Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

[Rake722]

Looking at my A1.

The pump has only 1 solenoid visible.
Should there be 2 ?

My leg takes ages to come up - 45 seconds, and recently only partially comes up again and was wondering why.

Thanks

Ron.

 

[Don S]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Yes, an Alpha I trim pump should have 2 solenoids. Solenoids are probably not the problem causing the drive to take too long coming up.

You do understand that the Alpha I drives only existed from 86 to 90 don't you.
Download the Alpha History link here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=329915 and you will see what I mean.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Hi Don,
Thanks, yes i did but mine does not look like the MC1 or others.
Looks most like the A1.

Looking at manual 6 now.

My trim pump might be older than the drive but it only has 1 solenoid.

 

[Don S]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

What engine do you have? Year? You asked about trim, and the trim is different between an Alpha I and a MC-1. You can put a A1 drive on a MC1 transom shield, but that doesn't change the trim pump at all.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Ahh that might be something then. I have a 1977 470. It looks like a prestolite trim pump.

 

[Don S]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

How many solenoids on it? Also, manual #2 covers your trim system, not 6.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Thanks Don.

On the trim pump 1 solenoid.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Right then, according to manual 2 I have the right trim pump for the older MC1 leg.
Also according to manual 6 I have the Alpha 1 leg so its a heinz system - i.e. not original.

Would having only 1 solenoid influence the duration of time it takes to trim up / down ?

Still got to understand why she wont come up all the way...

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

oil bypassing the seals or shock relief valves, or slide valve in one or both cylinders (also would be drifting down most likely), or bypassing within the pump (worn gears).

Does the pump sound like it's spinning at a nice high rpm?

fluid level ok?

 

[Don S]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

One solenoid is normal on some of the earlier models. But even with one, the solenoid is UP, down is the direction without the solenoid.
Sounds more like the valves in the pump are bypassing at too low a pressure.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Cheers for the replies.
I'm going to check the fluid level first.

When in down direction pump sounds fine.
In the up direction the pump sounds like its labouring when it works. No sound when it doesn't work.

If I remember rightly, when I rebuilt the rams I might not have re filled properly. Now I reasd that with the leg fully down one should fill to the threads of the fill hole - this may be where I went wrong.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

When in down direction pump sounds fine.
In the up direction the pump sounds like its labouring when it works. No sound when it doesn't work.

sounds like corroded wiring, bad connections. Remove the heavy gauge wire terminals and clean all the connections with sandpaper until shiny right back to the battery or starter where they originate. ground wire: same thing
might be a big fuse at the motor too - clean that up too.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Thanks howard.

I have replaced all the connectors and done that already.
One thing I will say is that its not wired in the original way.

Anyhows, aside from that, with the leg all the way down the oil level did not reach the threads so I topped it up.
60 seconds from bottom to top after that. Is that normal ?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

no - more like 10 seconds.
a youtube video or some pics might help here.

that's the first mention of it not working at all sometimes.

You need good wiring. The motor can draw 75 amps or more.... needs to be big heavy cable all the way back to the battery.

If fluid level issue, the pump would not be laboring - it would be screaming like a jet at high speed.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Try disconnecting the rams from the drive and see if the drive raises and lowers easily by hand.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Will do. I have rebuilt the rams, maybe I put them back the wrong way around....could that account for it ?

 

[Don S]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Will do. I have rebuilt the rams, maybe I put them back the wrong way around....could that account for it ?

Who knows, I don't know of anyone that has put them together backwards to find out. That pump is also set up with a high pressure side and a low pressure side. If it's plumbed wrong, and wired wrong, impossible to say what all could be wrong.

 

[Rake722]

Re: Should the Alpha 1 have 2 trim pump solenoids ?

Thanks Don, Its plumbed as it was when I got it.

I wondered if I have switched port ram for starboard, might sanity check and see if they will even go on the opposite way round.
My overheating issue takes priority though ATM.