Many people with Inboard/Outboards have the misconception that you should put your stern drive in the "up" position when the boat is not in use or when it's in storage. This may alleviate growth on the lower unit when your boat is in the water, but it causes other problems.

Leaving your stern drive in the "down" position takes stress and strain off of the bellows covering the U-joints. The bellows are stretched when the drive is in the raised position. This eventually can lead to cracking and leaking. Water can get past the gimbal bearing and your boat could sink.

Leaving the drive in the "down" position, whether in or out of the water, also means less pressure on the hydraulic system.

For those of you who store your boat outside in the winter, if the drive is left up, water can collect in the exhaust outlet of the lower unit. If the water then freezes, it could crack the casting.

To prevent theft, consider removing your outdrive and replacing it with a stern-drive storage cover when winterizing. For more information or stern drive care, see our Spring Maintenance and Winterizing helpful hints.