Tilt Locks: Are you using them wrong?

Outboard tilt locks are commonly accidentally abused. They are designed for locking your motor in the highest trim for maintenance only, never for travel purposes. Often, people travel the boat with the tilt locks engaged which can cause severe damage to the locks. 

Above, you can see a tilt lock from a Yamaha 115 SHO VMAX in perfect working condition.  When used wrongly, they can become bent and will no longer support the weight of the motor.

The weight of the motor bouncing, while being pulled, will cause the locks to splay apart, or bend inwards depending on the direction of the force applied. Once the locks have been bent you cannot straighten them out enough to safely lock your motor at high trim for maintenance. 

This causes extra expenses the next time you have your motor serviced in labor and part costs. Save yourself and only use the tilt locks to service your motor. Keep in mind that not all outboard motors have tilt locks. 

See the following video for a demonstration of the proper use for your outboard tilt locks.