tilt and trim issue

[blikesit]

Hey guys, I have a 1979 70hp Johnson, the last 4 times out my tilt and trim works fine until I try to load the boat on the trailer, at that point it wont go up. I have to get in the water and open the relieve valve and lift it by hand. The solenoid is working, could it be that water is slowly getting in the motor and causing it to fail at the end of the day then drying out so that it works the next time out?? sounds odd but I'm leaning that way.

 

[Daviet]

Re: tilt and trim issue

Did you check the voltage out of the solenoid?
You could pull the tilt motor and check for water intrusion.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: tilt and trim issue

When you say that the solenoid is working, I assume that you mean you can hear it clicking. If so...........

It possible that even though all cables & wires pertaining to the PTT etc are tight, at least one of them is "tight but dirty", and when exposed to moisture, a voltage drop occurs. Before jumping in and replacing expensive parts, remove the cables and wires including the ones at the battery and clean the terminals thoroughly.... also clean the components that the cables & wires connect to, then tighten all of them securely. One loose or tight but dirty connection is enough to cause a problem such as what you've encountered.

 

[RRitt]

Re: tilt and trim issue

Hey guys, I have a 1979 70hp Johnson, the last 4 times out my tilt and trim works fine until I try to load the boat on the trailer, at that point it wont go up. I have to get in the water and open the relieve valve and lift it by hand. The solenoid is working, could it be that water is slowly getting in the motor and causing it to fail at the end of the day then drying out so that it works the next time out?? sounds odd but I'm leaning that way.

that is possible. In my experience, the water almost always gets past the lower seal and into the reservoir. Your trim fluid would appear milky.

A more common leak to motor scenario is that a water and oil mix is being force up into the motor. Trim reservoirs have positive pressure when lowered and negative pressure when raised. Water enters the systems as people leave their systems raised in backyard or raise and lower the engine while boating. The water can enter from any point including top seals of rams. When an "over filled" system is lowered the positive pressure forces fluid up into motor. The oil-water mix softens brushes, causes rust, and creates a sludge that interferes with electrical contact between brush and armature. The net result is a huge loss of torque. In order to test, you need a known good battery with full charge. If the motor does not develop full torque when hot wired directly to bettery then it has internal issues and needs to be replaced. If you motor is a Calco, then the best course of action may be a complete pump replacement.

 

[blikesit]

Re: tilt and trim issue

Did you check the voltage out of the solenoid?
You could pull the tilt motor and check for water intrusion.

I did check voltage out of solenoid- 12.9 by my meter. I also started to pull the motor and found the "O" ring that seals the power wire going into the top of motor was hard as hell. It literally broke in two pieces. I replaced it. Hope that was the water issue. Thank you guys so much for all the help.

 

[blikesit]

Re: tilt and trim issue

When you say that the solenoid is working, I assume that you mean you can hear it clicking. If so...........

It possible that even though all cables & wires pertaining to the PTT etc are tight, at least one of them is "tight but dirty", and when exposed to moisture, a voltage drop occurs. Before jumping in and replacing expensive parts, remove the cables and wires including the ones at the battery and clean the terminals thoroughly.... also clean the components that the cables & wires connect to, then tighten all of them securely. One loose or tight but dirty connection is enough to cause a problem such as what you've encountered.

I pulled every terminal connection in the whole tilt system, cleaned, applied anti corrosion "grease" and made sure all were tight. The "O" ring that seals the power wire going into the top of motor was hard and broken into two pieces. Replaced it also. I will find out if all this helped this weekend. Thank you for all your help.

 

[blikesit]

Re: tilt and trim issue

that is possible. In my experience, the water almost always gets past the lower seal and into the reservoir. Your trim fluid would appear milky.

A more common leak to motor scenario is that a water and oil mix is being force up into the motor. Trim reservoirs have positive pressure when lowered and negative pressure when raised. Water enters the systems as people leave their systems raised in backyard or raise and lower the engine while boating. The water can enter from any point including top seals of rams. When an "over filled" system is lowered the positive pressure forces fluid up into motor. The oil-water mix softens brushes, causes rust, and creates a sludge that interferes with electrical contact between brush and armature. The net result is a huge loss of torque. In order to test, you need a known good battery with full charge. If the motor does not develop full torque when hot wired directly to bettery then it has internal issues and needs to be replaced. If you motor is a Calco, then the best course of action may be a complete pump replacement.

Doesn't appear to be over full, the "O" ring that seals the wires going into the top of the motor was hard and broken into two pieces. I replaced it and hope that is the cure. Thank you for all your help.