Outboard motor up or down?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=132894
Printed Date: 23 Jun 2026 at 10:22pm
Topic: Outboard motor up or down?
Posted By: Buggar-me
Subject: Outboard motor up or down?
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 9:05am
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Some people say motor down, some say motor up and use the locking pin to take the weight which saves the hydraulics. Which is correct?
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Replies:
Posted By: JustAnotherSpearo
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 9:35am
| In what regard? storage? towing? |
Posted By: Buggar-me
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 9:47am
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Sorry storage. I did see a couple of weeks ago a guy leaving the boat ramp with his motor down. Didn't end well as one would imagine. |
Posted By: MATTOO
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 10:32am
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Always down. ------------- Still cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0! |
Posted By: Espresso
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 10:36am
| I was advised that it makes no real difference to a modern outboard engine, up or down when stored, advice from an outboard manufacturers senior engineer. |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 11:01am
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Down would relieve the pressure on the hydraulic seals and pump. Is there any advantage to leaving it up? I always drop mine. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Dukeas
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 11:50am
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I was told it was better for the oil and fuel if left down. Maybe depends how long for.
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Posted By: bazza
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 12:16pm
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With smaller motors they are often stored lying down but an O/B mechanic told me this is not a good idea as residual cooling water is likely be still holding internally which can over time cause problems ... he said if motor was to be stored other than upright 'then motor must be left standing up for a min of 30 minutes & whilst motor is still hot from flushing.Maybe the same would apply to larger motors to a lesser extent & is the reason I store mine vertical so as to drain a max of residual water ... is surprising how much water drips out after it has been dropped down. ------------- When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!! |
Posted By: cirrus
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 1:36pm
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i do similar to bazza. flush motor,trim right up ,wash all the inside bits. Leave to dry off -20-30 minutes,then trim down to about 6 inches from ground. Then alot more water comes out after doing this. Then store in shed. Incidently,sometimes when i get home after dark i dont flush until following morning or even afternoon. Wonder if this practice could be detrimental ,as possibly water inside motor could evaporate to some degree,making salt build up. On the other hand maybe it takes much longer for this to happen.
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Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 7:10pm
------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
cirrus wrote:Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2020 at 7:48pm
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According to my outboard service and repair manuals and the owners hand books I have here... store upright.. It drains water , in 4S the oil stays in the sumps, basically all of the reasons mentioned above. |
Posted By: Dagwood
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2020 at 6:17am
| Down for all the reasons above and I think if someone started to trim it up at 3:00 am to steal it, I'd wake up. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2020 at 9:07am
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Just wondering.. other rigs.. Mine with engine down and on the hitch, it has reasonable clearance with the ground unless going over a reasonably larg hump. Off the hitch , at the height the hitch just slips under.. skeg can only just touch the ground and water runs out of the back of the prop and cavities in the gear box housing. I have seen many a prop drag up a ramp with engine still down, only in running height.. not even all the way down. I have slightly grazied at a ramp a couple times over the yrs where at the top there is a definite angle between ramp slop and car park. |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2020 at 11:46am
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It hurts less to walk in to a trimmed down motor than a trimmed up one. Especially if you are a little personnel running around playing without a care in the world until you get scalped by a shiny stainless prop... Down is best for so many reasons. Oil and fuel are not included. ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: puff
Date Posted: 10 Feb 2020 at 12:52pm
| Down is best |