No Trailer Mode (or something similar)? Penta SX Cobra

[Skyhog]

Hey Guys,

I just bought a boat - its a 1996 Dynasty Bow Rider 19, and it has the 3.0L Volvo Penta motor with the SX Cobra outdrive. I can trim it all the way up, but there appears to not be a way to pull it up and out for trailering (unless I'm just missing an obvious switch somewhere). The concern is that the skeg only hangs about 4" off the road when towing and I'm concerned that its going to bang on speedbumps or potholes or really anywhere the road isn't 100% level.

Any ideas? I am considering doing an over-under conversion on the axle to lift it up, and maybe throwing some bigger tires on it, but that's still going to leave it hanging incredibly low....

 

[Skyhog]

Oh - and I already have a 4" drop hitch on my truck, which keeps the front of the trailer lower than the truck (i.e., not level). That brings it up to maybe 6" or so.

 

[Bondo]

I can trim it all the way up, but there appears to not be a way to pull it up and out for trailering (unless I'm just missing an obvious switch somewhere).

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,...... Sometimes there's another switch for tilt, 'n sometimes the switch has a detent to over-ride the trim,.....

Can't say what you've got,......

Post a picture of it as far up as you can run it, 'n somebody will know whether it's trimmed, or tilted,.....

 

[QBhoy]

Yeah. As bondo says. Some older VP drives have an additional button or switch you hold in whilst operating the normal trim up button. This takes it up into trailer mode. If you post a picture of your dash and co tells I’ll likely be able to tell.

 

[Skyhog]

I took a few pictures. Trying to size then to be attachable...

 

[Skyhog]

So I can't get the photos to fit, but here's a link to an album with the photos.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/G9ryfgkzBe6c5kEY9

 

[QBhoy]

Ok. Please forgive me if wrong. But I’ve only seen this remote once before on a friends boat.
See where the normal trim toggle switch is....if you look an inch or so below that. There should be a button there. Hold this in whilst toggling the up switch for trim.
Cant quite see it in pictures but should be there if I’m right.

 

[Skyhog]

Ok. Please forgive me if wrong. But I’ve only seen this remote once before on a friends boat.
See where the normal trim toggle switch is....if you look an inch or so below that. There should be a button there. Hold this in whilst toggling the up switch for trim.
Cant quite see it in pictures but should be there if I’m right.

There is a button there that also operates the trim but it acts like it'd all the way up too

 

[Skyhog]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,...... Sometimes there's another switch for tilt, 'n sometimes the switch has a detent to over-ride the trim,.....

Can't say what you've got,......

Post a picture of it as far up as you can run it, 'n somebody will know whether it's trimmed, or tilted,.....

I don't know how to make it any smaller, but here is a photo with it all the way up. I assume it is supposed to go higher, no? If not, I'll have to focus on changes to the trailer to bring it up instead.

 

[Thalasso]

Some drives utilize a trim limiter system consisting of a limiter module, override switch and associated wiring. This system has three set points which automatically limit the trim range of the drive unit.
These points are set at the factory and based on a boat with an average 13 degree transom angle. Trim is limited between t5 degrees and -2 degrees, while tilt is limited to 45 degrees
You need to find out what the ram tube measurement is and what it should be. There isn't a trailer switch like mercs have

Sec 13 deals with your trim
https://sunbirdcorsair.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/1986_-_1998_omc_sterndrive_man.pdf

 

[Skyhog]

Some drives utilize a trim limiter system consisting of a limiter module, override switch and associated wiring. This system has three set points which automatically limit the trim range of the drive unit.
These points are set at the factory and based on a boat with an average 13 degree transom angle. Trim is limited between t5 degrees and -2 degrees, while tilt is limited to 45 degrees
You need to find out what the ram tube measurement is and what it should be. There isn't a trailer switch like mercs have

Sec 13 deals with your trim
https://sunbirdcorsair.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/1986_-_1998_omc_sterndrive_man.pdf

I apologize, I am very green to all of this. Does this mean that it should tilt higher when trailering and I need to see how to make the necessary adjustments?

 

[QBhoy]

It should defo lift higher than this. Try that button below the trim toggle. If not you should be able to lift it manually too, in an emergency. Just lift the catch

 

[gumbyaz]

Looking at the ram extension out of the cylinder, it does look like it should travel more. Is your hydraulic fluid level ok? You have to have enough fluid in the reservoir to compensate for the volume of the ram when it is at full extension - this is why you usually check level with the rams full in as a standard since the fluid level changes depending on ram extension.

 

[Skyhog]

Looking at the ram extension out of the cylinder, it does look like it should travel more. Is your hydraulic fluid level ok? You have to have enough fluid in the reservoir to compensate for the volume of the ram when it is at full extension - this is why you usually check level with the rams full in as a standard since the fluid level changes depending on ram extension.

I'll have to check that. I have a slow leak from the rams anyway, so I'm about to rebuild it anyway. As a result, I'm going to need to top off the fluid.

LOL - as bad as this sounds, I have no idea where the reservoir is, so I need to find that too...