Volvo SP outdrive wont tilt up!!

jandjkemp

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I recently bought a 1993 Excel 18SX that has a Volvo 230 with an SP outdrive. I have an issue with tilting the outdrive up and down when putting the boat in and out of the water. First off, there are two switches to operate the outdrive operations, which has always been the way I've found it on the few boats I have operated. One to tilt the outdrive down for use once in the water, and one to operate the trim when pulling skiers, accelerating, etc. My problem is that in order to tilt the outdrive down from the all the way up position, the tilt down switch needs to be pressed at the same time as the trim down button on the throttle control lever. To tilt the outdrive up out of the water, the tilt switch needs to be pressed to the DOWN position as well as the trim UP switch on the throttle control.
It doesn't makes sense to me. Shouldn't these be two separate controls?? One to raise and lower the outdrive and another to operate the trim??
 

Don S

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Re: Volvo SP outdrive wont tilt up!!

On the single prop drives, Volvo didn't normally use trim limit so there wasn't any need for 2 switches. Do you have a trim/tilt gauge? If so, what type. A picture perhaps.
It mostly sounds like someone hooked it up wrong and have the two switches in series instead of in parallel. In which case you will have to figure out where it's spliced in. No way to guess where or how an inexperinced person wired it in.
 

jandjkemp

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Re: Volvo SP outdrive wont tilt up!!

Yes it does have a trim/tilt gauge. I'm not sure which brand it is. I am attaching a picture I took of it.
 

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Don S

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Re: Volvo SP outdrive wont tilt up!!

Oh, that gauge....... Sorry.
Does it work?
When the drive is all the way down, what does it read.
Same with all the way up?
 

jandjkemp

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Re: Volvo SP outdrive wont tilt up!!

Yeah, It didn't seem to be a very good gauge, just from my first impression. I think it works. It lights up and does have a reading on the LCD. All the way up it reads 45 and trim all the way down read -8. Not sure if these are good numbers.
 
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