If it isn't one thing it's another with this motor

[stourm]

Hello again guys. Got something different to ask you this time and hope someone has some ideas. I have a 1977 140 HP Evinrude, model 140743S, and am having some issues with the tilt/trim. I have been leaving the motor mostly down while it is sitting, and usually just raise it up and put on the transom saver before taking it out. Today I hooked the boat up, raised the motor up, and took my position at the back of the boat with the saver while my wife lowered it in place. This time though the motor didn't lower. I could hear it making the sound like it was lowering, but it didn't appear to be moving. I got up there on the controls and held the button down to lower it, and you could see it moving just very very slowly. Like after a solid minute of holding the button it might have lowered an inch. When you raise it though, it jumps right up and moves as quickly as always. I am just clueless as to where I should begin to troubleshoot this. Could a low battery cause this? I haven't charged it yet since I bought this boat a couple of months ago, and have had it out about 4 times or so. I am not sure that the charging unit works to recharge. What do you guys think?

 

[Big Bubba]

Re: If it isn't one thing it's another with this motor

Stourm,
I was wanting to know how the lower unit went for you? Did it go good for you with the other motor you got off Ebay? The tilt issue might be it might be low on hydraulic fluid. I would check the fluid with it tilted all the way in the up position. If it isn't up at the fill line when you remove the fill screw you will have to add more fluid to it. You can go to Wal-Mart and by automatic transmission fluid type 3 or use power tilt and trim fluid, up to you either works great, and then after you add the fluid put the screw back in then you will have to run it up and down a few times to bleed it off and then check the fluid again. Help this helps you out. Take care, Bob.

 

[stourm]

Re: If it isn't one thing it's another with this motor

Thanks for the response Big Bubba, I am glad to see you are still around and haven't had to ship out yet. It turns out that the lower unit that I bought isn't compatible with my motor. The shift rod on my motor is attached with a bellcrank arm and the 140 HP 1981 lower unit has a different shift design. I have been talking back and forth with Dhadley from this board, and he sais that even if I cut off my shift rod and welded it to the shift rod on that 81, it would shift backward. He said that the only way that he could see it working would be to put my power head onto that 1981 midsection and lower unit. He said I would also need the intake manifold and associated shift mechanics from the 81 for it to work. I am not sure I have those items, how to install them if I do, or how I am going to get all of the swapping done because I don't really have the equipment to get one midsection off and the other one on. Pretty much I had decided to run the engine the way that it was until the lower unit up and died because it appeared to be working just fine when I had it out in the water. There was a little cavitation but I was able to work around it.

Now, onto the tilt/trim problem. I tilted it all the way up and managed to get out the hydraulic fluid fill screw out finally, and fluid began draining out of the hole. Not a lot mind you, but there was probably half a teaspoon or so that drained out and dropped onto the ground after I got it out. There was also some built-up air that hissed out around the screw as I was taking it out. I put the screw back in and tried it again and still no luck. It will begin moving down very very slowly and when it drops down about 6 inches or so it just stops going down. The hydraulic motor sounds like it is working just fine, and when you tilt it back up it moves as quickly as it always has (which is fairly quickly) so I am at a loss.