please help with tilt trim issue!!

[sully9]

I have a 1976 johnson 200 outboard and am having problems with the tilt trim again. I was pulling it from the shop to house and the transom mount came off when I hit a bump in the road. when I looked at it the next morning there was atf on the side of the lower unit and some on the ground. it cycled up and down two times then wouldnt go up or down. the motor will turn but sounds dry. I put some fluid in it but may need to add more and bleed any air out of the system. My main question is where did the fluid come out at? I couldnt see any broken lines or anything. any info will be greatly appreciated!!
thanks

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

Where the fluid is leaking from will be your job.... examine closely.

To fill the reservoir.... have the engine in a fully tilted position. Fill the reservoir to overflowing, then insert/tighten the fill screw. You should be able to run the engine up and down a few times, after which refill the reservoir in the same manner.

Let us know where the leakage is coming from.

 

[sully9]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

thanks for the reply joe I couldnt see where any fluid was coming from I checked the lines and they were all good. I filled the reservoir tell the fluid was running out then cycled it by hand up and down a couple times then filled it again and it still wont go up or down. I can hear the motor running but it just has a different sound to it like it is running with no fluid in it. it will hold pressure when I put the motor up all the way and tighten the manual release valve back up. I was maybe thinking that when the motor slammed back down the force of it maybe blew a o ring out or something keeping the fluid going from the reservoir to the pump...?

how much fluid would I need to put in the reservoir to have enough to make it raise up and lower?

Thanks

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

Sounds like the unit may have an air lock in the oil pump area. Filling the reservoir to the overflowing point would be enough to have the unit go up & Down. Have the reservoir filled full, then apply 7 to 12 pounds of air pressure to the reservoir fill hole. Stick a rag on the nozzle of the air hose to form a seal of sorts. This will force oil to flow into the oil pump area. Let us know if this helps.

 

[sully9]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

I will go ahead and try that out joe thanks for the tip. It wont be for a couple days tell I can do it but I will let you know how it works out. where does the air come out of when you bleed the air out? thanks again

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

The unit is self bleeding and goes to the top of the reservoir, then when you remove the reservoir seal screw to top the unit off the air, if slightly pressurized, escapes.

 

[sully9]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

hello joe I finally got to work on my boat for a few hours and tried the air nozzle tip you gave me. I blew air into it and its doing the same thing just a dry spinning of the pump motor sound... I did notice though that when the motor was in the up position fluid was leaking out of the manual release valve. so I took it out and put a new o ring on it but when I did that a fair amount of fluid came out. now it wont leak coming out of the manual valve but it doesnt have any pressure on the system I can lift it up and down manually no problems. would that be from not having enough fluid in the system? also I was thinking on just doing a rebuild on the tilt trim system would I have to take the motor off the boat or can I take the tilt trim system off with the motor still connected to the boat?
thanks Joe!

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

Removing the manual release valve causes a lot of the fluid to escape. Refill the reservoir.

To remove the PTT unit on that model (1976) you would need to have the engine safely supported in its full tilt position so that it could not drop or slide towards the port (left) side. Use ropes or whatever to keep it from moving! Then.....

Remove the port transom bracket and slide it away from the engine. Just let it rest on the steering bar.

Now you can remove the PTT unit from the engine.

The alternative method is to remove the engine from the boat.

 

[sully9]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

hello joe I removed the ptt unit from my boat and took the electric motor off and found out the coupling that connects the pump motor to the oil pump was broke so Im thinkin that is maybe my problem...what do you think? how excatly does the oil pump system work? it had some old fluid build up in the unit so I think while I have it off the boat I just as well clean it up and go through the unit. thanks for all your help I greatly appreciate it!!

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

If that coupling broke, therein lies your problem. In all my years of working on those units, I have never seen one of those couplings break.

When you have the new coupling and inserted it in the pump, gently turn it with a screwdriver to make sure the pump isn't locked up for some strange reason.

 

[boobie]

Re: please help with tilt trim issue!!

If it turns over freely, put some oil in the cavity and rotate the pump in both directions to prime the pump. When the bubbles stop its primed.