tilt/trim wiring

[chilly1]

1971 Chrysler 55 HP 557 HC. Tilt/trim motor had broken wires, and I took it apart last year. I cannot remember which wires go where. There are three wires going into motor: blue, green, black. I believe black goes to one brush. Blue is still attached and goes down and into one of the two semicircular wire nests on the side of the housing. I assume green goes to the other wire coming up from the other semicircular wire nest. There is a bridge between the two nests, and it has a wire coming off of it. This has to go to the other 'positive' brush, but there is evidence of two connections to the 'positive' brush. There is some rust on the brush plate, and it is hard to see clearly. Am I close?

 

[RRitt]

Re: tilt/trim wiring

1) need new wire. None of them are supposed to be exposed.
2) need new brush card. That one is too rusted.
3) need new gaskets. Gasket thickness is part of end-play tolerance. Substitute and/or sealer is not acceptable.
4) might need new brush cap. Old bearing might be rusted.
5) might need new armature. Not uncommon with rusted & cracked brush cards.
6) field windings should be removed. So that you can bead blast interior rust.

IMO -
If armature is okay then your better off rebuilding ($130ish). With rebuild you get to keep aluminum reservoir. Cost of getting new armature drives up cost of rebuild beyond cost of swapping out for aftermarket ($150ish). Aftermarket has plastic reservoir and won't fit your boat exactly right but it will work and is worth the savings. The one thing you shouldn't bother doing is putting it back together with that brush card, that wire harness, and improper gaskets.

 

[chilly1]

Re: tilt/trim wiring

Thanks for the reply. The wiring harness is actually in great shape and I will just cut it back to good wire. I haven't checked to see if I can get a brush card yet, but the armature is bright and all seems well continuity-wise. I really want to get it to go and see what shape the whole system is in before I spend alot on it. If it needs new seals on the cylinders, for instance, I will have to wait until later.

 

[RRitt]

Re: tilt/trim wiring

Generally speaking:

Ram seals last 30+ years
3w trim motors last about 25-30years
2w trim motors last about 20 years*
3w valve bodies go 20-25 years
2w valve bodies go 17-20 years
Any component with Mercury ATF lasts about half as long.


* if you put new seals onto 2w trim motor before old ones go bad then motor will last 30 years.

So ....
you probably don't need to rebuild rams.


Don't try putting motor back together without exactly right frame gaskets. Their thickness is a critical component of overall function. I think you can still buy them for $1.50 each.

You can not get just circuit board. You can however, get the entire brush cap. I think they cost about $60.

 

[chilly1]

Re: tilt/trim wiring

Wow! You really know your stuff! Thanks!