal storage the batteries are out (I have those on a quick-release bracket too, BTW), so the red relief screw must be opened, and the motor is raised or lowered by hand. Its movement is still damped by the hydraulics, so if you just let go it takes a few seconds to drop down completely. This also damps any bouncing when trailering over potholes, which might otherwise allow it to release and drop down unintentionally. (I followed the boat once when someone else was driving the tow vehicle, so I got a chance to see this and other things first-hand). The extra holes were for tie downs for long trips, but I didn't know they would not be necessary at the time I made the bracket.

ETECs have a motor support on the port side that rotates down to hold the motor in place. You lift the motor all the way up, rotate the lever into place, and then back the motor down onto it.

Don't all outboards have such a lever?

mastreb wrote:ETECs have a motor support on the port side that rotates down to hold the motor in place. You lift the motor all the way up, rotate the lever into place, and then back the motor down onto it.

Don't all outboards have such a lever?

While I've never seen an outboard that did not have a lock up lever, it doesn't mean they don't exist.

As mentioned above, that little tab is for holding the motor in the tilt up position, but is not usually robust enough to withstand the stress of trailering, at least over rough terrain. Like the tilt up, tilt down functions, and when to use them, this info is likely to be found in owner's manuals.

Ps. (I checked) The E-Tec manual warns that it may cause damage to use the tilt lock for trailering (again, I have not seen otherwise for other motors I've owned over the last several decades). If road clearance requires tilting the motor, the manual recommends the use of an "accessory trailering bracket".

That locking lever on the smaller ETECs is not for holding the motor up when trailering and yes it warns against doing that in the manual. Although I did not know this until yesterday and have always used it to trailer with.

I put my boat in at the local Mercury dealer to have a fuel issue looked at three months ago on my Etec, and have not looked at the boat since bringing it home after that. Yesterday I was getting it ready for an upcoming trip and noticed that my locking lever is no longer there - broken off. Only two possibilities, the Mercury dealer snapped them off and didn't tell me about it, or it failed in the half mile journey from the Marina to here...

Thanks Seahouse, Reckon I'll fashion something like what you have done there!