Need help with 1984 Mercury 60 hp tilt/trim repair

[jjones1012]

I have a 1984 Mercury 60 hp that is having problems with a leaking tilt/trim system. It is a used boat that the previous owner said that it was a O-ring problem on the reservoir. The motor works just fine as long as I keep oil in it. It seems that all the oil is coming from the bottom. How hard is it to take the motor out and replace the rings. Looks like a lot of wires to disconnect and map where they go, but is it something simple or should I just take it to a shop?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Need help with 1984 Mercury 60 hp tilt/trim repair

Depends upon your mechanical/electrical dexterity, availability of parts, and preferable a manual. I had an '84 85 hp with TT but never was into it. All I remember is that the pistons were outboard of the clamp bracket. Don't even remember where the motor was.

The problem I have had rebuilding hydraulic cylinders, and I have rebuilt 50 or so, is figuring out how to get the ram/piston out. Seems each type, even from the same OEM have a different access mechanism. Doing the actual repair is really straight forward common sense sort of thing. Sometimes getting the piston back into the cylinder with the new packing can be tricky....takes a lot of force and a generous amount of trim fluid to slick things up.

I have a later model Merc now and it has the single piston and pump assy as an integral unit and mounts between the clamps of the clamp bracket. I have a service manual on it. On this engine, where the shaft comes out of the cylinder (lift cylinders) the cap at the cylinder/shaft interface has two (or more) holes in it for a spanner wrench with two perpendicular pins to unscrew it. I would at loosen it prior to removing the cylinder from the engine as it would be easier than trying to put the cylinder in a vise to hold it and less damaging to the cylinder.

On an O-ring leak on the pump assy of yours, I am at a loss unless as to how that could be a problem unless the O-ring problem is internal. But if it's internal how do you know it's bad, or do you know by having to add fluid. If adding fluid is your mechanism, how do you know where it is exiting....where's the actual leak?

I would assume that there are no external moving parts to the pump/motor assy and it would have two wires to power it and 4, or maybe 2 (with a tee to both sides) high pressure hoses connecting to the lift pistons, one top and one bottom per cylinder. I can easily see how the lift pistons could be leaking which you would identify as fluid coming out the shaft/cylinder interface.

Read this over and come back with your comments.

Mark

 

[jjones1012]

Re: Need help with 1984 Mercury 60 hp tilt/trim repair

It is not a problem with the cylinders or anything that I can tell. The unit works well as long as I keep it filled with oil.

From what I can tell, the oil is leaking from either the sides or the bottom of the reservoir. The oil is leaking onto the platform below the unit and then into the bildge. The motor fits on top of the reservoir. I was told by the previous owner that he had a mechanic look at it and they said that there were O rings were bad and to just keep it filled with oil. It seems to be getting worse and tired of leaving oil in the lakes.

I plan on picking up a repair manual.

Just wanted to know if any one had done this type of thing and if they had suggestions.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Need help with 1984 Mercury 60 hp tilt/trim repair

You are on the right track with the manual. Again, internal leaks in the motor pump should stay internal as the assembly is sealed against the environment, which would/should also seal leaks from the innerds from getting to the environment. Before I started chasing wild geese, I would dry everything off and test the system (up down, up down, etc, etc, etc) till you saw where the oil is coming from.

Mark