Trailer Bunk Set-Up for a 330 Express

[HMBJack]

Looking for advice here...

I just purchased a 3 axle 18,000# capacity Venture aluminum I Beam Trailer for my 330.

I think I have it set up pretty well but am looking to fine tune it.

If you have the measurements or a photo of your bunk placement for your 330, I'd love to see them.

Thank you!

Jack

 

[seasick]

I didn't look up your trailer so I don't know how many bunks you have but in general, the rear bunks should be spaced about 55 inches apart. The center of load for that hull is 129 inches so if you have a triple axel trailer the center axel should be 129 inches from the transom.
If you have forward what I call parking bunks, thay can be set after the rear bunk adjustments. They don't carry a lot of load, they are there to keep the keel from hitting any cross members and to reduce bouncing of the hull.
The final and pretty important task is adjusting as need to get a proper tongue weight. That should be less that 10% or less of the whole load. This measurement can be tricky to measure if you don't have access to a tongue weight scale. The wrong tongue weight can cause serious and dangerous handling issues'
If you bought your trailer at a trailer dealer, that place should be able to measure the tongue weight. Adjusting the hull on the trailer is a whole different task.

 

[HMBJack]

Thank you for this.

This will be just a service trailer. I'm not going to haul it more than a 1/4 mile.

I have the bunks set up as per GW's spec. but am looking for a 330 Owner who has a trailer and might share photos or measurements.

Once I get the boat on the trailer, I will be adjusting things a few inches here and there. And yes, my trailer has target bunks up front. They too will need adjusting.

 

[choogenboom]

Funny you should ask! I just launched my 330 last Thursday after a long time on the hard while I dealt with 2 cracked starboard cylinder heads on my Yamaha F300s. Story for another forum, search THT for that one. I have a triple axle service trailer for my 2004 330 express. I used Grady's published numbers to set the bunk separation which properly places the load on the stringers. I cut the bunks to the hull angle and flat topped the top edge of the bunks as well. I made a mock up of the hull V to verify the bunk height was correct. The hull clears the fenders by about 2 inches and with the exception of the bow the keel is unsupported. I have a soft piece of 4x4 lumber placed in the bow keel area which takes some load. I might add more keel support when I replace the axles which is on the to do list. I did not use any carpet or slides. At 12,000 lbs you would be crazy to do anything but float on and off. Dragging with a winch might work on my 18 ft Whaler but has no place on a boat this size.

I bought the trailer from a friend, it was custom built for his Donzi 36 ZF which is a skinnier lighter boat and I suspect the 36 length includes the bow pulpit. He trailered the Donzi from Texas to SC so its well suited to that boat. The 330 express pretty much dwarfs it though. About 2 feet of hull hangs off the bunks on the end. Bottom line is the trailer works for my purposes which is periodic haul outs for service at my local yacht club but I would not take it on the road. I am nervous every time I haul out and launch. I use my Ford Expedition EL (its about 6,000 lbs) in 4x4 low which works great as a tow vehicle and I almost always recruit a spotter. I doubt I break 2 MPH. Again, I would never take this rig on the road. I used to use my local boat yard which had a travel lift but they are not fond of "self help" work on their property. The trailer has been indispensable for periodic maintenance. Make sure you delete the brakes as guaranteed they will rust and lock up. I have not gotten _any_ trailer brakes including Kodiak stainless to last. They all fail.

 

[choogenboom]

Trailer in action. My old motors, original 2004 F225's, had dry exhaust corrosion. Powerhead is hanging from a sturdy limb (not shown) while I replace the midsection.

 

[seasick]

Were your cracked heads caused by freezing?

 

[choogenboom]

The short answer is no, the cracks were not caused by freezing. The longer answer is:

The boat is in the water at my dock year round. The starboard cylinder heads cracked on both motors, one just below the #1 cylinder's intake valve spring seat and the other just below the #3 cylinder's intake valve spring seat. Invisible cracks that I was able to find after I pulled the valve covers, pressurized the cooling system using the flush attachment and then watched very carefully. The larger of the two cracks shed a drip of water about once every 5-10 seconds. I am sure that when the engine was hot and the valve was cycling open/close and the spring pressure near the crack cycled that the crack was getting pumped bigger then smaller. Due to how the motor's rigging umbilicus tube exits on the starboard side of the engine it can only be tilted up with engines cranked hard to port which leaves the starboard cylinder heads as the highest point of the engine. Try as I might I can not come up with a scenario where water would be trapped at/near the crack location or anywhere else in the cylinder head for that matter. There are small "weeps" to allow the various water trapping parts of the block to drain and all were clear. There are a large number of zinc anodes sprinkled around the cooling passages in the head and the block and all were near new condition as the engine has always been flushed after every use. All of the evidence points to a defective casting of the starboard cylinder heads. I have searched the various forums and can find many stories about replacing F300 powerheads due to various ailments but none that read identical to my set of facts. That said since this was so hard to find and the end result if the water in the oil is undetected will be spun bearings there are many stories about F300 failures that are due to spun bearings and broken con rods. So there may well be more F300 failures out there due to similar cracked heads that have not been properly diagnosed as to the root cause.

I should add that other than the machine shop work I did 100% of the repairs so this is all based on 1st hand knowledge. I still have the original cracked heads as well as video of the water weeping from a visually perfect area of the head if anyone is interested. The video is here.

 

[seasick]

That was scary to watch!
I was not aware of such an issue on the 300. I guess 'thanks' for posting the video

 

[HMBJack]

Oh Man, Choogenboom you made my day!

Thank you so much for this. You are exactly the guy I was searching for in the Forum.
Like my boat, my trailer is an identical twin to yours (aluminum I beam).

Per my inquiry to GW, the Livewell drain (starboard side) is 11 feet from the transom and serves as the "LCG" point (lateral center of gravity).

Do you know where your Livewell Drain is relative to your middle axle? (have a photo?)

I'm told the Livewell drain should be about 12-16" forward of the middle axle to provide sufficient tongue weight (~900 pounds or 7%). Definitely don't want less than 900 pounds on the tongue for safety sake.

And like you, I will not go more than a 1/4 mile and 2 mph. I can de-install the brakes (makes sense).

Cheers,
Jack

 

[seasick]

That was scary to watch!
I was not aware of such an issue on the 300. I guess 'thanks' for posting the video

I did some research and found several discussions about head cracking on Yamaha models. The problem is a casting issue apparently and seems to be a lot more more common on higher HP motors and motors with blowers. I also read that heads were redesigned in 2021 and that seems to have eliminated the cracking

Just another thing to add to the 'Gee what happened to my Yamaha reliability file

 

[choogenboom]

Oh Man, Choogenboom you made my day!

How many people are trailering their 300 Express? We gotta stick together and help each other out

Thank you so much for this. You are exactly the guy I was searching for in the Forum.
Like my boat, my trailer is an identical twin to yours (aluminum I beam).

Per my inquiry to GW, the Livewell drain (starboard side) is 11 feet from the transom and serves as the "LCG" point (lateral center of gravity).

Do you know where your Livewell Drain is relative to your middle axle? (have a photo?)

Nothing better than what I posted above. You can see the livewell drain is sitting roughly over the center of the forward axle. I used Grady's published CG and some high school trig to guestimate where I wanted it. Best I can tell its perfect.

I'm told the Livewell drain should be about 12-16" forward of the middle axle to provide sufficient tongue weight (~900 pounds or 7%). Definitely don't want less than 900 pounds on the tongue for safety sake.

Right! Moving up/down the ramp the critical point is where the boat is on the downslope and your truck is still level. You do not want your transom dropping and the tongue lifting the rear end of your truck. Err on the side of too much. If you were trailering on the 5 you might want to fuss to get the right number but for your 1/4 mile no harm in being heavy a little.

And like you, I will not go more than a 1/4 mile and 2 mph. I can de-install the brakes (makes sense).

I hate it when I move my trailer for the first time in months and one or more wheels are locked up.

Cheers,
Jack

 

[choogenboom]

I did some research and found several discussions about head cracking on Yamaha models. The problem is a casting issue apparently and seems to be a lot more more common on higher HP motors

So I have heard that the Yamaha F350 has a drainage issue that can allow water to freeze in the head or block, I forget which.

and motors with blowers.

Yamaha does not (to the best of my knowledge) sell a supercharged outboard motor. Pretty sure you are referring to Mercury Verados which are supercharged. I have a 150 Verado on my Whaler which has had its share of issues although nothing as bad as the F300 cracked heads or the F225 exhaust corrosion that my prior motors had.

I also read that heads were redesigned in 2021 and that seems to have eliminated the cracking

Can you post a link to your source for this? Was this for the Yamaha V8 or V6?

Just another thing to add to the 'Gee what happened to my Yamaha reliability file