Outboard 'safety' brackets

[whitingiom]

OK, I know that's probably not the correct term.....

But on both my outboards there's a spring loaded bracket to support the engine when tilted up.

Previously I always tilted the motor up and supported it on this bracket for trailing, dropping the motor back down for flushing and storage when I got home.

The chap who sold me my new boat advised that he'd been told that the bracket was only for use when working on the engine, and trailing it with the bracket in place put strain on the other brackets/mountings etc?

Opinions please?

[John Kennett]

It should be OK to trail the boat with the engine titled this way, but I know that some people have had problems with breakages (although it's only the tilt catch that breaks, not anything more serious).

A proven solution is to release the catch and drop the engine down onto a block of softwood placed just under the hinge point, which supports it in the up position without damaging anything.

John

[jwalker]

Tie the block to a piece of string or something. The engine can bounce and the block fall out. Personal experience.

JW.

[jools]

Just had my first service and engine was left half raised just on the tilt hydrolics - I asked if this was OK as I had always raised it, put the catch over and then lowered it onto the catch for towing - The mechanic said that there was no problem leaning it on the hydrolics, he said far more strain was put on the tilt system when actualy running at speed and also added that much less damage is done to the boat and engine if you have an accident on the road.

I did notice in the handbook that the "catch" is supposed to be used to prop the engine up for servicing - and specificaly not for towing

Jools