Thank you. 1/2 inch socket. Mine was turning hard left. Mine was set to the extreme opposite of what was needed. It was pulling left and tab was pointing right. I adjusted it to the far left direction, and made a world of difference. Thanks for the video💪 I appreciate it.
I believe that the manufacturer calls it a trim tab because you are "trimming" AKA "making a fine adjustment" to the torque effect. And yes I am a boater and aware of other types of trim tabs as well as up and down motor trim. See! All trims :) Thanks for the video! I just replaced mine due to the amount of electrolysis damage.
"Trim tabs"--there are two of these mounted on the Transom, they adjust the inner and outer of the hull, or shyne angle. This tab is the "torque tab" and it compensates for the directional turn of the engine's torque. :-)
you are correct, trim tabs make the front of the boat raise our lower...on a stern drive, while underway, it's controlled by the button on the throttle handle
"Trim tabs"--there are two of those guys, they adjust to make the boat go up or down, or side to side. These tabs are "torque tabs" and they work to compensate for the directional turn of the engine's torque. But thanks for this, I did not know for sure which way to turn them.
I've always found it simpler to remember and convey by saying "if the helm pulls to the right, swing the back of the trim tab to the right." ...And vice-versa. And since "pulling to the right" would also mean it's "easier to turn the boat to the right," I think he said the right things. ...Although I'd have to watch and listen again to be sure. ;)
Thanks I'm glad I found this and other videos.. Add my boat out in the last couple times I noticed that when I'm cruising and a let go of the wheel it wants to pull really hard to the left to where I pretty much have to hang on the steering wheel tight or it will take off to the left.. Glad I found this so now I can go a just that a little and see if that helps
Yeah it's easy enough to adjust it's a different story all together getting it fine tuned I just spent 6 hours on the water running a while then adjusted a little this way run a while and go back the other way one or two marks again easy to loosen and adjust not so easy fine tuning it and getting it perfect
Yeah…but 6 hrs in the water (except for the fuel prices) ain’t a bad way to spend time! Thx for the help…will budget time accordingly for my next adjustment.
sounds good so far let me try it on my 07 Bayliner and ill let you know how it works... The problem that I am having is that it is easy to turn to either direction but hard to turn back straight again, but the wheel turns very easy when the boat is not moving.
Thank you.. I have a Mercury 115 Four stroke and very hard to turn to the left when running. I adjusted all the way to the right hopefully this will help.
Did it help? I'm in the same situation. I have a 90 HP 2 stroke merc and I can't turn the wheel to the left without wrestling it. So it goes to the right?
Totally differant but is there anything differant I need to do to a 2010 efi 4 stroke 90hp when changing the ecm to a 115hp ecm ? Also how do you first allow the new module adjust it's self ?
Not the sharpest crayon in the box, but I believe you have to adjust the tab to the speed you normally like to cruise in, or have the torque problem in, not going to be all that efficient at all speed ranges, sure there are alot more variables here also !
Did it help? I'm in the same situation. I have a 90 HP 2 stroke merc and I can't turn the wheel to the left without wrestling it. So it goes to the right?
You adjust to the side you're trying to correct, pulling left adjust to the left, same for right side, little at a time, has graduation Mark's on lower unit !
The problem I find with people trying to explain which way to turn the trim tab. Is they do not explain well enough which way is turning it to the right or left. Basically which edge are you referring to as Turing right or left. The leading edge? Or the trailing edge?
@@peterdarr383 That sounds exactly 180 degrees backwards. But then again i'm thinking like a pilot using the ruddder. If you are forcing the lower unit to the right (which is at the back of the boat), wouldn't that push the bow left?
My boat drove straight when I first got it I took the bottom half of the motor apart to replace the water pump . I marked the trim tab before taking it apart. I put it back exactly where it was. Now the boat pulls hard to the right when I let go of the steering wheel. Adjusting this trim tab should correct this? Or is there something else I have to do in order to get the boat to go straight when I let go of the steering wheel? Thank you for your time.
This thing on my Tohatsu 9,8hp 4t 2018 is melting every 5 months . I cannot get the outboard out of the salt water . The boat is a sailboat and I wonder if I can replace it with the cheaper option. The outboard is stable in its well , I don’t use it for directions.
its doing its job if its melting away! Without it your motor would be melting away. If you are using shore power double check to see if you have a good ground. A bad ground can cause excessive electrolysis.
You might have another issue going on. If this sacrificial anode (on many engines it serves two functions) and trim tab is "melting" every 5 months you might be moored where your boat, somebody else's boat or marina/shore power(electricity) is leaking into the water. If you place your metal engine in salt water add electricity and you have a corrosive mixture that will DESTROY sail drives, outdrives, underwater running rigging and outboard lower units suspended in that corrosive mixture. Also, if there is stray electrical current leaking into the water it is extremely dangerous (ESD; electric shock drowning, fresh water being MORE dangerous than salt water, unfortunately happens frequently) and potentially lethal.
I had a really hard steer as well..and I thought my cables were fine. I removed the cables from the stern and the out drive turned with ease. Replaced the steer cable and now I can steer with one finger...with no power steering.
I just ran my used boat for the first time and it's leaning left under power. I'm reading that it's from prop torque. The previous owner added a stainless prop so it might not be the right pitch. should I change the prop or put one of these trim tabs on? It currently has just a flat anode in that spot.
You won't know if the prop is the correct pitch until it is rigged correctly. The trim tab is inexpensive and will help get the boat in proper rig. Do that first and see where the rpm's are at full speed. My motor is rated at 5400-6000 rpms and I am only getting 5300 with a 19" pitch SS prop but, like yours, it torques to the left and limits the amount of up-trim I can get so I can't get the bow up as high as it should be under full power. I'm putting on a trim tab this week. Dealer says it is the solution. Getting the boat more on top of the water will give me additional rpms and more speed
For what it's worth (...I see this question is 4 years old,) the trim tab this video refers to isn't made to correct a boat's list caused by propeller torque. Ordinarily a boat/motor combo is set up so that the helmsman's weight minimizes the boat's list due to propeller torque. In a single-screw boat, if the drive swings a left hand propeller (which turns counterclockwise in forward gear when viewed from astern,) the helm station is set up on the port or left side of the boat, but if it swings a right-hand propeller (which turns clockwise in forward when viewed from astern,), the helm station is set up on the starboard or right side. If more than the helmsman's weight is required, transom mounted trim tabs are required.
OMG, I've been looking for a video on this for hours! Thank you so much, really appreciated! Any suggestions on the amount to adjust at a time? My boat is very difficult to turn left under load and I noticed the trim tax is pretty far to the left already. Boat seems to be equal effort steering at shower speeds/rpm.
@@Cotronixco Did it help? I'm in the same situation. I have a 90 HP 2 stroke merc and I can't turn the wheel to the left without wrestling it. So it goes to the right?
😂allen key brah. Read your manual people. Not a trim tab either those are the metal plates for additional trimming. Then u have out and up and in and down and trailer on the cylinders on the drive. There isn't much help on you tune unfortunately. That's my info you requested.
@@crackjack8320 As you say..."depending on what side of the boat". Confusion persists. There is only ONE Starboard Side, and only ONE Port side., eliminating all confusion ...Period. According to the "boat folk" belief, depending on whether you are looking at the boat from the stern ("boat folk" probably call it the rear) of the boat, or Looking at the boat from the bow("boat folk" probably call it the front), there can be a left side which is actually the right. Etc. There are many terms to eliminate any doubt, as to what the educated world refers to when talking nautical, and also aviation language. If you "boat folk" are sharing your limited knowledge of boating terms on RU-vid, the least you can do is explain what you are attempting to say, using the proper terminology.
Fraser and Flagler are right. Learn these nautical terms, or someday some sailor might flip out and stuff you overboard through one of those little round windows. ;)
Confusion with title. Trim tabs are at the transom and adjust the bow up or down. An anode trim tab (which is what is shown here) adjusts the track of the boat side to side.
Then it is named incorrectly! It has nothing to do with the trim! That's what Lenco Trim Tabs and the motor/throttle trim switches are for! The port or starboard pull on the steering is from the torque generated from the prop which is corrected by adjusting the TORQUE Tab! I'm a Degreed Engineer! Glad I could clear that up for you!!
+Charles Manuel Well degreed engineer, Mercury Marine Boat Manufacturer calls it a Trim Tam. iBoats, boat parts seller also list it as a Trim Tab. Glad I could clear that up for you!
Tony, maybe you can help me with something. Does the 2016 Mercury 90HP 4 stroke have a trim tab? I just got my skeg rewelded and I'm paranoid that they put on an older lower unit and tried to pass it off as mine. I could swear I didn't have a trim tab before. Is this possible or am I losing my marbles?
With the advent of hydraulic steering in many boats, trim tabs (semantics aside, everyone calls them that) are not needed on many motors. My new 135 HO Evinrude came without trim tab but it's on a very clean 1991 Lund 1850 Tyee without hydraulic steering and it torques quite hard to the left when accelerating and while being trimmed up. Dealer says it needs a trim tab and ordered the correct one for the motor. Can't wait until I can get it to trim properly. I have a 19" pitch SS Viper prop on it and it just rockets out of the hole but not being able to trim the motor up, limits the top speed to 47 mph at 5300 RPM with a lot of left torque steer. The boat should easily clear the 50 mph mark when rigged properly. Really like the combination.
You're just splitting hairs Rob. It's always been called a trim tab by most dealers and manufacturers. I believe you can call it either because it does alleviate torque steer but, by doing so, it also allows the motor to be trimmed up as one accelerates getting the boat higher in the water to get more RPM's which translates to higher speed and better fuel economy.
Yeah just cut it off. The manufactures and all of the 100s of engineers that built them just put them on their for looks... whatever works for you bud 👍👍
NOT TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE, BUT YOUR ADJUSTING "IS NOT A TRIM TAB"! (TRIM TAB'S, PLURAL, ARE ON EACH CORNER OF BOAT.) WHAT YOUR ADJUSTING IS THE STEERING FIN ANODE! SCHEECH!
