can't lower stern drive

[Timbo59]

Hi again,
Resolved the issues with starting my alpha 1, went down to the eater to take the boar for a test run, then ran into the next problem - I can't get the stern drive to go down. It's been a little sticky in the past if it hasn't had regular use, but now all it did was whir and whir away and do nothing. After trying 5 - 6 times the whirring stopped altogether. Now nothing. The stern drive hasn't been lowered or raised for 18 months (I just haven't had time to use the boat because of a home renovation) so I don;t know if disuse has caused a problem.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.....Tim

 

[ziggy]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Anyone have any suggestions?

go to the adults only sticky at the top of the i/o forum and check out #9. get yourself service manual #6. in it is a trouble shooting guide for trim system issues. not going down is one of them.

 

[10thHawk]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Had same issue with mine when I got it.Wouldnt go down. Was stored up. I made sure pump was fine, fluid was good. I then reversed the lines on the pump so that down was up and up was down. That broke it loose and has worked fine since. Put the lines back to correct location of course. Can also have somebody stand on the drive while you hit the down switch.

 

[Timbo59]

Re: can't lower stern drive

'eater'? What eater? I meant to write water but missed the first letter by one key!

 

[Timbo59]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Hi again,
Thanks ziggy, I'll take a look. I did try doing a few searches, but obviously wasn't putting in the correct parameters.

 

[achris]

Re: can't lower stern drive

If you manage to get the drive down with someone standing on it, and it makes a horrible squealing and howling, then the seals in the end caps have leaked and the end cap has started to corroded and is 'grabbing' the trim cylinder rod. Time to remove the ram, strip it and replace the end cap.

Up pressure is about 3000psi (and acting on the whole face of the piston), but down is only about 1700psi (and acting on the face LESS the area occupied by the piston rod). Hence the 'DOWN' force is only about 1/4 that of the UP force.

Also you shouldn't be storing the boat with the drive up.... Many bad things can happen.

Chris..........

 

[Timbo59]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Hi again,
I wish I'd known that about storing it with the drive up. No one ever told me that before. I thought it was the standard thing to leave the stern drive up so that you didn't make the classic mistake of driving off with it down next time you used the boat.

Thanks.......Tim

 

[achris]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Hi again,
I wish I'd known that about storing it with the drive up. No one ever told me that before. .......Tim

It's in the owners handbook, or does nobody read them anymore....

 

[Don S]

Re: can't lower stern drive

What year is your Alpha?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Hi again,
Resolved the issues with starting my alpha 1, .....

The stern drive hasn't been lowered or raised for 18 months

Does that mean you started and ran it fully up? If so, you might even have more issues now.

But yes, like suggested above - try having a large friend stand on it while trying to lower it.

 

[JoLin]

Re: can't lower stern drive

Hi again,
After trying 5 - 6 times the whirring stopped altogether. Now nothing.

Check your fuses. Aside from whatever else is preventing the drive from lowering, sounds to me like you blew one of those also while you were trying to free it.