89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

[EW1(SW)]

Hello all,
While we were having a cold spell down here I decided to try and fix a leak dowm problem on my tilt trim. I was planning on changing the O rings on my tilt cylinder and also the O rings on the trim cylinder. I got all the nuts off the pivot pins and now can not get them out. They have got to be really coroded in there. I have sprayed them down with PB Blaster to try and break up the corrosion and I have banged on them with a hammer and they will not budge. I am at a lose on how to get them out. I have beat the ends up pretty bad now that I will have to replace them by buying new ones or making new ones. I think that if I make new ones I will make them out of stainless. I just need help or advice on how to get the old ones out.
Thanks,
JJ

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

They are stainless. With some of them the only way to get them out is to disassemble the motor clamp and swivel from the motor --very big job-- and press them out. But it's still winter, keep trying PB and heat. then hammer. Sometimes if you take the engine off the boat then remove the tilt bolt, you can wiggle the mounting clamps and work them off. Then at least the trim cylinder and pump is off and easier to work on. You can get the PB behind it. But I don't envy you your job. btw-- if you beat up the ends, they will jam in the bores so you need to file down the peened portions. and you don't need to make new ones Just drill and cotter pin them.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

stainless with salt water film is like the third most cathodic metal, aluminum is the third most anodic, and zinc is second most anodic. Put them together in saltwater and you have a battery. Lowest metal loses and absorbs all the damage for the others. When your anode gets old the stanless starts attacking your aluminum. Some manufacturers put zinc anodes directly on trim systems. That stuff around trim shaft that looks like limestone deposits is actually galvanic corrosion.


about your shaft being stuck .... I don't mess with them. I cut the stern brackets in two. Or you can use a reciprocating saw and cut the shaft between bracket and trim housing. on upper shaft i turn the rubber into swiss cheese and pry off the bushing. you can replace bottom shaft with anodized aluminum and upper bushings with nylon/brass which eliminates future repeats of this problem entirely.

 

[RRitt]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

by the way - don't mess with your trim cylinder unless it is leaking down. The trim piston uses a 3/16" oring wheras tilt uses 3/32". There's a good chance that trim cylinder works fine since it will inherently outlive tilt.

Why not fix it?

Given your description of shaft it's very likely that one or more of the cover bolts will snap when you try to take them out. Even if you do get the cover bolts out you are still left with the cylinder sleeve. When mounting shaft is fused the sleeve is usually fused too. Fixing that is as big a job - or bigger - than getting the shaft out.

 

[EW1(SW)]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

RRitt,
What do you mean cut the stern braket in two? If I do that what will hold in the shaft holding the tilt cylinder, trim cylinder and the shock absorber? I am confused. I know that I need to fix the trim and tilt because they are leaking down and when I get her in the water the bow will plow and I can not keep the engine in the correct position. Also would this cause the engine to come out of the water when I am backing down? Looking more at it I think that there may have been air in the system that may have been traped and not able to get out. I tried to bleed all the air out by the manual, but is it possible that there may have been air that would not bleed out? I am at a real lose here and am not sure where to go from here. I was thinking that maybe I need to just replace the stern bracket and tilt trim parts. But with me not being able to get the top shaft out I can not lit the engine off. I really don't want to take it to some one but that is what it is looking like now. Please help. I sound like I am begging and well that is what I am doing. The manual is helpful to a point.
Thanks,
JJ

 

[RRitt]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

it's not air. air would compress but hold.

upper shaft stuck too? sounds like you might have let your anode go too far. i'm surprised that your steering isn't stiff as heck.

with upper shaft stuck there is no magic answer. sledgehammers, saws, penetrating oils, and elbow grease. only difference between you and the mechanic is $100 per hour. try what frank said about lifting engine off boat, pulling steering tube, and wiggling. cutting bottom shaft won't help you that much if top shaft stays stuck.

if everything is still whole on boat ... then maybe you should just take motor/pump off, get it rebuilt, and pray that your bleed down is from pump only.

in extereme cases I've had to pull engine from boat and drop off the swivel/kingpin assembly. anodes are only $10. you can search google for camp metal anodes.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 89 Force 125 Tilt/Trim problems

If you're really desparate to use the boat put two 1/2 inch stainless bolts through the engine clamp trim adjusting holes from the outside in and double nut them on the inside. works just like the adjusting bar but you don't need to take the trim off. Only problem is that now you don't have trim & tilt.

I carry two of these bolts in case my trim goes while I'm on a trip. It'll get me home with reasonable performance and the bow won't plow.