tilt and trim won't stay down!?

[natwales]

1988 alpha 1.

I was underway at 25+ knots and I noticed that my outdrive would slowly creep up. I kept having to pull the trim switch back on the throttle handle to keep it down.

My understanding is that the forward thrust of the prop would want to keep the outdrive down, and that the hydrallic cylinders exert pressure only to push the outdrive back up out of the water. There is a good bit of water in my tilt trim oil, but I don't think this is related, right?

I'm thinking the only single explanation for this is a shorted out trim tilt switch?

 

[tommays]

Re: tilt and trim won't stay down!?

If the motor was running from a bad switch i would think you would notice the noise and it would go full up pretty fast

The saltwater in the trim system is a real problem and is doing a good job of eating things up inside the trim system


Tommays

 

[Chris1956]

Re: tilt and trim won't stay down!?

Nat, I had my drive trim up by itself (twice) during a storm. Some water had gotten into the togle switch and made a poor connection. This allowed the drive to slowly go up. The toggle switch comes apart, and you can clean up the contacts. You may have a bit of debris which is completing the circuit.

 

[natwales]

Re: tilt and trim won't stay down!?

Thanks for the info. I will pump out the contaminated oil in my trim tilt and replace with new fluid. Not going to pull the boat out of water to replace until fall but realize the impact. Only seems to leak with drive tilted up anyway. I will also Clean up the contacts on the switch. I was taking lots of spray, so that most likely was my problem too.

thanks,

nat

 

[Rock Hall]

Re: tilt and trim won't stay down!?

I have the same problem since my repower. doesnt happen all the time, but noticed it twice over the weekend. We did have some rain, so maybe it is water in the switch. Let us know how you make out.