getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

[skysurfer2010]

I'm trying to take the outdrive off my boat tonight. I have the owners manual and I'm following it. I'm trying to tap the pivot rod out of the trim/tilt cylinders and the rod won't budge more than a centimeter! Is there a trick to this?? I've been spraying WD-40 on them and hitting them with a mallet with no luck.

I removed the locknut and washer from both ends of the rod. There is a black plastic piece that looks like it's part of the trim cylinders that surrounds the pivot rod on the trim cylinders. Do they remove? The manual doesn't mention anything about removing them (if they even do come off).

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Those little plastic bushings are on both ends of the cylinders. Save them. You'll need to put them back on whenever you get done. Once all of those bushings are removed, it frees up the cylinders a little more.

I had to work those rods back and forth to get the cylinders off. Just keep working them. They will free up and the rod/pin will slid out. I had to get a pair of vise grips and lock onto the rod to get one of the lock nuts loosened up enough to remove, as well.

Just keep working them and they will loosen. I finally got them slid over enough to get the rod end off the cylinder.

 

[Don S]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Here is a link to the OEM service manual.
http://www.4shared.com/file/91440382/a2422341/LK_SX-DPS.html

Are you trying to remove the trim cylinder completely, or just disconnect it from the drive so you can pull the drive?
Which pin are you trying to get out, the front one, or the aft one?

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Thanks I'm using that manual.

I'm just trying to disconnect the cylinders from the drive so I can remove the drive. I'm trying to get the rod out that goes through the drive and the cylinder knuckles. It doesn't want to budge more than a centimeter or two. I've tried hitting it with a mallet from both sides and the thing isn't budging! I even put a block of wood over the end of the rod and am hitting it with a hammer and it still doesn't want to break loose.

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I gave up tonight. I got nowhere!

 

[Don S]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

It's probably just frozen in place due to corrosion? Is this a salt water boat?
There really isn't a need to remove the pin, even if it is frozen. Just remove the trim cylinder from both ends and leave the pin in place.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Those things can be a pain in the butt. I use a large punch and tap in the center of the rod so I don't damage the threads and then grease the hell out of it when I put it back on. Like Don said, you can just remove the nuts at the front and back of the cylinder if need be.

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

It's always been a fresh water boat. I don't know when and if the drive was removed in the past. I just purchased it last season.

I did try using a tap in the center of the bolt with no luck. I'll look into taking the actual cylinders off. Thanks guys.

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I was removing my drive and was trying to get the cylinders off any way I could. I couldn't get the cylinders spread apart enough to get them off the cylinder rod end (clevis). I actually got the cylinders off the pin without getting the pin to move much. I had to wedge a screwdriver between the drive and the cylinder and work it off the pin. BE CAREFUL though, each cylinder is $500. (I think Doug Russel had it at $800.)

Once they start to move a little, you can get the plastic bushings out (they are on both ends) and the cylinders move more freely.

This was probably the hardest part of removing the drive. So... it does get easier from here.

My boat has wings on the back and a built in swim platform on top, so I didn't have much room to work at all, but it will finally work free. Just keep working at it.

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I'll have to give it another shot another day. I got pretty frustrated with it tonight and had enough!

 

[xltier]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I'll have to give it another shot another day. I got pretty frustrated with it tonight and had enough!

a little heat with a propane torch would help.aluminum expands great with heat.shouldnt need much.

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Ya know I was thinking about that, but I wasn't sure if it could hurt anything. Should I heat up the actual drive where the rod goes through? I wouldn't want to put heat on the cylinder knuckles due to the plastic bushings on the ends. Wouldn't want to melt them.

 

[*EdC*]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Get a good penetrating fluid. WD-40 isn't going to help you here. Try PB blaster, needs a day or two to work. Kroil is another good one

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Will do, thanks.

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

This really sucks. I'm frustrated and let down. I wanted to do all the work myself, but I think I'm going to have to give in and bring it into a shop. The rod isn't budging. I also tried the aft one as well to remove the trim cylinder. It isn't budging. I really wanted to do this work myself. I also wanted to change the u-joint bellow and then repaint it while it was off.

I've tried a punch and tap on the center of the rod, I've tried PB blaster, I've tried a torch, and I've tried a lot of cursing at it to motivate it. It wiggles inside the drive (if I lift the drive by hand it's clearly not frozen inside the drive). It just won't budge out of the trim cylinders.

So now it looks like I'll have to pay someone else to remove it.

Really a frustrating day of owning a boat!!

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Could you ever get either cylinder to move on the pin?

My pin wouldn't move much at all with the cylinders still attached.

Once the clinders were off, the pins just slid out.

Have you moved the trim up or down to make sure it isn't in a bind?

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I got the cylinders to spread apart maybe 1/8" on each side. That was it. I couldn't budge the plastic bushings and they started to look brittle from trying.

I didn't try fudging with the trim. I could give that a try before declaring defeat.

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I had to work both ends of the cylinders over, each a little at the time. Eventually they will start to move easier. Try to get those plastic bushings out. They really grab onto that pin and don't allow anything to move freely.

After all of the bushings are out, you can start to move the pin through the drive. The pin had to move some in order to remove the cylinders (on mine) due to how short the hydraulic lines were.

Good luck.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

I got the cylinders to spread apart maybe 1/8" on each side.

Are you removing the nuts on both ends of the rams? 4 nuts total and sliding them off the two rods?

 

[skysurfer2010]

Re: getting the tilt pivot rod out of tilt cylinders

Are you removing the nuts on both ends of the rams? 4 nuts total and sliding them off the two rods?

Yes