Conference vicki::boats

    Working from (Mercrusier) memory, there is a trim limit switch on the
    outdrive that the  control trim switch is routed through.  This limit 
    switch is bypassed when using the trailer tilt switch.  You may want 
    to check that limit switch and circut before taking apart the control 
    lever. 
    
                                                Tom

    The first thing that I would check is the Trim limit Switch. It
    is located on the lower unit. On a Mercruiser, I believe it is in
    the left side of the gimbal pivot. I had one that worked loose and
    caused the exact same symptoms. There is an arm that runs across
    2 contact pads on opposite sides of this switch. The rotation of
    the arm is controlled by the pivot action of the gimbal. When the
    arm runs out of contact area (ie trim gets high), the up trim button
    stops working. Hence, the name: Trim Limit Switch. I'll bet the
    problem is in this area. Let us know the outcome.
    
    Good Luck
    
    Scott

    Check all of the associated plugs in the wiring harness, too. I
    had a similar problem last year due to a plug coming part-way out.
    
    Good luck.
    
    Jon

    
    
    
    	WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Trim limit.  Makes alot of sense.  I have the same problem this
    year, and have been using the Trailer Button.  I'll have to check
    this out.

    
    
     The trim limit switch on the Mercs is a known problem area- it is very
    common. I wouldn't even go near the trtim switch- look at the limit
    switch and the connectors, too. If you 'ver been running in Salt Water
    for a while- you could have LOTS of corrosion that is not helping the
    situation, also.
    
     Dick
    
    
    
    

    Thanks for all the input. I intend to be burning irrreplacable fossil
    fuel this comming weekend. I'll check out that switch and let you
    know what happened.
    Walt
    

	I am unable to tilt the 1978 65hp Evinrude outboard motor on 
	my boat.   

	According to the owners manual and the previous owner (who claims 
	it tilted with no problems for him up till the time he sold it to me, 
	and I have reason to believe him), all I need to do is set the motor
	in neutral, pull up the TILT/RUN lever on the motor to the TILT 
	position, and then simply tilt the motor.  I do that, but it doesn't
	tilt for me.  The motor will not tilt in either TILT or RUN position.  
	I've WD40's everything, but to no avail.

	What is the TILT/RUN lever supposed to do on this motor ?  It doesn't
	seem to move anything, though I do feel resistance (like from a spring)
	when I move the lever.  Any suggestions on how to solve this problem 
	and/or what might be wrong here ?

	Thanks again,
	Ken

    Ken,
    Are you talking about a non-functioning POWER trim and tilt, or
    is it simply a "human powered" tilt that's stuck in the down 
    position?  I typed up a bunch of stuff on how to troubleshoot a
    power trim system, then realized you may not even have power trim.
    
    If it's "human powered", check to be sure the tilt lock is actually 
    releasing.  Also try it with the motor in either forward or reverse,
    most motors will come up in any gear if the lever is set for "tilt".
    If there are no lock mechanisms preventing it from raising, it could
    be that one or more of the pivot points have frozen.  I seem to 
    remember you said this is a salt water boat?
    
    If it's "power" trim that's busted, let me know and I'll place the 
    rest of the text that I already typed in here.
    
    Rick

    Hi Rick,
    
    It's a 'human powered' tilt, and the motor is stuck in the down position.
    Sorry for the confusion...

    I can't get the motor to tilt up after properly (?) flipping the TILT/RUN
    lever to TILT.   The motor won't budge at all.   I've tried it with the
    shifter in all gears.  Hmmm, does the motor need to be running or 
    electrical circuit 'on' (there's a 'kill switch' on the boat, normally off) 
    to tilt it ?  

    Yes, it's a salt water boat, and I suspected immediately that it was 
    hardly ever tilted and froze up, but according to the previous owner,
    that should not be the case.   He took real good care of it, said the
    motor was in the up position till just before I picked it up, and that 
    he never had a problem with it.  He always kept it lubed up, etc.
     
    But something is stuck.  If the problem has nothing to do with motor 
    running, electrical circuit on, then it looks like it's either a 
    frozen pivot point or something in the lever itself.

    I don't see much of anything happening when I move the TILT/RUN lever.  
    Shouldn't I see something like a pin move, or something which prevents 
    tilting disengage when I move the lever to TILT ?  Problem is, I've never
    seen it tilt and don't know what to look for.

    Thanks a ton for the help.

    Ken

    My father has a '73 or '74 Johnson 65 HP (which just trashed the center
    cylinder and probably the crank) and it also has the run/tilt lever.
    Put on "tilt" and you can tilt it up (manually, of course), flip it to
    "run" and it is locked down. I am pretty sure there is not anything
    electrical involved. Of course, it does not "run" too well now.
    I think it is soon to be a parts special.
    
    Larry

    Ken,
    	I don't know your particular motor but I'd bet on a mechanical stop
    still preventing the motion. I've had trouble with my own motors on
    occation with a lever in the wrong place and it sometimes takes an
    inordinate amount of time to find the right "key" even when you've done
    it before. It can be a real mystery with a motor that's new to you.
    	I would think the tilt lever should release something; you should
    see something move. Perhaps you should buy/borow a manual or get some
    first hand info from a dealer or bring it back to the original owner to
    help you figure it out. It may save you a lot of aggravation.
    Regards,
    Paul

re:                   <<< Note 413.11 by DNEAST::OKERHOLM_PAU >>>

>    	I would think the tilt lever should release something; you should
>    see something move. Perhaps you should buy/borow a manual or get some
>    first hand info from a dealer or bring it back to the original owner to
>    help you figure it out. It may save you a lot of aggravation.

    I have the owners manual (the thin one that comes with the motor) but 
    it doesn't go into too much detail.  Do you mean a detailed repair manual
    like I have for my car ?  The previous owner is baffled and has offered 
    to check it out, or I'll go to a dealer/repair place after I've had a 
    chance to check everything out.  

	Thanks
	Ken

    
    	I have a 79 Johnson 55hp with manual tilt.When you put the lever in
    the tilt position,it release the spring loaded hook that grabs the tilt
    adjustment pin or tilt angle pin.This hook is spring loaded so that the
    motor will release or should release if you hit some foreign object
    with the lower end.It also release if you are going forward at a good
    clip and slam it in reverse.
    
    	One way to check if the pivot points are frozen,have someone wiggle
    the motor up and down while you remove the tilt angle pin.That will
    release the motor and it will tilt if they are not frozen.BTW do this
    with the lever in the tilt position.
    
    	#2- Look where the locking hooks grab the tilt angle pin and
    release them from the pin with the aid of a screw driver.This is also
    done with the lever in the tilt position.
    
    	#3- This way is not recommended especially if you intend on keeping
    the boat and motor....:-)  Take your boat on a lake,put the tilt lever
    in the tilt position,put it in forward gear and go as fast as it will
    go and either beach it or find some stump with the lower end.This will
    surely release something,boat from motor,lower end from boat and motor
    ect. :-)
    
    	If you choose way #3,have someone video tape it and send it to the
    Funniest Home Video show or to ESPN Crash and Burn show. :-) But I
    recommend way #1 or 2 first.
    
    
    
    	Norm

re:                      <<< Note 413.13 by LEVERS::NPARE >>>

The description you gave on the Tilt/Run lever and the hooks that grap the
tilt-angle pin sounds exactly the same as my motor.   I worked on it all
day last weekend, to no avail.   The motor will not tilt up.

The locking hooks which grab the tilt-angle pin seem to be working OK along with
the Tilt/Run lever.  When I move the lever to the Tilt position, the hooks 
disengage from the pin, and appear do to what they're supposed to do.

When I remove the tilt-angle pin, the motor still doesn't tilt up.  I've tried
it with the motor in neutral, fwd, and reverse and on an on. 

I've soaked the entire area with WD40 and penetrating oil, and nothing.
What could possibly be frozen ?   There's what looks like 2 hydraulic shafts
(for lack of a better term) which look like shock absorbers.  Maybe these
are frozen ?  Any ideas on how to un-freeze them if that's it ?

I won't use the boat with the motor frozen in down position, too much risk,
but it's driving me nuts.

I think I'll pass on recommendation #3 ;-)

Thanks
Ken

    Ken, I don't know anything about this subject but that's never stopped
    me from offering advise before.  By any chance does an outboard motor
    have locking pins that are inserted when you are trailering the boat?
    Sorta like shipping brackets that we insert in our computer cabs when
    they are shipped and must be removed by Field Service upon
    installation?  These pins would be to take the stress off the "hooks"
    that you descibe when going over the road.  Just a thought.
    Wayne

    By the sound of .14, my WAG is that your motor has power trim/tilt,
    somehow. If that's the case, you'll never be able to lift the unit by
    hand (unless you have inside knowlege of how to bypass the control
    valve.)
    
    The pistons you see would have to be hydraulic ramses (sic) and I can't
    think of any other config that would use similar-looking objects as
    shock absorbers, but then again, I own an I/O, and don't spend much
    time looking at O/Bs.
    
    Mike

re: Note 413.15 by SALEM::NORCROSS_W

>    me from offering advise before.  By any chance does an outboard motor
>    have locking pins that are inserted when you are trailering the boat?

There is a trailer lock, but it's only supposed to be used to lock the motor
in the "up" position.   It's in the down position (seemingly permanently)
and it doesn't seem to be in the way of anything.

re Note 413.16 by BROKE::TAYLOR 

>    By the sound of .14, my WAG is that your motor has power trim/tilt,
>    somehow. If that's the case, you'll never be able to lift the unit by
>    hand (unless you have inside knowlege of how to bypass the control
>    valve.)

According to the owners manual and the previous owner, it's not a power tilt.
A friend of mine said exactly what you're saying, but he eventually guessed
that the hydraulics are to hold the motor up, sort of like that holds up
the lids on his pickup tool box.
    
Ken

      Ken,
    
         If this motor doesnt have power trim & tilt then there should be a 
    little catch lever in the front of the motor to keep the motor from
    flying up when you put the motor in reverse.
    
         Mine has one of theese catchs on it and if the pin (for trailering)
     is pulled out but this latch is still engaged the motor wont tilt up.
     this latch is ussually on the front of the motor where it mounts on
    the transom, it would probably be in a place that is easily accessable
    from inside the boat.
    
    
                                           hope this helps
                                                        Lee
    

    
    
    	Ken,
    
    		Those shock absorbers are exactly what they are.They are
    usually found on bigger O/Bs that do not have power trim/tilt ie:70hp,
    and up,they are used to slow the motor down when lowering it into
    running position (it saves the transom or the tube that the O/B pivots
    on) otherwise it would slam down.
    
    	Try loosening the large nuts that are at both ends of the pivot
    tube.That pivot tube is the tube that your steering cable run thru and
    has 2 big nuts at each end.If by some chance they were over thightened
    or the pivot tube froze,it should relieve the pressure.If that does not
    work,try disconnecting the shocks at one end,that will let you check
    them out.
    
    
    	Keep us updated on your progress.
    
    	Norm

        The Tilt problem is solved!  ;-)

	The problem, described in a few earlier notes, was that the
	shocks/pistons were frozen.   

	I took the boat+motor to a marine-type-place, and they started	
	by checking the Tilt/Run lever (OK), the pivot tube (it was loosened
	+ checked out OK), and finally, the pair of shocks.  The shocks
	evidently froze, probably due to salt.

	A couple of bars with one on each side of the shaft were used
	to pry the motor out of it's frozen position.  Once it was tilted,
	it was stiff but loosened up nicely with some good lubricant.
	I'll be soaking everything with some mystery oil as well.

	Thanks for all the suggestions and help.  I've now got in great
	shape to winterize it and put it away now ;-)

	The previous note <<< Note 413.19 by LEVERS::NPARE >>> was right on!

	Ken