Trim Hydraulics

[62cruiserinc]

I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260. The trim up/dn has always worked fine.

Yesterday I went to raise the outdrive (Alpha one) and it worked. When I went to lower it (I just finished replacing the impeller) it would only lower about half way. Also, I heard a pop somewhere from the outdrive area (I was ion the boat).

I disconnected the hydraulic cylinders from the outdrive. There is no binding in the outdrive itself, I can move it easily the full range by hand.

The cylinders will extend fully but only retract about 1/3 of the way. The motor runs in both directions.

I checked the fluid level (this is an older unit that doesn't have the see-through reservoir) and it looked low looking down the hole where the fill plug goes. There was some fluid on a fitting which I tightened. I filled it up to the bottom of the threads of the fill plug.

Now the starboard side cylinder wont retract at all, and the port side retracts about an inch.

Any ideas on what I should look at next? I don't see any visible leaks anywhere. Do I need to do some bleeding? Did a cylinder fail and cause both to act incorrectly?

I can't find much info on the net on this unit. Does the solenoid on the side of the unit actuate the up direction?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Scott06]

I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260. The trim up/dn has always worked fine.

Yesterday I went to raise the outdrive (Alpha one) and it worked. When I went to lower it (I just finished replacing the impeller) it would only lower about half way. Also, I heard a pop somewhere from the outdrive area (I was ion the boat).

I disconnected the hydraulic cylinders from the outdrive. There is no binding in the outdrive itself, I can move it easily the full range by hand.

The cylinders will extend fully but only retract about 1/3 of the way. The motor runs in both directions.

I checked the fluid level (this is an older unit that doesn't have the see-through reservoir) and it looked low looking down the hole where the fill plug goes. There was some fluid on a fitting which I tightened. I filled it up to the bottom of the threads of the fill plug.

Now the starboard side cylinder wont retract at all, and the port side retracts about an inch.

Any ideas on what I should look at next? I don't see any visible leaks anywhere. Do I need to do some bleeding? Did a cylinder fail and cause both to act incorrectly?

I can't find much info on the net on this unit. Does the solenoid on the side of the unit actuate the up direction?

Thanks
Steve

I would take the lines of the cylinders see if they bind up when compressing they should move freely by hand otherwise may have to take apart clean and or rebuild. Is there corrosion on outside of shafts that is binding them up

 

[tank1949]

I have a 1981 Sea Ray 260. The trim up/dn has always worked fine.

Yesterday I went to raise the outdrive (Alpha one) and it worked. When I went to lower it (I just finished replacing the impeller) it would only lower about half way. Also, I heard a pop somewhere from the outdrive area (I was ion the boat).

I disconnected the hydraulic cylinders from the outdrive. There is no binding in the outdrive itself, I can move it easily the full range by hand.

The cylinders will extend fully but only retract about 1/3 of the way. The motor runs in both directions.

I checked the fluid level (this is an older unit that doesn't have the see-through reservoir) and it looked low looking down the hole where the fill plug goes. There was some fluid on a fitting which I tightened. I filled it up to the bottom of the threads of the fill plug.

Now the starboard side cylinder wont retract at all, and the port side retracts about an inch.

Any ideas on what I should look at next? I don't see any visible leaks anywhere. Do I need to do some bleeding? Did a cylinder fail and cause both to act incorrectly?

I can't find much info on the net on this unit. Does the solenoid on the side of the unit actuate the up direction?

Thanks
Steve

Salt water used????? You need to manually raise and lower it by jumping solenoid. I have replaced too many of them. They don't like salt water dripping on them. Rebuild rams with new seals. Easy to do! If that doesn't work, replace fluid and pray trim motor doesn't need replacing.

 

[kenny nunez]

The rods are binding in the packing glands where they extend out of the ram tubes.
Sierra marine rebuild kit. # 18-2291.
Sierra also has complete rams #18-2142.
Your pump will deliver up to 3000 lbs in the up mode but only delivers 800 lbs in down mode. That is why they will not retract.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

Don't forget the impact relief valves built into the pistons themselves.
If the ram is really corroded at the gland, those reliefs can blow off the pressure from the supply to the return side.

 

[62cruiserinc]

Some more info:

No salt water, only fresh water.

Trim cylinder rods are perfectly smooth, no corrosion.

The up tilt works perfectly.

Using the down tilt, it stops going down about halfway.

If I stand on the outdrive while someone pushes the down tilt button, it will go down almost all the way. It will hit a "hard stop" for some reason, even though the outdrive can still go down a few inches. Standing on the drive while it's going down, you can feel the hard stop that it hits a little early before being down fully.

I am going to disconnect the hydraulic lines from the cylinders and make sure they operate smoothly the full range.

Drive Full Up


Drive Halfway Down (where it stops using down button)



Drive Down (where it stops using down button and standing on drive)
Note there is still smooth rod sticking out, showing it should go down more.

Steve

 

[62cruiserinc]

Another question:

What is this device that is in-line with one of the trim hydraulic lines? Is it the reverse lockout that I have read somewhere?

 

[Bondo]

Another question:

What is this device that is in-line with one of the trim hydraulic lines? Is it the reverse lockout that I have read somewhere?
View attachment 407087

Yes,......

 

[62cruiserinc]

I located another trim pump I had from a 1984 boat I was working on a few years ago. This one is a two-solenoid unit, unlike mine which is a single-solenoid unit. However, it should be plug-and-play.

I was debating whether I should replace the pump first, or remove the lines from the cylinders first (to see if there was binding in the cylinders).

I decided to check the cylinders first. I loosened one of the fittings at one cylinder and noticed the outdrive slowly dropped the remaining few inches to the full down position. At first there was no fluid coming out around the loosened fitting, and then fluid started coming out. I tightened the fitting back down and checked the trim operation. It now works fine in up or down operation.

I'm not sure what happened. Maybe I bled the line when I loosened the fitting? I did notice that fluid seemed low in the pump when I first started, and I added fluid then (a few days ago).

Any ideas on what happened?

Steve