Mariner Transom Brackets and tilt tube help

[cookjames27]

I have a 1985 Mariner 25 hp engine. Serial number 6611191. The motor was given to me and had been sitting up for years under a shed. The motor runs great but I cannot get it to tilt up or down. It's really smooth left to right. We took the bolts off the tilt tube and tried to get the bolt out with no luck. Any suggestions? We did get it to tilt up and down eventually but it is extremely stiff still. I would like to find two new bracketa and a new tilt tube. The number on the brackets are 1497-8793 and 1497-8795. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Renn90]

Hi James,

If you haven't already tried, take the grease gun fittings off the swivel bracket (at the tilt tube), pick out hard grease as much as possible, try to get some mineral spirits into the grease holes on the bracket (or any liquid product that can thin grease without damaging your paint), let soak, clean the fittings out, reinstall fittings, pump in as much fresh grease as possible (thin type). The grease gets hard over time and can act like glue.

Once you get it sorted, you probably know that the motor has a tilt lock that will release only when in forward gear.
If the tilt tube and associated parts are corroded to the point of needing replacement, you will more likely need the swivel bracket than the clamp brackets.