Leaky trim seals - TRIM N TILT. 2014 F300 XCA

[oldmako69]

So the time has come. One engine refused to come back down after raising it. I pulled the drain/access bolt and added some ATF or power steering fluid (I can't recall which) and it worked just fine. However, as the bolt was out is spit out some fluid. The fluid had been compromised with water.

I had assumed this was the case since I saw a sheen on the water the last time I ran the boat. The sheen was evident after trimming the engine up a bit while I was loading it on the trailer.

I found the correct tool part no AMT - 0004. 38mm X 4mm. Amazon vendors will tell you that they all fit every outboard motor ever produced on this planet. Of course the actual REVIEWS will tell you just how wrong that information is and just how crappy most of these tools are. The pins are soft. The wrench is made from pot metal. So I kept at it till I found the real deal....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pretty solid reviews and a lot of them.

Now comes the tricky part -

WHICH SEALS do I replace and why doesn't YAM sell a little baggie with ALL of them in it? There are numerous vendors selling "kits" but I don't trust them at all. Lousy parts, lousy fit, etc. This is a fairly involved job when I am doing 4 trim cylinders so I'd rater do it ONCE.

Since the same fluid runs both the 2 TRIM actuators and the 1 TILT actuator that tells me that the ingress could be from one of 3 seals. The tops of the trim cylinders (part no 66) and the top of the TILT (no.6).

Questions -

1. Can/should I just do the trim cylinders, since their tops appear "oily" or do I need to do the tilt as well?

2. Do I have to mess with the seals below the trim rams as well or just the leaky cap? I can't see where else the water could be getting in.

3. How about that little "pipe" at the bottom? It looks like it is a possible fluid transfer/PSI conduit. It's little O rings (part no. 22) could be leaking.

4. Besides YAM miracle jizz, is ATF or PS Fluid a suitable replacement?

5. For those of you who have done it, how tough is this job?

Thanks for any input.

[oldmako69]

Found this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfPyXNQQOf4


He replaced parts 67, 68 and 66.

Interesting and helpful dialog about the relief screw and bleeding.

[pstephens46]

Found this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfPyXNQQOf4


He replaced parts 67, 68 and 66.

Interesting and helpful dialog about the relief screw and bleeding.

I would try to find out where the fluid is coming from before ordering parts. Those units are fairly complicated with lots of tiny parts to drop. No sense in digging too deep into it when not needed. A few years back, I thought I needed to replace the seals on the trim rams. I finally realized it was coming from the back of unit next to hull. You could call that the front of unit but the it's the side you cannot see. It needed tiny little o-rings and no spanner to disassemble. My unit is a different model so there in no comparison. I can't remember what fluids are compatible with Yamaha. I probably run it a little and drain it several times to try to flush any remaining water.

[oldmako69]

Too late.

Bought the tool, bought the screw cap O ring seals, the outer seals, and retainer clips for both tilt rams and all 4 trim rams. Since there's both a sheen on the water (after I run the trim) and the trim ram caps are wet with fluid this just seems like a no-brainer. And, since it's a 2014 and I have no idea when they were done last, I'm just going to knock them out. I'll sleep better at night knowing that all of them have been refreshed. I'll be sure and check the fluid soon and often following the work to ensure that I got the culprit.

[pstephens46]

Too late.

Bought the tool, bought the screw cap O ring seals, the outer seals, and retainer clips for both tilt rams and all 4 trim rams. Since there's both a sheen on the water (after I run the trim) and the trim ram caps are wet with fluid this just seems like a no-brainer. And, since it's a 2014 and I have no idea when they were done last, I'm just going to knock them out. I'll sleep better at night knowing that all of them have been refreshed. I'll be sure and check the fluid soon and often following the work to ensure that I got the culprit.

Have you watched the video of this procedure on MarineTechtools.com? Might be helpful.

[oldmako69]

I watched a few, not sure if I saw MarineTech's. But now that you mention it, I will search for it. I shot the caps with Aerokroil two days ago and will again before I take on the job. The tool came two days ago. The seals should be here any day now. Thanks for the heads up!

[pstephens46]

I watched a few, not sure if I saw MarineTech's. But now that you mention it, I will search for it. I shot the caps with Aerokroil two days ago and will again before I take on the job. The tool came two days ago. The seals should be here any day now. Thanks for the heads up!

How did this project go?

[oldmako69]

Got the tools, got the seals, got the knowledge. Don't get any time till after mid-OCT. My plate is very full with work and family commitments. Will dig into that SOON. Just in time for the speckled trout.

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[pstephens46]

I thought you retired? And that chick there, I believe, is Instagram famous?

[oldmako69]

I did retire. But then a buddy called needing help. Then I met another guy and then another. So, back in the saddle. Part-time is my goal, but the last two months have been a blur. Flying a very nice Hawker and some old beat-up Citations to take surgical teams to and from guys on life support. They scoop out what's viable and I then take them to the lucky guy on the waiting list. Lots of late nights and long duty periods, but it's rewarding.

The young lass was plucked from the web.

I have some free time now and I'm looking forward to wrenching on the boat, if you can believe that! Need to be ready for the speckled trout, because my oven is ready for them.

[oldmako69]

Got one engine done. The other engines' trim caps were just flat-out not coming off without them getting mangled. Turns out it's pretty difficult to keep the special tool engaged in the trim caps without it slipping. Especially when using a breaker bar and cheater pips. And when it slips, there go the holes.

So, ordering two new caps and will finish it when they show up. Aside from the damn caps, the job is easy.

[pstephens46]

Got one engine done. The other engines' trim caps were just flat-out not coming off without them getting mangled. Turns out it's pretty difficult to keep the special tool engaged in the trim caps without it slipping. Especially when using a breaker bar and cheater pips. And when it slips, there go the holes.

So, ordering two new caps and will finish it when they show up. Aside from the damn caps, the job is easy.

There’s always the Barry Seal flying option if cash is scarce. Marine Tech also makes the nuclear option. The chisel bit for hammer drill. Stick in hole at angle and give it hell.

[oldmako69]

Barry Seal was the youngest pilot ever hired at TWA from what I understand. Somewhere along the line, he grew bored with airline flying and tried other odd jobs. Fairly fascinating character. The pics that he got of Escobar at his plane were incredible. I forget all the details but the judge that made him show up at the halfway house each night might as well have just shot him right then and there. That was a "sure thing" death sentence for Barry.

Back to the caps, I cannot believe that YAM hasn't come up with a better solution than those shallow, tiny pins. Either that or I am just a moron. If you have to put ANY real grunt into them, your grip has to be perfect to loosen the caps without the tool slipping out and tearing the cap up.

[99yam40]

have you tried putting the motors weight down on the tool to hold the tool in place?

from what I have read a piece of PVC pipe works for that

[panasonic]

Barry Seal was the youngest pilot ever hired at TWA from what I understand. Somewhere along the line, he grew bored with airline flying and tried other odd jobs. Fairly fascinating character. The pics that he got of Escobar at his plane were incredible. I forget all the details but the judge that made him show up at the halfway house each night might as well have just shot him right then and there. That was a "sure thing" death sentence for Barry.

Back to the caps, I cannot believe that YAM hasn't come up with a better solution than those shallow, tiny pins. Either that or I am just a moron. If you have to put ANY real grunt into them, your grip has to be perfect to loosen the caps without the tool slipping out and tearing the cap up.

We have that trouble all the time with landing gear gland nuts, basically same situation, spanner wrench that is impossible to keep engaged in the nut and end up tearing everything up. We made our own tools and use a hydraulic jack to force the spanner against the gland nut to break it loose. Even then the gland nut ends up torn up so much we scrap it...but a least we get it out.

We are pulling gland nuts for leaking oleos, basically same thing you are doing or for heavy landing inspections.....that's my dig at pilots! Lol