Volvo Penta SX sterndrive hits underside of swim platform when tilting

Scubacruiser

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1994 Campion Allante 18' bowrider with a Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX. When tilting the drive all the way up, it hits the underside of the moulded in swim platform. Actually, the limit switch cuts out the tilt pump before it actually makes contact, but the drive clearly does not tilt high enough for practical use. I've recently seen a photo of the same boat model with the drive tilted as high as one would expect. So why is the geometry different on mine? The bottom of the drive still hangs several inches below the hull.
 

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Tnstratofam

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In the photo of the other boat did it have the same out drive, and did it have a molded swim platform? From the picture yours looks like it will trailer fine in the up position.
 

smokeonthewater

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looks like it isn't tilted in the pic... Generally there ISN'T a limit switch for TILT... just for TRIM... I think you need to find the tilt button and raise it on up
 

Tail_Gunner

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Well my SX drive has no tilt feature and i dont believe one is avaible..Drive height seems about right...
 

bruceb58

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Volvo didn't have an SX drive in 94 so I looked up the 94 OMC version. I don't see a limit switch in that year.

There should be an override switch on your control if you have the limit circuit. I don't think they were used often and for the the models tha used them, they could be bypassed by removing them. DonS had some posts about this years ago.

On my LK model, a trim limit was available and it is programmable. It relies on the trim sender so if it isn't working properly, the limit circuit won't work properly. Not sure if it was only used on Duo-Prop models or not.
 
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Scubacruiser

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In the photo I posted, the drive is not tilted all the way up. It is tilted almost all the way up though. When it's all the way up, there is a few millimeters clearance to the underside of the swim platform. And the drive still hangs down well below the hull. The trim switch is on the throttle handle and is a simple up/down toggle. When it gets to the highest position, the trim motor keeps going, but the drive no longer moves. Same thing when trimming down. The gauge has a trim range, and then a smaller tilt range.

If there was no VP SX drive in 1994, then I would suspect this is not the original engine/outdrive. I wonder what it originally had.
 

Maclin

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On my 1991 VP DPA sterndrive there is a Tilt lever on the dash as well as trim up/down on the handle. When using the Tilt lever there is no electrical cutoff, the pump will keep running even if the drive has hit the rubber stop at the top of it's travel or at the bottom of it's travel. Trimming down is the same, pump runs even after it is all the way down until the Trim Down switch is released. My trim sender is inoperative so I think the trim up may keep going also, but should not. I know when the drive is all the way down or up by the slightly different noise the pump makes.
 

Maclin

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I meant to address this also, getting old I guess,but here it is... Now you say the drive does not actually hit the platform, is just real close? Is the drive housing slanted there? Mine is, of course not the same model, but designed to be flat at the topmost point when tilted all the way up.
 

Scubacruiser

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There is definitely no extra tilt lever or switch or release on this boat. There is only the rocker switch on the control handle. When you trim up, the motor keeps going but the drive will stop tilting just before it hits the swim platform. The motor makes a different sound at this point - like it's slipping. Going down, it's the same. The motor will run, but the drive does not go down any further.

I'll take some additional photos when I'm home with the boat.
 

bruceb58

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Almost sounds like there is something installed in the tilt ram itself that is a new physical stop. I had heard that these were used but not certain about them. Would make more sense to do it this way than with an electronic limit switch because of reliability.
 

Tail_Gunner

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Almost sounds like there is something installed in the tilt ram itself that is a new physical stop. I had heard that these were used but not certain about them. Would make more sense to do it this way than with an electronic limit switch because of reliability.

Actually ive never even thought about it...The drive trims both up and down until one hears the hydraulics bind
 

Tnstratofam

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When I trim up my Cobra outdrive and it reaches the limit the pump motor continues to run only the motor makes a higher pitch hum. The drive is at it's top most position. It does the same thing when you trim it all the way down. The pump motor continues to run only the pitch gets higher when it cant trim any lower. I don't know if there are internal stops, but i'm pretty sure thats as far as it will go. My question as it relates to the op's original post is. How much higher do you need your out drive to go to trailer the boat down the road? In the picture you posted in the begining it looks up far enough to safely transport. Or am I missing something else ( which is entirely possible )?
 

Tnstratofam

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Here is a picture of my out drive trimmed up as far as it will go.



My out drive is almost touching y swim plat form as well. Trailers fine in this position.

Here it is trimmed down almost all the way. I have the trailer tongue up high so it can't completely trim down you can see there is a little more room for the trim rams to close.

 

smokeonthewater

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I don't see anything wrong at all...... the drive doesn't NEED to get higher than the keel.... just higher than the road.
 

smokeonthewater

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I don't see anything wrong at all...... the drive doesn't NEED to get higher than the keel.... just higher than the road.
 

Tnstratofam

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That's what I was thinking. You only need the drive up far enough for transport.Unless the op is trying to raise his higher for shallow water.
 

Maclin

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The previous model VP's at full tilt up hang pretty low compared to Mercs or even the SX's. I have never had a problem and I have had to traverse over some raised RR tracks and small hills. This is as good a sideview as I have. This is at full tilt up against the rubber bumper on the transom housing, about 1" clearance to the platform...

image_209373.jpg
 
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