86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

[nabularach]

My tilt trim seems to work fine but hen I put my boat in reverse the motor lifts out of the water if I have the rpm's too high. If the motor is in the don position I can lift the motor right up. I tried to check the manual relief valve but it isnt a screw it is kind of a plug held in by a spring clip. Can anyone explain this? The other thing I noticed is that there are 5 holes to connect hydraulic lines to the pump but there are only 4 hooked up. 2 go to tilt and 2 go to trim the other hole is threaded but it is not plugged. My guess is either the spare line should be plugged, the check balls in the pump are out of round or a seal in my tilt cylinder is bad. These are just guesses at this point and I would appreciate the opinion from someone with more experience.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

the fifth port isn't even drilled through or threaded. Trying to use it opens a different hydraulic path and brings new issues. It is best to just forget about it.

There really is not a manual release on the Force. There is more of an emergency "make a big hole for fluid to gush out of so that I can get this boat on a trailer and head home".

Lifting perfectly without any bleed down but then kicking up in reverse is a weird problem. Starting point is still rebuilding of valve body. Once the valve body is "known good" then you can conclude tilt ram needs service. Trying to isolate bad valve body from bad ram in reverse direction is more trouble than its worth. Fix the most likely suspect and the see if it's fixed.

 

[nabularach]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

Another question. I have a bracket that mounts under the motor it sildes into place and then it gets a cotter pin through it( I think it is called a cross brace). What is this bracket for? Does it hold the motor down or is it for storage?

Thanks

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

Sounds like it may be the towing bracket. When towing your boat on the trailer, you want the lower part of the motor (skeg) up away from the ground. Otherwise it may drag when you go through a dip in the road and do some damage. Raise the motor up, insert the bracket and cotter pin. Lower the motor so the bracket supports the weight of the motor, not the hydraulics. This takes the strain off of the seals in the hydraulic system. I also attach a strap across the lower part of the motor to keep it from bouncing up off the bracket when I hit a bump.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

You should never tow or store your boat without bracing. If you hit a big enough pothole then you might pop open the bypass valve and end up dragging your lower unit on ground. Storing your boat with bracing helps make the seals last longer.

 

[nabularach]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

I will take the valve body apart this weekend.

Thanks

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

Take it apart over a bucket so that you don't lose any parts.

 

[nabularach]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

I took the valve body apart and cleaned it. I didnt see anything wrong and the springs look O.K.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

McGyver can build an airplane out of popscicle sticks and rubber bands but you never runs any longer than a single episode. I get to fix a McGyver's handywork. It almost always costs more than if he had just left it alone in the first place.

moral of the story is to be slow and steady. Don't force anything and don't take any shortcuts. There really aren't any clever shortcuts or substitutes that last more than a season, a month, or a week. If you want it to run again then you have to take everything apart and replace every little tiny piece of rubber along with any metal that shows stress or corrosion.

The bearings are standard alloy 5/32 and 7/32. Any piece of rubber under 3/8" diameter needs to be viton. Forget the springs. You'll never get them from a hardware store. I think Grainger sells to walk-up accounts (they may have it). It is silicon-steel die spring stuff with 150ish spring constant. The good news is that the springs never wear out unless they get rust.

don't drill, gouge, hammer, pry, or force anything. If it doesn't fit just right or come apart easily then you need to stop and go get the right tool. otherwise it will probably end up costing you more to fix than before.

 

[nabularach]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

I just realized after looking at the book that the medium and large sprig were reversed. Could this be what is causing my problem??? I ordered the ball bearings today and I am going to try to find ne springs tomorrow.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

reversing the two pressure regulating springs will cause a drop in lifting power and an increase in dropping power.

Don't replace the springs unless you have the capacity to measure spring force and calculate the correct number of shims - or - a 2000psi pressure gauge that will allow you to assemble/disassemble/reshim/assemble/disassemble/reshim until you have 1200psi. DIY spring replacement is a bad idea.

 

[findinghomer]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

I tried to check the manual relief valve but it isnt a screw it is kind of a plug held in by a spring clip. Can anyone explain this? .

i, too am trying to figure out the manual release on this style of trim. mine is an 89 125 hp. that little "plug" does say "manual release" below it , but its not really a plug, seems solid part of the resevoir. it does have some sort of clip in it. anyone have any idea how this works???

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

there is no manual release.

The valve body aluminum casting is used in many different variations on many different engines by many different manufacturers. Some of them had manual release and some of them did not. I have never seen a 1980 or later Force that came from factory with manual release. They caused more trouble than they fixed because as soon as anything needed service the boat owners kept messing with them until they broke.

 

[findinghomer]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

there is no manual release.

The valve body aluminum casting is used in many different variations on many different engines by many different manufacturers. Some of them had manual release and some of them did not. I have never seen a 1980 or later Force that came from factory with manual release. They caused more trouble than they fixed because as soon as anything needed service the boat owners kept messing with them until they broke.

eww that sux. why does it say "manual release" right above the hole with a clip in it?

 

[RRitt]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

eww that sux. why does it say "manual release" right above the hole with a clip in it?

because it is cheaper to make 1,000,000 of one part than 100,000 each of ten different ones.

 

[ronnie zade]

Re: 86 Force 125 Tilt/trim problem

Hehe