Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

[Sidhewynder]

Hi.. Need a bit of help with two items.

1) Johnson Serial Number J140TLCIM. Can anyone decipher the sequence? I think its an '81 140HP Electric Tilt Longshaft? I can't find what the "M" might be.

2) a) The motor has electric tilt which won't go down. The electric motor hums, but won't lower. How do you check/add Hydraulic fluid to these units? I didn't see a reservoir anywhere. There is a screw in the middle of hydraulic cylinder, which if it was higher on the cylinder I could see it as an add/check hole. Is that what it really is? Anything else to check?

 

[Sidhewynder]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

Sorry.. hit button too soon.. Also I was told these tilt units used a special hydraulic fluid. Is that true, or would any hydraulic fluid work?

Thanks...

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

"M" is model run, meaningless to us ... you're correct about motor ID. Use BRP fluid or in a pinch ATF. Not sure on your motor where the fill hole is, but my recollection is it's only exposed with motor all the way up.

 

[Sidhewynder]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

Jim.

Off topic question about Ocean Pines. Any way you could contact me or accept a PM about the area so I don't clutter up the Forum?

Thanks.

Steve

 

[oldrudedude]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

This is a shot in the dark, but I will post it anyway. There is a lever that locks the tilt in the up position. Did you release it? It is good to post a thorough history so we don't have to ask seemingly rediculous questions.

 

[Sidhewynder]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

There is a lever that will manually prevent the motor from lowering, but it was moved out of the way before trying to lower the motor. I don't really have much of a history, its a friends boat that he just purchased. The motor went up and down the first couple of times he used it, but when he went to take me a ride the other evening it just wouldn't go down, but the electric motor operated when the down switch was pressed. Since it was in a full up position, the up didn't turn on.

I was going to use the maual pressure release screw on the side to drop the motor down. I started to unscrew the screw and a small amount of fluid came out, but it was milky. I stopped because I wasn't sure we could get the motor back up into the trailoring position, so I didn't unscrew it enough to release pressure and lower the unit. I did unscrew the large screw in the centre of the hydraulic cylinder and no fluid came out. Like I said, there isn't a fluid resevoir of any kind that I can find, so the fill must be on tilt cylinder/motor somewhere. (I'm assuming its that large screw). Another quick question, since the fluid that did escape was milky is there a drain somewhere to drain the cylinder and replace with new fluid?

Thanks.

 

[oldrudedude]

Re: Serial Number and Electric Tilt help.

I have 230mb PDF manual on CD. It has a 30 page section on the tilt trim. Although I have not worked on my tilt/trim this what I have gleaned from the manual.

- The manual pressure release valve should allow you to manually raise the motor as well as lower it.

- The milky fluid means there is water mixed in the fluid.

- The system is drained by disconnecting the two hydraulic lines on the tilt/trim housing base.

- You can use Dextron trans fluid to fill it. Fill until it comes out the fill hole.

- Fill through the plug half way up the rear side of the starboard cylinder.

- Drain and fill only when the unit is in the full up position and blocked with the safety catch.

- run up and down several times to remove air bubbles then refill.

- The unit probably failed to lower the motor because it was low on fluid. There has to be enough pressure in the system to open the relief valve.