Is This "planing"

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

My trim doesn't work on my boat. It is locked in the most neutral spot I can get it to. The boat takes off and slows down fine with no excessive water getting anywhere into the boat. Question is, if I am at WOT or at cruising speed for about 1-3 minutes the front of the boat goes from a raised position to slowly lowering down to where the boat seems like it is flat as a table. Is this planing? Is this normal? Remember I just started boating a week or so ago.

Joe

[Smokinal]

It's not nesessisarily planing off; it may just be settling out. If you picture the angle of the prop in the locked position you have it in, it's going to raise the bow on take-off, then as you pick up speed, it will settle in. Without seeing/feeling the boat in the water, I can't tell if it's planed off or not. 

As far as running it like that, it's not that bad, maybe just lose some MPH and some MPG. If you are pushing water instead of riding up on top, your motor isn't as efficient.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Friend of mine was looking at it. He said I was not "plowing" water. Is that a good thing?

[retiredbosn]

Yes its a good thing you never want to plow water. Go over to you tube and watch some boating videos, you'll quickly see what happens when you plane BTW allot depends on your hull design some boats never truly plane

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Will do. Thanks !!

[Sam]

Check your engine's RPM gauge and if it is high then the boat is struggling in the water.

 

You want to fly over the water to get maximum motor performance and gas mileage.

 

Any plans to get the trim repaired? The trim is there for a purpose and you need to have everything on the boat working properly for safety and performance.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

I hear the trim motor "click" but not working. Have to look into it this weekend. ;-)

[J Francho]

What kind of boat is it? What motor and prop?

[F14A-B]

A lot of whether this is good, great or indifferent depends on water conditions..uh, it could very well be dangerous..

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

What kind of boat is it? What motor and prop?

Cajun. 16 ft. Johnson 70.

[J Francho]

You should be able to plane out in that rig just fine. The fastest way to get on plane is trimmed all the in to the transom.

[lmoore]

You should be able to plane out in that rig just fine. The fastest way to get on plane is trimmed all the in to the transom.

Great advice for those with a working trim

[J Francho]

I was under the impression he could move it, just not while in the water. Taking 2-3 minutes to plane is dangerous. Better to be trimmed in than too far out. But what do I know, you guys have this covered.

[gobig]

I hear the trim motor "click" but not working. Have to look into it this weekend. ;-)

 

 

Sounds like a solenoid. There should be two of them one for up and one for down. Take a screwdriver and touch the two big terminals together and the motor should trim up or down. Its an easy fix. If this is the problem I would replace both. When one fails the other seems to follow. Should look something like this. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=tilt+trim+solenoid

[retiredbosn]

You should be able to plane out in that rig just fine. The fastest way to get on plane is trimmed all the in to the transom.

When my trimmed crapped out, this is what I did, fast on plane. I got it fixed as quick as I could.

[lmoore]

I was under the impression he could move it, just not while in the water. Taking 2-3 minutes to plane is dangerous. Better to be trimmed in than too far out. But what do I know, you guys have this covered.

I may have misunderstood him, but either way I was just giving you a hard time. Nothing seriously meant by it. You've probably given more good advice on BR already this morning than I have in the last 2-3 years!

[J Francho]

No prob, thanks man.

[Way2slow]

Depending on the year model, the trim motor is going to be a two wire or a three wire and it might be bad. What you hear clicking is most likely the relays that operates it. Next depending on age, the trim relays are under the cowling or in a separate box mounted in the boat on the transom.

Not knowing what you have, I can only be very general with help.

Follow the wire from the trim motor to where the connector is.

If it's a two wire, connect a volt meter by sliding the pointed tips or a T-pin into the connector going in beside the wire. Make sure you get it in enough to contact the metal terminals. If using pins, you can just stick them through the wire.

DO NOT UNPLUG THE CONNECTOR. Without a load, you may get lied to and it shows you have 12 volts that will go away as soon as a load is applied.

If two wire, you should have 12 volts between them when you press the trim button and it should reverse polarity when you try trimming the other way.

If it's a three wire, you will have a common, an up wire and a down wire. You have to check for voltage between the common and each of the other two, based on which way the switch is pressed.

If you have voltage with these test, the trim motor is bad or the wire to the motor has gotten cut or broken. If you don't have it, you need to make sure you have it to the relays. It could just be a blown fuse.

Now, I'm talking about a large 12ga wire, that runs the motor. Not the small wires that the switch is energizing the relay with.

That is if the relays are clicking like you said. If not you need to chase the voltage on the control side.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

I was under the impression he could move it, just not while in the water. Taking 2-3 minutes to plane is dangerous. Better to be trimmed in than too far out. But what do I know, you guys have this covered.

You are correct. I can move it manually out of the water. :-)

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Thanks way2slow. I'll try that this weekend. ;-)

[Way2slow]

If you can move it manually, and it has hydraulic tilt and trim, the bypass valve has been opened. You are sure the motor is not running, it should make enough noise to hear it. However it will not move the motor with the bypass valve open.