I recently posted that my stern drive would not lower. The boat has not been in the water this year and only run periodically to ensure it would run. When I ran it 2 weeks ago on the muffs, the stern drive would not lower (it worked fine 2 months earlier), but when using the trailer button the trim pump worked and raised the stern drive up a little. It is now in fully raised position. That said, I have noticed that the rams must be leaking as the fluid is all milky. They are the original rams (1987). I suspect they have frozen through being stuck in the up position for so long.
So my next thought was to remove the rams and service them as a likely cure for the sticking. This means disconnecting the hydraulic hoses, which I have no clue when they were last removed. There are 8 connections, 1 x UP, 1 x DOWN on each Ram and 4 (UP x 2, DOWN x 2) on the hydraulic connector attached to the transom. After liberal doses of PB Blaster over several days, I managed to loosen, but not disconnect, 4 of the 8 hose ends. The UP connectors on both sides and at the Connector Block have loosened OK. However, the 2 DOWN hoses (Port & Starboard) where they screw in to the Hydraulic Connector Block refuse to budge.
Even using the correct 3/8" flange wrench, they are starting to round. The 2 offending hose connections as I said earlier are the nearer ones on each on the hose connector at the transom end (the Manual shows them as the DOWN hose . There is precious wiggle room down there and having looked at various diagrams, I am wondering it it might be easier to unbolt the hydraulic connector block that attaches to the transom and into which the 4 hoses (2 each side) screw in and then try and loosen & remove the PITA hoses with everything off the boat. The part # for the hydraulic connector is 98825A4.
Has any one got any comments or suggestions on if this might be an easier way to get these hoses out of that connector?
So my next thought was to remove the rams and service them as a likely cure for the sticking. This means disconnecting the hydraulic hoses, which I have no clue when they were last removed. There are 8 connections, 1 x UP, 1 x DOWN on each Ram and 4 (UP x 2, DOWN x 2) on the hydraulic connector attached to the transom. After liberal doses of PB Blaster over several days, I managed to loosen, but not disconnect, 4 of the 8 hose ends. The UP connectors on both sides and at the Connector Block have loosened OK. However, the 2 DOWN hoses (Port & Starboard) where they screw in to the Hydraulic Connector Block refuse to budge.
Even using the correct 3/8" flange wrench, they are starting to round. The 2 offending hose connections as I said earlier are the nearer ones on each on the hose connector at the transom end (the Manual shows them as the DOWN hose . There is precious wiggle room down there and having looked at various diagrams, I am wondering it it might be easier to unbolt the hydraulic connector block that attaches to the transom and into which the 4 hoses (2 each side) screw in and then try and loosen & remove the PITA hoses with everything off the boat. The part # for the hydraulic connector is 98825A4.
Has any one got any comments or suggestions on if this might be an easier way to get these hoses out of that connector?
