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Tilt up Honda 8hp. how much tilt?

3K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  cheesybear 
#1 ·
I have a Lancer 25 with a hole in the transom to mount an outboard. My problem is, when I tilt my honda 8hp up as far as it will go, the prop and the zinc are still in the water. I was thinking if I could tilt it up a little more (I still have got to figure out how to do this) then I don't have to worry about it being in the water and the problems this can cause.

Can this be done without any problems? If so, have any of you done this? If so, how? BTW, taking it off isn't an option.

Harris
 
#2 ·
8hp honda tip

I have an 8hp honda on my sailboat. Mine is the longshaft model. I was able to redesign my motor mount to allow enough depth when running yet also the motor clears the water when tipped. It will touch occasionally in waves, when I am on starboard tack, but not normally.

I basically made a new wooden block to bolt to the mount that was a couple inches taller than the old one, moving the entire engine up. It only required some plywood, wood glue and patience. I made mine a couple inches too long on purpose, and then cut it to length afterwards.

I know why you don't want to be taking that 8hp off all the time. They aren't light weights.
 
#3 ·
Is it in an outboard motor well?? or is it a transom cutout that allows the outboard to sit lower in the water? A photo would help...so get two more posts and read the POST in my signature to learn how to post a photo using a Photobucket.com or Flickr.com account.
 
#4 ·
The mount is a transom cut out. Uunfortunately, I can't post any pictures. I like the idea of raising the the mount a couple of inches. I'm not as concerned about a little of the motor being in the water when I sail. My main concern is when I am tied up in the slip. There seems to be some current leakage in the marina and I'd like to keep the motor out of the water. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Harris
 
#5 ·
You could always use a motor mount that allows you to lift the motor a foot or so. A friend of mine uses one that is made of stainless steel tubing for the rails and the mount can slide up or down the rails. The rails are mounted permanently to the transom of the boat. A small block and tackle allows her to raise the motor easily, and it uses bolts to hold the engine slider in the various positions.

The only issue with the mounting rail system she uses is that the engine can't be turned any longer... the mount doesn't allow for it... my bad—since I designed it... but it works for what she needed.
 
#8 ·
You could always use a motor mount that allows you to lift the motor a foot or so. A friend of mine uses one that is made of stainless steel tubing for the rails and the mount can slide up or down the rails. The rails are mounted permanently to the transom of the boat. A small block and tackle allows her to raise the motor easily, and it uses bolts to hold the engine slider in the various positions.

The only issue with the mounting rail system she uses is that the engine can't be turned any longer... the mount doesn't allow for it... my bad-since I designed it... but it works for what she needed.
Can you post a picture or sketch of the mounting rail system? I can kind of picture it, but it would be good for me to understand it a little more clarly. My motor is in a well and being able to pull it straight up would be a huge improvement.
 
#6 ·
Sliding mount...

Not to hijack, but Sailing Dog,could you post some pics or a drawing of the sliding mount. We need that type of set-up for a L/S outboard on a Cal27. Very high transom and standard Fulton mounts are not good enough. We're hoping to have one made, and need good ideas to start. Any help appreciated.
Mahalo, Leonard
 
#10 ·
A word of caution on tilt

I found your thread via a search and wanted to add a word of caution when it comes to motor tilt. I've got a honda 8hp myself, and ran into a problem recently that was caused by motor tilt. If you're running in salt water, be aware that tilting the motor without flushing it will accelerate waterpump corrosion.

When you tilt it, most of the water drains out of the pump and exhaust housing in the little holes (as long as they aren't plugged). But a small amount, about 2 ounces worth, will collect in the forward section of the waterpump inlet. Since this water doesn't touch your zinc, it creates it's own galvanic cell and attacks the aluminum casting below the water pump. Over time, this will thin out the wall and require some sort of repair, or a new casting.

On my motor, I caught it when it was about 50-80% corrroded, and the gasket sealing surface had about 1/2" area missing once the corrosion was removed. Fortunately, the oil seal OD sealing area was only lightly corroded, so I still had a decent sealing surface to use as a reference.

I found a great repair method. I put a wire brush on my dremel too, and brushed out the oxidized aluminum (which is dark gray) until I saw some bare shiny aluminum. I degreased it with some alcohol, then layed down some metal epoxy (I used Duralloy which is awesome stuff, but isn't too easy to find, you could use some other metal epoxy as well). Reshaped the repair to the original dimensions by grinding, and then put down one more layer to fill in the gasket sealing surface. Put soap on the pump plate as a release agent, and pressed it down to get a nice gasket sealing surface. The repair came out beautifully.

If you want my two cents, I'd say you're best off leaving your motor down with the lower unit submerged. Yes, you will have to replace your zincs more often, and it will get algae on it, but at least your zincs will be protecting your whole motor. The best solution is to freshwater flush every time, and then store tilted up, but personally, I don't find that to be very practical or easy.
 
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