Tilt/trim stuck--HELP PLEASE!

[smplaxco]

Hi all,
The tilt on my 2004 F150 will not lift, though the motor is sounding when the shifter button is pushed up and down. The boat is docked, stern in. I loosened the manual hydraulic pressure release screw until it just spins, tied a rope to the lower unit, stood on the dock, and have pulled with all my legs and back but it will not budge. The stern lifts out of the water, the angle is perfect, but no movement whatsoever. I want to assess the problem but cannot do so with the motor down. Does anybody have any idea what could be jamming up the hydraulics with the pressure released? Thanks for your help!

[99yam40]

pivot point is rusted and binding up maybe

[smplaxco]

Not likely, it was a bit up and went down no problem. It's in fresh water. Thanks

[Jason2tpa]

A+ for the effort bud....but highly doubt you'll be able to manually tilt a 500lb motor by yourself with the method you detailed. One fairly strong person can do it when trailered, but that raising the lower unit the first foot or two is very very heavy. To do anything with the PTT you'll need to pull the boat out anyway....so why struggle with it submerged?

[FirstBoat50tlr]

Try this:
hold down or up on the trim button on the motor. At the same time, take a hammer and start tapping the tilt motor, not the hydraulic, but the motor. Should do this out of water, you’ll have better access.
worked for mine, will need to replace before next season.

[Professor1250]

Make sure you have enough hydraulic fluid in the reservoir. My F200 trim started "sticking" after I got it. the trim piston seals were going bad so I was losing fluid. I kept refilling occasionally until I got the seals replaced.

[smplaxco]

Thanks all for your advice, here's my responses in bulk:

The motor is heavy but the pivot point/fulcrum, along with the leverage I'm getting from my pick-point, is such that the force I need is less than the weight. In fact the purchase for the force ( me hahahaha) is pretty efficient, I'm able to get a direct pull above it at a good angle. And hey, if it were just the weight alone I wouldn't be picking up the stern at all, right? Sorry I'm a bit of a heavy-rigging egghead.

I can't get to the hydraulic reservoir to add fluid, the outboard is all the way down. Or the pump/motor. The thing is seized, or the release valve is somehow not working.

My brother suggested that the tilt could be automatically locked if the motor was in reverse. PLayed with that theory, no luck.

Any other thoughts? Thanks again yall

[Jason2tpa]

Thanks all for your advice, here's my responses in bulk:

The motor is heavy but the pivot point/fulcrum, along with the leverage I'm getting from my pick-point, is such that the force I need is less than the weight. In fact the purchase for the force ( me hahahaha) is pretty efficient, I'm able to get a direct pull above it at a good angle. And hey, if it were just the weight alone I wouldn't be picking up the stern at all, right? Sorry I'm a bit of a heavy-rigging egghead.

I can't get to the hydraulic reservoir to add fluid, the outboard is all the way down. Or the pump/motor. The thing is seized, or the release valve is somehow not working.

My brother suggested that the tilt could be automatically locked if the motor was in reverse. PLayed with that theory, no luck.

Any other thoughts? Thanks again yall

No, not right. The lifting you’re doing is being applied to the boat since it’s buoyant, not the motor. You need the boat static in order for all your motor lifting strength to be applied directly to lifting the motor. A submerged boat is dynamic.

[DennisG01]

The reverse lockout thing is only for some small things - not this engine - basically engines that don't have hydraulics.

It's hard to say if you are, in fact, lifting the engine at the right angle. When the engine is all the way down, trying to lift it straight up won't do it. You have to start the lift (appy force) at roughly a 45* angle, maybe a little less.

You said the manual release screw just spins? From what I recall when using it, you back it out till it STOPS spinning... meaning, it doesn't keep spinning cause it hits the snap ring. I wonder if you snapped the screw head off the threaded shaft part? Based on what you have said, I don't think you have properly released the manual release, which is why you can't lift the engine.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

A+ for the effort bud....but highly doubt you'll be able to manually tilt a 500lb motor by yourself with the method you detailed. One fairly strong person can do it when trailered, but that raising the lower unit the first foot or two is very very heavy. To do anything with the PTT you'll need to pull the boat out anyway....so why struggle with it submerged?

+100 ^^^ You ain't pulling that up from anywhere other than from below it.

The boat needs to come out anyway to check fluid, etc.

[smplaxco]

The force is at the correct angle, to turn on the axis at the radius of the tie point. Dennis you're right, about 45 degrees. The boat is well tied down, and will of course move some but in order for it to lift in the direction of the force the motor-as long as it is free- would have to move first. The force required to move the stern up/out would be that (without motor) + the force to lift the motor. It's ahead in line...That's the prob, it's not free. And sorry, but of course it can be lifted from above, gravity doesn't care where the force is located, just how direct it is.

Dennis I think you're on to something. Maybe that manual screw has sheared.

[DennisG01]

Yeah, if it was free, you should have AT LEAST been able to start the engine lifting. It doesn't require much force in the beginning.

[99yam40]

Yeah, if it was free, you should have AT LEAST been able to start the engine lifting. It doesn't require much force in the beginning.

I would also think that is true.
the reason for the 2 trim rams is to move the motor while under way.
prop pushing against it as you trim it up

[Jason2tpa]

The force is at the correct angle, to turn on the axis at the radius of the tie point. Dennis you're right, about 45 degrees. The boat is well tied down, and will of course move some but in order for it to lift in the direction of the force the motor-as long as it is free- would have to move first. The force required to move the stern up/out would be that (without motor) + the force to lift the motor. It's ahead in line...That's the prob, it's not free. And sorry, but of course it can be lifted from above, gravity doesn't care where the force is located, just how direct it is.

Dennis I think you're on to something. Maybe that manual screw has sheared.

All of the physics hub-bud you're going on about is absolutely inconsequential to the issue that you've presented to this forum. So just in case it wasn't clear when noted earlier....you cannot troubleshoot the PTT unit while the boat is submerged.

I'm sure there are physics forums out there you can present your theory to. But this ain't one of them. We're just a bunch of dudes that know how to work on Yam outboard engines.

[DennisG01]

All of the physics hub-bud you're going on about is absolutely inconsequential to the issue that you've presented to this forum. So just in case it wasn't clear when noted earlier....you cannot troubleshoot the PTT unit while the boat is submerged.

I'm sure there are physics forums out there you can present your theory to. But this ain't one of them. We're just a bunch of dudes that know how to work on Yam outboard engines.

Actually, Jason, I think he was correct in that he was saying that he should have been able to, at least somewhat, start to pull the engine up using his rope. He was pulling from a good angle to get movement and being in the water doesn't affect that in any way.