Trim cylinder help...

[hippie2]

I have a 1988 Mercruiser Alpha-1, Gen-1 stern drive. I purchased a pair of trim cylinders which I will install. The question is; how do I get the cylinders to retract inorder to install them? I put all 315 lbs. on them and the cylinder would not move inward at all. Is there a bolt I must loosen to relieve the oil pressure inside? Thank you, Bob

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

I have a 1988 Mercruiser Alpha-1, Gen-1 stern drive. I purchased a pair of trim cylinders which I will install. The question is; how do I get the cylinders to retract inorder to install them? I put all 315 lbs. on them and the cylinder would not move inward at all. Is there a bolt I must loosen to relieve the oil pressure inside? Thank you, Bob

Did you try to lift the outdrive and install?

 

[Don S]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

If they aren't connected and you can't move them, then you probably need to rebuild them before installing them. Sounds like the rod might be frozen in the end cap.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

Yea, mine new trim cylinders would not retract. I think I loaded then up with fluid and connected the hydraulics and used the trim pump to retract them. Youn could raise the drive as well, but charging them up with fluid will also help in the priming process.

 

[hippie2]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

Tpenfield, you hooked the cylinder lines to the distribution block and then used the power to retract them, that sounds good. Or you other men say I could lift the outdrive up enough to install them, that will also work! But this filling them with oil, I thought I would add oil as needed to the Oildyne reservoir and then power the outdrive up and down a few times till the air worked it's way out. Oh, by the way, what weight oil does the trim take? Please advise me if that will work.
PS- Don S. - you guessed correctly, they are used cylinders!
Thank you again, Bob

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

Tpenfield, you hooked the cylinder lines to the distribution block and then used the power to retract them, that sounds good. Or you other men say I could lift the outdrive up enough to install them, that will also work! But this filling them with oil, I thought I would add oil as needed to the Oildyne reservoir and then power the outdrive up and down a few times till the air worked it's way out. Oh, by the way, what weight oil does the trim take? Please advise me if that will work.
PS- Don S. - you guessed correctly, they are used cylinders!
Thank you again, Bob

Yes, I filled the cylinder with the hydraulic fluid (I think Mercruiser sells it for some outrageous price) so that the retraction of the cylinder would not push all kinds of air back up the lines. A little bit of air? fine, but a whole cylinder of air, I figured was too much and the pump may start sucking nothing but air.

 

[achris]

Re: Trim cylinder help...

You can use either AFT or 30W (NON-DETERGENT!!!) engine oil... Check what's currently in the system and either stick with that, or flush the entire system out and put the one you want in...

Chris.....