Tilt/Trim 1979 50hp

[mythx]

Still learning quite a bit about boating. Haven't put it in the water yet though. I keep finding things to do.

I'm thinking the tilt function isn't working quite as it should. From what I can tell, this is something I should be able to do from within the boat and I should be able to lock it in the up position. There are a couple of gas discharge pistons that I'm assuming should help, and there's a little stand that I can flip down that would hold the motor in the up position. The problem is that I wouldn't be able to reach this from within the boat, and wouldn't have the leverage to lift it from within the boat.

Can someone describe a bit how this is supposed to work? Once I know that, then I can likely troubleshoot it.

S/N for the motor is: 5336799

Thank you

 

[Alumarine]

On that motor I'd only try and tilt it on land from behind the motor by grabbing the skeg.
Those pistons won't help. They are to absorb the shock of hitting something.
If anything they make it harder to tilt.
40 years ago I would do it from inside.

 

[Buckischloo]

As a teenager I remember putting both feet in the motor well, grabbing the motor cover near the back and leaning back into the boat to lift our '72 Mercury 65 hp. I probably couldn't do that today without hurting myself. There are handles to provide better leverage, Google "Adjustable Outboard Motor Tilter". This might help. You could add tilt and trim but that would require a finding a used system for that vintage motor.

 

[Texasmark]

Tilt and trim operated from the remote console is made for that engine. The shocks are removed and hydraulic cylinders are added in their place with a hydraulic pump, high pressure lines and a fluid sump. I had an '84ish Merc 850 with just such an arrangement. You might find salvageable parts at a dealer that has been around since they were popular....my engine gives you a time line.

Otherwise you are faced with what everybody said..... a hard to lift engine designed to hit a stump, fly up and come back down gracefully. Word of caution....on replacing the shocks with hyd cylinders, they don't fly up all that much. I sheared about an inch off the skeg of that 850 one day when I went over a submerged concrete anchor block for a marina....only thing i felt was a little raising of the transom for a second. Upon loading on the trailer and securing I noticed some of my skeg was sheared off.

 

[mythx]

Wow, lots of good info, and interesting stories. Sounds like my unit is complete albeit stock, but that there are (or at least were) options.

I had the thought of replacing those shocks with hydraulic cylinders, sounds like such a solution was already thought of. I do like the idea of the motor being able to bounce if something is hit.

My main concern is when loading/unloading from a boat ramp. Every tutorial I see says to tilt the motor before loading. Should I be concerned about that?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Alumarine]

You only need to tilt the motor when trailering if the skeg would drag if you didn't.
2 of my trailers I never tilt the motors.
1 I have to.

 

[mythx]

It's probably 5" off the ground parked in the driveway, probably a bit higher when attached to the truck. I wouldn't leave it down while pulling out of my driveway though.

 

[Texasmark]

Wow, lots of good info, and interesting stories. Sounds like my unit is complete albeit stock, but that there are (or at least were) options.

I had the thought of replacing those shocks with hydraulic cylinders, sounds like such a solution was already thought of. I do like the idea of the motor being able to bounce if something is hit.

My main concern is when loading/unloading from a boat ramp. Every tutorial I see says to tilt the motor before loading. Should I be concerned about that?

Thanks for all the help.

Depends.....height of bottom of the skeg from pavement when sitting on the trailer; amount of up and down motion of trailer vs towing vehicle...how much clearance do you need with the engine down; on launching and loading, if using a concrete public ramp and you pass the above test no reason there also. Reason for the concern is that backing down into unknown water may cause the LU to strike an immovable object and that could lead to the engine tearing out the transom, top down in a worst case senario...or at least cracking your gelcoat on a glass boat.

I used to use a piece of 2x2 wood and a bungie cord on non PTT engines. Doesn't take all that much effort to grab the skeg in one hand and wood in the other, raise engine enough to get the wood in the gap in the transom bracket to engine and hook the bungie around the LU and attach to trailer to keep the engine from bouncing and the wood falling out....course the shocks could do that anti-bounce for you and you wouldn't need the bungie.

 

[Alumarine]

As others have said it's possible to retrofit power tilt/trim to that motor.
I've seen them often on craigslist type buy and sells.
Or, if you have a place that sells used boat nearby parts they might have it.
You would need one from approx. 1970-1982?

 

[Buckischloo]

If you want to go the original power trim route, they are out there. As mentioned, you just need to scrounge the sale ads and Market Place and be patient. I have gathered parts to do 3 systems for my ’69 to ’76 Merc 50s. The best deal cost wise is to find a nonworking motor that has everything you need, cylinders, pump, tilt switch, brackets and bolts. I have gotten parts from a 50 to 100 hp. I assembled one system by buying individual parts on ebay and other sources, that one has cost the most. I recently tried to buy a boat, motor and trailer for $100, just for the trim parts. Someone beat me to it which was probably for the best as the captain would have been very unhappy with me bringing home another junk boat to scrap.

I concur on towing with the motor up. Even though you have clearance on level ground, pulling into driveways and other roads can make your motor drag and break your skeg. The piece of wood and bungee is a great solution.

 

[mythx]

Thanks for the great replies.

I'll keep an eye out for an old power trim unit.

As for towing, I can travel with it up on the transom saver, that's easy and works well. I am only concerned about backing down the boat ramp (or back up) with it down. It sounds like that's probably OK, though still some risk on a less developed/maintained boat ramp.

Boat btw, is an 18' Aluminum Starcraft (also '79). Not sure if that info would help.

Thanks again

 

[Buckischloo]

Yes, I would be concerned about backing down the ramp with the motor down as well. If you know the ramp well, you may be ok. With our '72 Merc 65 without power trim, we would back down with the motor tilted up on the factory latch. Once in the water, we could tilt the motor forward just enough to release the latch. The shocks would lower the motor slowly. Pulling out with the motor down was not a risky if the lower unit caught, the skeg would protect the prop and the motor would tilt forward as needed. Our I/O is always trimmed up coming and going at the ramp. Over the years, I have had a number of cringes at the public ramps hearing lower units hit the ramp.