I have a pontoon parked on dock at a campground all summer. Is it better to leave the motor tilted out of the water or down in the water when not in use? I am not able to put the pontoon on a lift. My only reason for wanting to leave it down is protection from others hitting the prop and lower unit if it is up.
I leave mine down all summer. Not only do I NOT want someone hitting it, but I don’t want my prop stolen. It’s an outboard motor, it’s made to be in the water. Yeah, you may get a skum line on it, but better than a repair or replacement bill.
one pro for having it up is nothing can grow or attach to the water intake. Could save you a different kind of repair bill.
I prefer them down on lifts/docks. The angle is better to bounce my lures off of – dropping them straight down into the shadowed strike zone 
…but in all honesty I’m guessing there are +/- to having it up or down. For what it’s worth, I see probably 15x more with the motor stored down in the water as opposed to up.
Pop the cotter pin off, remove the prop, lock up in the cabin, tilt motor up ?
If zebra mussels are not a problem on the lake leave it down. If they are a problem I would not want them to make a home in the water intake and would tilt it up.
If zebra mussels are not a problem on the lake leave it down. If they are a problem I would not want them to make a home in the water intake and would tilt it up.
x2
Thanks for the replies. No zeebs in the lake yet. I actually didn’t think about that until you guys mentioned it.
I’ve left mine up for the five summers I’ve owned it. I do this due to wear shoreline is, lily pads etc… it’s pretty private.
Never had any issues.
Parents have left theirs up for about 5 years as well with no issues and probably another 15 years on their fishing boat… but I got to ask to a respondent, has anyone known anyone to have a prop stolen?
I’ve never heard of it happening. I also think the odds of a boater hitting a docked boat and taking out the lower unit are probably worse than the Vikings winning the Super Bowl.
Wait one minute Belle – sooner or later a boater will take out that lower unit. 
Wait one minute Belle – sooner or later a boater will take out that lower unit.
Good point… and it’ll probably happen in Wisconsin. 
I have always put mine down for over 20 years all summer. Never had an issue with the intake.
And YES, I do know people that have had their prop stolen right off the motor. I am leaving mine in the down position.
One other thing, when the motor is out of the water that is when corrosion happens, rust doesn’t start in the water, it’s once the oxygen hits it that it begins to corrode.
pluses and minuses both ways. my boats has the motor up all summer granted it doesn’t sit still forever. someone wants to go through the trouble of taking the prop i’ll have an extra beer and call it even. my thoughts are stuff going in the motor and if for some reason the boat busted loose would rather have the boat stop itself than have the prop/skeg/lower unit smack something.
if your setup would be easy for another boat to hit it I would put it in the water.
We used to leave it down and would have problems with muskrats building and clogging things up. Got it on a lift, now. 
Wading underneath a pontoon to remove occupied muskrats nests is not an activity for the faint of heart. It requires some courage fluid. 
We used to leave it down and would have problems with muskrats building and clogging things up. Got it on a lift, now.
Wading underneath a pontoon to remove occupied muskrats nests is not an activity for the faint of heart. It requires some courage fluid.
I would have thought a little boat ride on plane would have worked.
I would have thought a little boat ride on plane would have worked.
Not when you water intake is clogged with crap. Also, a 40 hp on a 20′ pontoon doesn’t scream speed.
And YES, I do know people that have had their prop stolen right off the motor. I am leaving mine in the down position.
One other thing, when the motor is out of the water that is when corrosion happens, rust doesn’t start in the water, it’s once the oxygen hits it that it begins to corrode.
Do you pull your battery too so that can’t just trim up your motor and steel your prop?
FYI: There is oxygen in the water so yes rust starts under the water…
That said I have no idea which is better. They both have pro’s and con’s. I know I’ve left my motor down and had zebs in the intake after two days. A lake with no zebs would probably have no issues leaving it down.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>sticker wrote:</div>
And YES, I do know people that have had their prop stolen right off the motor. I am leaving mine in the down position.One other thing, when the motor is out of the water that is when corrosion happens, rust doesn’t start in the water, it’s once the oxygen hits it that it begins to corrode.
Do you pull your battery too so that can’t just trim up your motor and steel your prop?
FYI: There is oxygen in the water so yes rust starts under the water…
That said I have no idea which is better. They both have pro’s and con’s. I know I’ve left my motor down and had zebs in the intake after two days. A lake with no zebs would probably have no issues leaving it down.
No I don’t pull the battery, but trimmed down would be a detterant. If they are going to trim it up and take it, they will find a way even with the battery out. A stainless prop glistening in the sunlight is much more attractive than one under the water.
Yes, rust does form under water, but it’s much slower than wet metal exposed to air.
“Yes, steel does rust in water, just look at underwater photos of sunken ships. However, it forms a different type of rust that does not develop as quickly as common rust – FeO(OH). Specifically, it creates iron(III) hydroxide Fe(OH)3. Steel needs both water and the oxygen from air to create FeO(OH) rust”
Funny, as full of zebs as Mille Lacs is I have never had an issue in over 20 years…guess I am just lucky 
I keep mine up until its gets cold with freezing temps. Then I keep it down so it wont get damaged by freezing water in hub or the lower unit if it happens to have water at the end of the season. After 10 years my biggest problem is sun damage to the hood and stickers peeling off. A motor cover would be a good idea if you dont want that to happen.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Scegura wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>sticker wrote:</div>
And YES, I do know people that have had their prop stolen right off the motor. I am leaving mine in the down position.One other thing, when the motor is out of the water that is when corrosion happens, rust doesn’t start in the water, it’s once the oxygen hits it that it begins to corrode.
Do you pull your battery too so that can’t just trim up your motor and steel your prop?
FYI: There is oxygen in the water so yes rust starts under the water…
That said I have no idea which is better. They both have pro’s and con’s. I know I’ve left my motor down and had zebs in the intake after two days. A lake with no zebs would probably have no issues leaving it down.
No I don’t pull the battery, but trimmed down would be a detterant. If they are going to trim it up and take it, they will find a way even with the battery out. A stainless prop glistening in the sunlight is much more attractive than one under the water.
Yes, rust does form under water, but it’s much slower than wet metal exposed to air.
“Yes, steel does rust in water, just look at underwater photos of sunken ships. However, it forms a different type of rust that does not develop as quickly as common rust – FeO(OH). Specifically, it creates iron(III) hydroxide Fe(OH)3. Steel needs both water and the oxygen from air to create FeO(OH) rust”Funny, as full of zebs as Mille Lacs is I have never had an issue in over 20 years…guess I am just lucky
Please explain what parts there are to worry about rust on an outboard. Last I checked most everything on an outboard is made of either stainless, brass, or aluminum. Unless of course you’ve bought one of them Chinesium outboards?
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