'73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

[BOAH]

I have a '73 Evinrude 115. It has been sitting for about 2 months with the engine all of the way down. It does not have an electric trim so every time I have to raise and lower it manually. Problem is that I can't raise it for some reason. There's a lever on the port side that when it's in the up position, should allow the motor to raise up. I just can't lift the engine after flipping that lever up. It feels like there's something that hasn't released but I can't see what it is. I've looked through the manual but I haven't seen any good diagrams or explanations.

Any suggestions before I bust my back?

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Try taking your tilt postion pin out and then see if you can raise it. If it does you can then look for any broken or loose linkage.

 

[BOAH]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

I have taken that pin out and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have any effect.

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

If this mtr has been used in salt water, it's possible the stern brackets are frozen up on the tilt tube. You may want to to loosen up the big nuts on each end of it.

 

[BOAH]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it!

I did that as well and I was surprised that I was able to loosen it easily. It's hard to explain but it just feels like something isn't releasing.

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Has it lived in salt water??

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Just a stab in the dark but if your motor is the same as my 1974 115hp it has a cylinder (shock absorber) to assist in raising and lowering. Maybe the cylinder is froze up or stuck somehow and not allowing it to raise??

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Also, have you verified that when you raise the tilt/run lever that it is actually releasing the locking lever? (all linkage connected and working correctly)

 

[BOAH]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

I pulled off what is called the Stern Bracket Plate which allows me to see up underneath a little better. From what I can tell, it looks like when the tilt/run lever is in the down position, it locks in place by grabbing on to that tilt pin which is called a Rod and Retainer Assembly. I removed that rod first thing so it's not grabbing there. I can't see that it's supposed to grab anywhere else.

I like the idea of maybe the pistons are stuck so I thought I would remove the rod that the bottom of the piston sits on. I haven't been successful in driving that rod out yet so it's soaking now and I'll try it again tomorrow.

I'm really frustrated by this and am ready to put a floor jack under the lower unit and MAKE that thing tilt one way or the other! When I get to that point, I try to walk away...

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Get some ATF and Acetone, mix it 50:50 and squirt on it and leave it sit. You may also want to try a mapp gas torch on it to heat the pin area up.

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

If you can wait till tomorrow afternoon, I can go out and uncover mine and try to check it out more closely. I think ours should be the exact same.

To tell you the truth, I've never really looked at mine close because I've never had any problem raising or lowering it.

Maybe with a little further inspection of mine, I can help you with what is causiing your problem.

I won't be able to get to mine until late afternoon though.

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

I got out and looked at mine but didn't learn much except there are 2 cylinders (called shock absorbers in my parts catalog)...not just one.

Also we seem to have different names for the parts so apparently you have a different parts list than I do.

But if you removed the rod going thru the holes on each side of the stern bracket (the rod used to adjust the angle of the motor as well as to lock it down), that pretty much takes the tilt/run lever out of the picture. From what I see if that rod is removed, even if the tilt/run lever linkage is faulty somehow it still has nothing to lock on to.

Other than the 2 shock absorbers (cylinders), there is a slotted piece (called the tilt lock in my parts catalog) that slides up and down on a fixed screw and holds the motor up in the tilt position that could be binding but I don't really see it holding so tight you couldn't even raise the motor.

That leaves the 2 shock absorbers or the tilt shaft itself, which has lube fittings and doesn't seem to be the likely problem unless completely neglected and somehow frozen.

The shock absorbers really don't seem to be the likely problem either because with the motor being in the down position they wouldn't have been exposed so shouldn't be corroded/rusted/frozen either but I really can't see any other possibility.

If you get that mounting rod going thru the bottom of the cylinders out that should tell you for sure if it is the cylinders that are frozen and holding it down.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

One question....after re-reading your first post.....did this problem just begin after the 2 month storage period?

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

I'm still curious, has it been in salt water ??

 

[BOAH]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Yes to both of those questions. It happened after sitting for a couple of months in the down position and yes I do take it in the salt water occasionally. Here is the link to the schematic that I've been looking at:
http://www.crowleymarine.com/johnson-evinrude/parts/40271.cfm

Thanks for your help.

 

[Wishiniwuzfishin]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Any luck with that rod (#50) thru the bottom of the cylinders yet? I guess if that was "frozen" in there that bad maybe the pistons in the cylinders could be "frozen" too.

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Depending on how much salt water time and never been flushed and cleaned properly things can freeze up real fast. The trick with salt water mtrs is, heat, brass drifts, PB blaster, a BFH and PATIENCE.

 

[BOAH]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Just wanted to post an update. I tried driving out the rod that holds the bottom of the pistons but after soaking, beating it and myself half to death, I decided it was time for a change in tactics. I got my floor jack and mounted it sideways between the lower unit and the trailer and opened it up and with a little persuasion, it finally moved. Sounded like a tomb door opening up! I greased, lubed, oiled everything that I could see and it feels to me like it's raising and lowering perfectly! But again, everything is relative... Thanks again for your help.

 

[boobie]

Re: '73 Evinrude 115 - Won't tilt up

Brute force and ackwardness will always overcome. LOL. Glad you got it.