transom saver
 

I bought a transom saver at Cabela's, Me. and it don't fit at all on.
Do you use one ?

Do a search on the forum. This was discussed before and as usual, Skools makes some good points to show that they don't help all that much.

When going down the road, the transom is going to take the brunt of the pressure from the motor hanging off of it and it really doesn't make much difference if you have a "transom saver" since it still works against the transom by the fact that when the trailer bounces it bounces the motor on the transom as well... Anyway, Skools said it better than I just did; do a search for the thread when you get a moment.

yeah they actually cause more damage than good. when you hit a bump the motor and boat goes down on the bunks or rollers some since the hull is glass as it gives, but the transom saver will hold the motor solid which then forces the motor up and cracks the transom. bad news then.

Normally I agree w/Skools on stuff like this, but I wouldn't leave the driveway w/out mine...

Aren't V6 engines pretty well balanced with the engine up? I mean, isn't there enough weight to balance out most of the bounce?

i use one on long hauls but mine ties the motor to the hull. not the trailer.

You hit the nail on the head for me...even well balanced objects are gonna rock back and forth and long trips add up to a lotta rockin''...mine braces off the trailer and stabilizes all that front to back action goin' down the highway...I'm just takin' it easy on a 35 year old transom... :hi: ...just towed mine to beach and back (5 1/2 hours each way) ...Hwy 9, no Interstate and it's largely a pretty nice drive, but there ARE some DIP-DE-DOOS along the way... :oh: ...


And think about this...they're probably as well balanced as they CAN be, but I don't want any body parts in the way when a system fails and that lower unit starts findin' the ground...LOL!!...

balance has nothing to do with the hull flexing and if it is supported to the trailer then you a stressing your transom and motor, but the ones that support to the hull are good just not the trailer ones. i'm not talking about the motor bouncing it's the hull that bounces but if the motor is braced to the trailer the only thing to give is your transom or your tilt trim cylinders, it can cause them to leak and go bad faster. Parker boats will void your hull warranty if you use one of them on there boats, but heck it's your boats kill'em if you want.

:thre:


Let's see some pix of how the motor should be trailered,
i.e. 2x4, special design trim cylinder locks, etc.

What about strapping the boat to the trailer and using a t-saver? That way neither one bounces.

yes it does lol the hull flex's and gives but the saver will not give to the trailer.

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...DSCF0477-1.jpg

this is on a friend of mine modified to fit in the drain hole, it ties the motor to the hull

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...6/DSCF0478.jpg

installed and ready to travel...

Phat I like that! Make me one for my dad's Mckeecraft :love:

Hey, I like that to that way everything is tied to the boat not the trailer. I don't use one myself but I do stack stroke limiters around the cylinder shaft when I haul long distances, it keeps the pressure off the trim. We use them all the time on the haybine and brush Hogs on the farm, they really work nice. Takes about 30 secs to put them on, Plus they are pretty cheap to buy at Tractor Supply.

Chomper,

Man, i really do not see what you are talking about. But it sound good to me

Can you explain me what you do .... i do not know mechanics at all .

They are basically spacers that snap around the trim cylinder shaft. they are built for limiting the amount you can retract the shaft. We use them on the brush hog so we can just put the lever down all the way without running the blades in the ground. I have to pull my boat 2.5 hrs so I always use them so the trim isn't under pressure. I also have big rubber washers I put above and below to add some cushin to it. (actually the washers are old cut up crocs). I borrowed this pic from Tractor Supply. I got the idea from the m-ywedge thing they sell for outboards.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/r...ay/1832997.jpg

To take it a step further, my hull is strapped tight to the trailer as well, so it all stays together..if one bounces, they all bounce as one unit...and a bouncing, unsupported, 500 lb anything attached to the tranny is gonna flex that tranny...

Planning on doing some bouncing on Mrs. Blue's tranny this weekend. No transom saver. :hi:

make sure you remove the plug to insert the saver!:zip:

My wife who occasionally reads a post here and there when its open on the screen just said this very morning...."the guys on that site seem like a really nice group of guys, nothing raunchy or anything" .....

and then there's BLUE RUNNER:you::you:

I was talking about Mrs. Blue's boat! You know, that boat she has? A model somethin or another? :laugh::fam:
Get your mind outta tha gutter man!!

you just don't understand nor listen the hull flex's i don't care how tight they are to the trailer they flex unless you pull it down so tight the hull have become bowed around your trailer rollers or bunks to the point of almost cracking your hull. they do flex we all tie them down to tow. but just listen they flex no matter and the transom saver does not give if it's tied to the trailer but the drain plug will work great and not hurt the hull they make one that ties to the transom eyes as well.

Whoa big fella...



But I do see the value of tying it into the drain hole...

If Reel, or Blue Runner, or Phat Daddy, or MJ want to flex on a 500 pound tranny(whether they leave the plug in or the plug out) who am I or Mr. Transom Saver to stop them. To each they're own.

Ten foot pole rule... For sure. :clap:

I have no motor support. Trim pump just started leaking. I like Chomper's idea best.

Trailering
 

I too had had problems from time to time with support issues for the motor while trailering. Rebuilding the trim cylinder's began to get waaaay to costly so I came up with this idea....It's function is the same as some of the other devices sold on the market, but I just used some scrap 2 x 6's I had around the garage and I put together this little piece...The weight of the motor rides on the wood block, which has a slight give for any hard shocks, and it also takes all the weight off of the trim cylinders.... I have some pics for you to look at........the strings on each side are just to hold it in place when I hook it up.

[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]Attachment 1162[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]



What do you think about this idea????

I would just flip down the lever on the Johnson 150 lower the motor onto them and go. If your transom cannot handle some bouncing around how will it handle the preasure of you hitting the throttle with 3 or 4 people in the boat. Thats way more stress on the transom then any towing.

I grabbed a quick pic with my phone yesterday. These are the stroke limiters I use on the farm for hydraulic cylinders. I took an old croc sandal and made very crude washers just to give it a little cushion. So far I have towed it 6hrs without any problems and they snap on in seconds.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/r...082309_001.jpg

hey chomper, what are these spacers called at tractor supply?
thanks lee

Thanks Chomper for the pic. I appreciate

They are called stroke control with finger tabs. They are listed with the hydraulic cylinders. I don't know if it is the right way but they work for me and they are only 18.00 bucks.