Transom Saver

[San Dimas]

I've heard that using a transom saver without power trim can damage the lower unit. Is this true? Also, if I put the gear box in reverse it locks the motor from piviting away form the boat. Would this be good or bad for towing? I hope my pictures are OK. Does it look like my transom is rotted?

 

[atuck593]

I would definitely look into replacing the transom. I would hate to see that new motor break off while trailering down the road or while your boat is in the water from a weakened transom. It looks as though the top board is pulling away from the smaller board that runs vertical up the back of the support. Maybe get a new board that is a few inches wider in the center but make cutouts so it will fit behind the bench seats on the sides? This way you can get rid of that two piece transom set up? I would also invest in a transom saver. The weight of the motor with the added leverage of hanging off the back of the boat; I would want the re-assurance if it were me. I have heard it can be harmful without power tilt/trim but I have not noticed any damaging affects after three years of towing with one. I actually use a ratchet strap to pull the lower unit of the motor into the saver and then anchor it to the trailer. I used the rubbed bungee that came with the saver but it wouldn't fit right with it. So I bought cheapo ratchet straps from Harbor Freight and cut them to fit. The motor is held in place well and I don't see any extra bounce or strain on the transom.

 

[JMichael]

I agree that it would be stronger to have a one piece transom although I'm not sure how difficult it would be to do with that boat. Locking the motor where it won't come up will not help. The problem is that the weight is hanging out past the transom. When you hit a bump the motors weight tries to shift down, as it does it tries to rotate so that the prop/foot move in toward the boat and the upper part of the motor tries to pull down and away from the boat. So the rotational force pulls down and out/back on the transom. I've never heard that bit about a transom saver damaging a boat if it didn't have pwr tilt/trim. And I've been around boats that were using savers without tilt/trim since the mid 70's and have never seen one using a saver have to be welded or suffer any other type damage as a result of using one.

 

[great white]

There's something about that brace that just doesn't look right.

The two piece aspect of it seems wrong to carry a load properly and the gauge looks smaller than the the lower part.

Need to find a pic of another 79 valco to be certain....

 

[great white]

here's a few I've run across on a quick google:

Those are various years and 12-14 footers, but it's all pretty close to 1979 and the same manufacturer.

Here's the only 14 foot 1979 valco picture I could find:

I'm no expert on Valco's, but I'm going to guess someone has been mucking with your transom in the past and that two piece angle brace is allowing the transom to lever back and forth at the top on bumps while trailering.

I'm willing to bet if you spin those two nuts off and look at the original brace underneath it, the top has been cut off so someone could remove/replace the upper transom board at one time, could fit a certain motor mount of it just corroded away. That someone has been mucking with it is further supported by the volts and nuts that go through the data plates. It would be quite odd for an OEM to build it that way...

Making it worse is the fact that the original brace is probably doing it's intended job properly (bracing the transom) and the upper board it probably "levering" at the top of the bottom bracket (if it's cut off). Coincidentally, that looks to be right where your light gauge bench seats are attached to the upper transom board and they're broken through...

I could be wrong though, that's a fancy looking patch piece if it is something someone bolted on there after the fact.

Come to think of it, I haven't been able to find any pics of a valco with parallel benches in the back; they're all transverse benches. If someone was good enough to make a fancy cover over the transom brace like I think has been done, two benches would be an easy task. They may not be original either, which could explain why they are pulling off the transom....

 

[San Dimas]

Thank you all very much. The transom has definately been messed with. When I got the boat last year I had to seal up a few places with Gluvit which worked fine. I noticed in your pictures of other Valco's that the brace is one piece. So now I have to figure out whether to fix it or get another boat. Bass Pro has a 14' Tracker welded aluminum for $1800 plus tax and shipping. Anyone know anything about these? Thanks again for all your help.

 

[great white]

Thank you all very much. The transom has definately been messed with. When I got the boat last year I had to seal up a few places with Gluvit which worked fine. I noticed in your pictures of other Valco's that the brace is one piece. So now I have to figure out whether to fix it or get another boat. Bass Pro has a 14' Tracker welded aluminum for $1800 plus tax and shipping. Anyone know anything about these? Thanks again for all your help.

Well, first, I'd pull that upper piece off and see what you're dealing with before condemning it and dropping 1800+ on a new hull.

A reasonable fix could be as easy as welding or riveting the upper and lower bits together....Or you can have a shop fab up a new piece and just rivet it in.

Couple hundred if you want to get really expensive with it but can be done for much less.

 

[San Dimas]

Hello everyone. Well I took your advice and removed my old transom, what a mess. It was totally rotten. I'm also making a new knee brace out of aluminum plate. You were right, someone really mucked it up. The new transom will be out of 2 pieces of 5/8" exterior plywood epoxied together. Then I'll cut out the transom making it a bit larger in area to spread out the load more. I can't believe how small the original transom was! My question is, what should I use to paint the new one. Spar varnish or something else?