79 johnson 100 tilt/trim problems

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Feb 24, 2015
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I've got a 79 javelin 100 with tilt and trim. It was a free boat/engine and I wanted to fix it all up. Anyway I took the outboard off the boat and hung it from the ceiling and removed the tilt and trim assembly. It looked like it could use some freshening up. I tried to run it off a battery but I got no response. I took the electric motor off and then realized water and dirt/gunk had gotten into the system from the large o-ring from the motor. I then powered up the electric motor and it worked as it should. I removed the hydraulic pump from underneath the motor and tried to turn it with a screwdriver. It wouldn't budge. So I took that apart and put it back together and now it turns easily. I reinstalled everything and added trim fluid to the fill hole. At first the electric motor ran weak and hardly at all. Then I added more fluid and the trim motor ran like it should. Im thinking the pump was a little dry. The hydraulics worked sometimes but not very well. I kept the unit upright and added more fluid while trying to let the air out every so often. Anyway now the tilt and trim will not go up at all but it goes down very well. I had to release the pressure and pull up the tilt tube by hand and then run it down with the motor. Im just trying get advice on what to do now. Keep trying to add fluid and bleed it or what???
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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I first added tilt and trim fluid but then I ran out because all it is doing is foaming up a storm and spurting out when I open the fill hole or even the pressure relief valve, so then I added some dex 2 fluid I had....I hope mixing the two would be fine. It did seem to work better with the tilt fluid only.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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And when I first added the fluid I added it to the large screw just beneath the electric motor. I now know that wasnt the correct place. Im just hoping to get this system working. Any recommendations would be great....Thanks
 

emdsapmgr

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Dec 9, 2005
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The fill hole for the trim fluid is located on the trim reservoir, about half way up the side of it. Keep adding fluid, the run the trim up/down a few cycles. It will self/bleed. After a few times, the fluid level should stabilize just below the lip of the fill screw hole. Your system is made to work with a special remote trim control box. Are you using that box while you are testing the unit? This box mounts remotely under the back splashwell of the boat and has a single solenioid for the "UP" movement of the trim only. That box needs to be there and connected correctly inorder to function the trim properly. You can see the original factory exploded parts diagram for you specific trim unit at the factory website: epc.brp.com.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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Yes I have the box with that solenoid but I actually still have the whole tilt and trim assembly off of the engine. I keep it upright and I'm just using the 3 wires with jumpers and a battery to run the system. So the electric motor is running fine in both directions. It just doesn't want to run the hydraulics up or out. Down hasn't been a problem but out of the 4 or 5 times I've actually gotten it to go up ( either partially or completely) it was very slow.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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I'll go outside now and top it off again and see if any air comes out of the fill hole on the reservoir. Then I will try to run it. I'd there anything I can do to keep all the damn foam to a minimum. Or should it dissipate after it sits? This will be the second morning I've I've tried adding fluid and letting air out and running it. I hope it works this time
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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I'm still having no luck. It was in the bottom position and I ran it up with the blue wire but no movement. I then released the pressure valve and I manually pulled up in the tilt tube ( still very hard to do but this is normal I think). So the trim rams are still sucked all the way in at this point. I checked the reservoir which had a little air and foam come out and I added even more dex 2 to over flowing ( while upright). I then apply power to blue and ground to black. The trim ram on the right came up all the way (very slowly 15 sec or so) and then ran I continued to run the motor another 10 seconds or so but the left ram will not move. I then powered the unit down and and when I try to go back up nothing moved. Mind you that when I first began this process a couple days ago both rams did move completely but only on couple cycles in the beginning ( but still it wasn't working properly and that is when I began adding more fluid.). Thanks
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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Any suggestions on what to do? Or what may be going wrong? Anything I can do to get pressure with those HUGE manifiold screws and small allenhead bolts? Should I turn the unit upside down and try to dump out all the oil/foam and refill? Thanks in advance
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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The right trim ram will come up about all the way if I loosen the pressure relief screw but the tilt ram doesnt unless I pull it up manually. the left ram stays put. Everything goes down perfectly. Help me out
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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Well I just read something that Joe Reeves had posted about possible hydraulic lock up and air lock up. I will try his procedure about removing the check valve and getting to the back side of the one behind it and releasing the pressure by tapping it with a hammer and appropriate sized punch. Hopefully this does the trick...If not I will try the air lock thing he talks about.
 

emdsapmgr

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Dec 9, 2005
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Is the hydraulic fluid a clear red color? No signs of water intrusion? The factory service manual has a very extensive section on the trim system. Color diagrams as well as testing logic.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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The hydraulic fluid I'm adding is clear and red. The fluid inside the unit definitely had water getting inside. That fluid is now a light pink color and very foamy. I tried the hydraulic lock procedure to no avail. I was actually able to press the check valve in by hand with a small punch easily. I ended up taking the electric motor back off and turning the unit upside down to empty as much as I could so more of it would be fresh. I guess I'm going to have to buy one of those factory service manuals. Or would you recommend a seloc manual?
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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I did get the left trim ram to move this time though. The right went up and then as I was hoping for the left to budge, I tapped it with a hammer and to my surprise it actually extended. But then the tilt tube wouldn't extend.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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I'm going to try to remove the other manifold screws though and check for blockages and condition. I just have to get them out without damaging them. I actually cut and ground a 3/4" paddle bit into a large flathead to remove the first one. My little impact wasnt strong enough to budge the others, so I'll hunt down a stronger impact gun. The outboard had been sitting outside for 10 years on the boat with the bow down and the stern substantially higher so the elements had a clear shot at the tilt/trim. I will remove the other check valves and Allen screws to see if dirt/ gunk may be clogging something. Thanks for the advice emd.
 

emdsapmgr

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You may want to drain out all the hydraulic fluid first. Then flush it with new, until all the fluid is clear and red. Then start over with all fresh fluid. This will entail removing all the hydraulic lines, then refitting and tightening them.
 
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Feb 24, 2015
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Well I took out all the manifold screws and drained most of the fluid. I didn't flush the unit ( I'm not sure how besides dumping in fresh and trying to circulate it and drain it several times) but I got all the bold nasty fluid out and filled it back up. The unit works great now until I run it All the way up. If I stop the tilt tube just below full extension it is fine ( I can run it all the way down and up with no problems), but if I gonall the way up, it won't go back down. It hydraulicly locks every time. I have to pull out the check valve on the front to get to the one behind it and hit it with a hammer and small punch. The orings look OK to me. Is there something inshoukd be looking for? Do the check valve springs get weak overtime? Thanks
 
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