At Home Should The Motor Be Stored Trimmed Up Or Down?

[Relaxedcamper]

Hi Guys, I have searched and searched and I can't find the answer.

We have a 90 Merc Optimax on the back of Haines Signature 500C.

Once we have flushed the motor and cleaned the boat, in what position should we be storing the motor.? We use a travel bracket to hold the motor trimmed up when traveling but I am not sure if we should also use it when the boat is in the shed.

I have read also about 'taking pressure of the hydraulics' etc, but in what position is this. I can't fully trim the motor down in the shed as it will hit the floor.

I have spoken to two Merc dealerships and there answers were diametrically apposed. One said up with either a support bracket or a block of wood, other said trimmed as down as possible and no support.

Is '...The Truth Out There...'

Cheers.

[Noelm]

This has been discussed lots of times, the results are divided, I personally can't see any harm in storing the motor tilted up, the hydraulics can handle it with ease, the only possible downsides are, some water may be left in the motor, and the boat is longer to store with the motor up, I have mine down all the time, I can trailer and launch/retrieve easy with them down, but I would leave them up if I needed to.

[Argle]

Down as far as you can go is the best I reckon, keeps things that should be in oil covered in oil (gears etc) also helps any residual water drain out.

Cheers
Scott

[xjonox]

im definately no expert but goin with the drainage point im gonna keep mine down.
Also i dont like the idea of using something "hydraulics" if its not needed.

[FNQCairns]

yep as far as the water inside goes if one ripped the powerhead off and had a peak at what was left they would see a plate that in some ways looks like a hedge maze if viewed from the air although many of the rows have no way out. In the floor of every one of these rows will be a simple hole, these holes are designed to drain when the engine is running and therefore when this plate is more or less horizontal with the horizon. tilting up means total drainage is reduced.

By all means leave it down for a day or two then tilt it up, gravity and whatever air circulation available will largely have done it's job by then.

But you know one might never know any true disadvantage from never doing this...sometimes all that best practice achieves is to keep a person busier than the would have been otherwise.

[Relaxedcamper]

By all means leave it down for a day or two then tilt it up, gravity and whatever air circulation available will largely have done it's job by then.

So once tilted up, would you recommend a support bracket to be used or just let the hydraulic rams take the pressure?

Cheers.

[oldboot]

There are 3 things that come to my mind.

1. if the motor is tilted all the way down the ram rods on the hydraulics will be inside the seals with the oil away from the air and moisture and this less subject to corrosion.

2. I expect the engine to drain better if the motor is vertical than trilted.

3. I know my old evenrude smokes like a bastard on start up if it is left tilted up......if left tilted down it still smokes on start up but only like a mongrel


the other that has little or nothing to do woth the heath of the motor is.....tilted down takes up less room, and the prop will cop you in the shins rather than in the nuts that way.

cheers

[Dean1]

Down for sure...

[stue2]

I was told down but I flush them down and drain them anyway. I couldn't bare the thought of some salt water crystalising inside the old black max. And according to the mechanic it was good in there but it did have some white stuff growing inside the hood on some bolts ant things.

Bit like mould, once its established its very hard to get rid of.

Dont leave the motors down incase I drive off and forget.

Cheers Stu

[robtarr]

I'm with you Stu - got a nice groove in the bitumen outside my place that reminds me everyday what happens when you forget.....
cheers Rob

[Spaniard_King]

2 stroke down or up.. 4 stroke just slightly above horizontal to keep the oil away from the rings.

[stue2]

I'm with you Stu - got a nice groove in the bitumen outside my place that reminds me everyday what happens when you forget.....
cheers Rob

I haven't done it yet but I'm the kinda chap that could if I don't take precausions.

saw a bloke drag his boat with the motor down for a few hundred meters along the black stuff after flushing it. I couldn't get his attention untill he went over the speed hump in the caravan park. He was probably lucky that he had ground enough off and kind of bounced over it.
leg just a bit shorter, no prop damage, just shorter. lucky

sorry to jump the thread

Cheers, Stu

[thylacene]

I hate it when I think I know the answer, but am unable to implement in a practical manner.

The manufacturer of our engine recommends storing the engine in the fully down position for all the reasons mentioned above. Rams inside the seals avoids corrosion, leg drains correctly, avoids oil against he rings etc.

This would be great except for one thing, and that is the boat sits low enough on the trailer that to lower the leg fully requires the jockey wheel on the trailer to be wound down completely, and even then, the leg doesn't quite clear the ground.

I have also driven off (across the grass thankfully) with the leg down.

So while I know it should be stored leg down, it just doesn't happen.

Cheers

Thy

[Stik-ugly]

I have my four stroke Merc stored with the leg down , for the simple reason of fitting into the garage ,but I still think it removes needless pressure on the lift cylinder seals and the rod is fully retracted