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Author Topic:   Tilting motor up for extended periods

JMARTIN posted 07-02-2010 01:47 PM ET (US)
I need to leave my motor tilted up all the time when not in use. It sits on a buoy subject to wave action and also sits on tide flats on most low tides. In the past I have always tilted it up, thrown the support bar, and then drop the motor back down on the support bar. Is it OK to just leave it all the way up on the ram? It will not be touching the support bar but it will keep more of the motor out of the water.
The manufacturer also suggest disconnecting the gas when leaving the motor tipped up for extended periods. This has not been done in the past either. I do shut the vent on the fuel tank. The boat will go for a week sometimes with nobody using it. The motor is a four stroke, fuel injected Yamaha F70.
John
contender posted 07-02-2010 02:00 PM ET (US)
When you tilt the engine for any length of time it should sit on the engine stop (factory lock/support bar). Suppose to protect the rams and seals. I can not say about the disconnect of the fuel line, (I would be more concern about the fuel left in the carbs/fuel injection) but why would it matter to disconnect the fuel line? I would not shut the fuel vent, the fuel tank should be able to breath with the outside temperature(pressure build up)...take care
Joe 15 SS LTD posted 07-02-2010 02:44 PM ET (US)
Could you fashion a piece of wood to use instead of the factory stop bar, and have it raise the motor up higher.
Just a thought. Could also use something other than wood.
Joe
tedious posted 07-02-2010 03:02 PM ET (US)
John, just tilt it all the way up, as high as the tilt cylinder will go, but also throw the lock bar across in case it drifts down on its own over time. It's hydraulic, shouldn't hurt it either way. If it does tend to come down, you could fashion a stop out of wood or starboard or something.
Some people like to retract the trim rods once the motor has been lifted up and locked, That does keep the trim rods nice and clean and down in the oil. I do it if I'm leaving the boat for a long time, and if I remember. That trick won't work with the tilt cylinder ram, of course.
Tim
tedious posted 07-02-2010 03:53 PM ET (US)
John, having now read the other thread which possibly lead to this one, I can tell you that our 2004 Yamaha F200 sits on a mooring 4 months a year, and the nosecone is never out of the water. It gets green slime, but that cleans easily and the paint underneath is fine.
It would be nice if the motor tilted up a whisker farther, but I'd just keep your zincs up to date and don't worry about it.
Tim
JMARTIN posted 07-02-2010 05:28 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the replies and we have two different opinions. Here is a picture of it up, but then lowered onto the stop.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d137/jmartin-/DSCF8069.jpg
John
tedious posted 07-02-2010 08:30 PM ET (US)
I see that you have a single-ram setup, I assume covering both trim and tilt. That's different than my Yamaha F200 and Johnson 70, both of which have separate trim rods as well as a lift cylinder. In your case, with the motor up, there is no way to retract the piston back into the cylinder to protect the rods and seals (I believe that's what Contender is referring to). It will not hurt your hydraulics to leave the motor lifted all the way up - but it may well leak down over time, so put the tilt lock for if/when it does.
I hope to be getting an F70 for my SS15, CAROM, in the fall; thanks for blazing the trail!
Tim
Tohsgib posted 07-03-2010 01:22 PM ET (US)
Tilt it up all the way then "blip" it down once. The pressure of that engine against the ram is NOTHING compared to you being underway. You do not need the support or wood either as it will NOT lower itself unless you have a leak which I doubt for 10 years or so easy.
andygere posted 07-04-2010 02:02 PM ET (US)
John, tilt it all the way up. Leaving a bit of the skeg in the drink will do more to shorten the life of the motor than leaving it resting on the tilt hydraulics ever will. If it gives you peace of mind, fashion a wood or Starboard shim to fit under the tilt lock, and back it down slightly on that. My Evinrude lives in a slip with the lower unit tilted nearly horizontal. It has a secondary tilt lock, which the owners manual says is only to be used for safety while servicing the motor, but my dealer told me it's fine to leave it up in the slip, just don't trailer it like that.
martyn1075 posted 07-06-2010 02:28 AM ET (US)
Not a bad idea at all to use the lock or the block of wood already mentioned. I just lost both my tilt trim due to broken bottom seals the engines are newer 2007 Optimax still covered thank god! I found them sagging a bit and then saw oil slick in the water. Strangely they were both gone within the same time period its hard to say if it was pressure from the continuous weight as i was not using the tilt lock over the winter, or the dealer thinks it may have been from the zinks not working properly. To be safe why not just use it. It takes an extra second or two to flip it down. I will from now on, expensive lesson yet i was fortunate.
Ridge Runner posted 07-07-2010 09:12 PM ET (US)
I like to use a my-wedge. http://www.m-ywedge.com/
Swellmonster posted 07-08-2010 12:00 AM ET (US)
If the blip it down works for ten years, the wedge may work for longer. My boat cover is tightened by lowering the motor to a perfect position, but recently, once or twice lowered and ripped my cover and broke my antennae. Hmmh
Swellmonster posted 07-08-2010 12:08 AM ET (US)
If the blip it down works for ten years, the wedge may work for longer. My boat cover is tightened by lowering the motor to a perfect position, but recently, once or twice lowered and ripped my cover and broke my antennae. Hmmh
Tom W Clark posted 07-08-2010 09:05 AM ET (US)
John -- Tilt it up, leave it up, don't worry about it. No blip, no blocks of wood, no Wedge, it will be fine.

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Author	Topic: Tilting motor up for extended periods
JMARTIN	posted 07-02-2010 01:47 PM ET (US) I need to leave my motor tilted up all the time when not in use. It sits on a buoy subject to wave action and also sits on tide flats on most low tides. In the past I have always tilted it up, thrown the support bar, and then drop the motor back down on the support bar. Is it OK to just leave it all the way up on the ram? It will not be touching the support bar but it will keep more of the motor out of the water. The manufacturer also suggest disconnecting the gas when leaving the motor tipped up for extended periods. This has not been done in the past either. I do shut the vent on the fuel tank. The boat will go for a week sometimes with nobody using it. The motor is a four stroke, fuel injected Yamaha F70. John
contender	posted 07-02-2010 02:00 PM ET (US) When you tilt the engine for any length of time it should sit on the engine stop (factory lock/support bar). Suppose to protect the rams and seals. I can not say about the disconnect of the fuel line, (I would be more concern about the fuel left in the carbs/fuel injection) but why would it matter to disconnect the fuel line? I would not shut the fuel vent, the fuel tank should be able to breath with the outside temperature(pressure build up)...take care
Joe 15 SS LTD	posted 07-02-2010 02:44 PM ET (US) Could you fashion a piece of wood to use instead of the factory stop bar, and have it raise the motor up higher. Just a thought. Could also use something other than wood. Joe
tedious	posted 07-02-2010 03:02 PM ET (US) John, just tilt it all the way up, as high as the tilt cylinder will go, but also throw the lock bar across in case it drifts down on its own over time. It's hydraulic, shouldn't hurt it either way. If it does tend to come down, you could fashion a stop out of wood or starboard or something. Some people like to retract the trim rods once the motor has been lifted up and locked, That does keep the trim rods nice and clean and down in the oil. I do it if I'm leaving the boat for a long time, and if I remember. That trick won't work with the tilt cylinder ram, of course. Tim
tedious	posted 07-02-2010 03:53 PM ET (US) John, having now read the other thread which possibly lead to this one, I can tell you that our 2004 Yamaha F200 sits on a mooring 4 months a year, and the nosecone is never out of the water. It gets green slime, but that cleans easily and the paint underneath is fine. It would be nice if the motor tilted up a whisker farther, but I'd just keep your zincs up to date and don't worry about it. Tim
JMARTIN	posted 07-02-2010 05:28 PM ET (US) Thanks for the replies and we have two different opinions. Here is a picture of it up, but then lowered onto the stop. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d137/jmartin-/DSCF8069.jpg John
tedious	posted 07-02-2010 08:30 PM ET (US) I see that you have a single-ram setup, I assume covering both trim and tilt. That's different than my Yamaha F200 and Johnson 70, both of which have separate trim rods as well as a lift cylinder. In your case, with the motor up, there is no way to retract the piston back into the cylinder to protect the rods and seals (I believe that's what Contender is referring to). It will not hurt your hydraulics to leave the motor lifted all the way up - but it may well leak down over time, so put the tilt lock for if/when it does. I hope to be getting an F70 for my SS15, CAROM, in the fall; thanks for blazing the trail! Tim
Tohsgib	posted 07-03-2010 01:22 PM ET (US) Tilt it up all the way then "blip" it down once. The pressure of that engine against the ram is NOTHING compared to you being underway. You do not need the support or wood either as it will NOT lower itself unless you have a leak which I doubt for 10 years or so easy.
andygere	posted 07-04-2010 02:02 PM ET (US) John, tilt it all the way up. Leaving a bit of the skeg in the drink will do more to shorten the life of the motor than leaving it resting on the tilt hydraulics ever will. If it gives you peace of mind, fashion a wood or Starboard shim to fit under the tilt lock, and back it down slightly on that. My Evinrude lives in a slip with the lower unit tilted nearly horizontal. It has a secondary tilt lock, which the owners manual says is only to be used for safety while servicing the motor, but my dealer told me it's fine to leave it up in the slip, just don't trailer it like that.
martyn1075	posted 07-06-2010 02:28 AM ET (US) Not a bad idea at all to use the lock or the block of wood already mentioned. I just lost both my tilt trim due to broken bottom seals the engines are newer 2007 Optimax still covered thank god! I found them sagging a bit and then saw oil slick in the water. Strangely they were both gone within the same time period its hard to say if it was pressure from the continuous weight as i was not using the tilt lock over the winter, or the dealer thinks it may have been from the zinks not working properly. To be safe why not just use it. It takes an extra second or two to flip it down. I will from now on, expensive lesson yet i was fortunate.
Ridge Runner	posted 07-07-2010 09:12 PM ET (US) I like to use a my-wedge. http://www.m-ywedge.com/
Swellmonster	posted 07-08-2010 12:00 AM ET (US) If the blip it down works for ten years, the wedge may work for longer. My boat cover is tightened by lowering the motor to a perfect position, but recently, once or twice lowered and ripped my cover and broke my antennae. Hmmh
Swellmonster	posted 07-08-2010 12:08 AM ET (US) If the blip it down works for ten years, the wedge may work for longer. My boat cover is tightened by lowering the motor to a perfect position, but recently, once or twice lowered and ripped my cover and broke my antennae. Hmmh
Tom W Clark	posted 07-08-2010 09:05 AM ET (US) John -- Tilt it up, leave it up, don't worry about it. No blip, no blocks of wood, no Wedge, it will be fine.