Well, made some progress....went out to try something mentioned in an earlier post....shifted boat into forward....no good. Put into neutral and was poking around when I noticed a small pc of metal that looked like part of a door release on the other side near the trim adjustment lock pin...and i lifted up and was able to move the motor up! But not far as the motor is HEAVY and it was dark so I got the wife to hold the light and also the top of the bikimi bracket which was in the way...and yes, I can lift the motor to a higher position....hooray! However, there is no lock mechanism I see to lock it up there...so it appears anyway that a person would have to lift and then use the transom saver...not sure how easy one person can do this, but maybe not too bad . I will work with it further but this may be as good as it gets...still better than I had though!
I currently own 12 motors from that engine family. There was no real tilt and trim, tilt and trim was an add on which bolted to the six bolt holes on the steering bracket and to the bottom two bolts of the transom bracket. These motors in most cases never needed tilt and trim by yesteryears standards since they were fairly light. The best way to achieve power tilt is to add a CMC power tilt/trim bracket between the motor and transom. They sell those here at iBoats: http://www.iboats.com/Electric_Hydra...view_id.165183
Power tilt and trim, or even just power tilt was rare back in those days, it didn't become even somewhat common til the 1980's and into the 90's.
The power tilt units on those years were heavy, a bit crude and somewhat unreliable if not well maintained.
I've never really seen the need for a power tilt on one of these. I own several aluminum boats, including two 16' Starcrafts, one of which has a 55hp Johnson on it. They got buy without it back then, I can deal with it now just the same.
That motor you have looks pretty clean for it's age, you don't see many around here that old in that condition unless they spend the past 35 years indoors in a crate.
The big problem was I had no idea how to even manually tilt the motor, which I have to on small lakes. The handle and plate are missing but I figured how to release the motor so it could be lifted last night. My thoughts are that I can simply tow the boat with the motor "down" and then install the transom saver when we get to the lake. The motor won't stay in the up position without it. The motor looks pretty good and seems to run OK but I need to tune it up and replace some old fuel lines. Still learning about these things, a lot more to learn than I realized. Thanks everyone for your help!
Would the motor flop around in forward if that is the case when driving it?
Motor doesn't need to lock in forward, as it can't kick out of the water - thrust is in the wrong direction. It locks in reverse to keep it from kicking out of the water when revving up in reverse.
My '77 55 hp doesn't lock in the tilted position, the springs counter balance it and hold it there. In other words, it's easy to lift and it pretty much stays put where I let go but I still need to secure it with a transom saver or put it down and latch it when towing. Most of my trailers are high enough that I can tow with my motor down, but a few require it to be fully tilted.
I used a custom carved piece of 4x4 for years to tow my 18' with a 135 hp which had no latch at all, it was a power tilt motor on which the power tilt died. I only just this week replaced that motor with a newer one with working power tilt. (Replacing the motor was cheaper than finding parts to fix the old power tilt/rim unit.
I took a 16" long piece of 4x4 lumber, put an eye bolt in each end, and cut two grooves in it so it nestled right up into the bracket with the trim pin contact part of the motor side of the bracket seated in the board, and I then let the motor down trapping it in place. I'd bungee cord the board into place using the two eye bolts and I'd hold the motor down with another bungee cord. It wasn't pretty but it worked fine, and was certainly better than the $1600 or so they wanted in parts to fix the tilt unit. That motor had no means at all to latch it up or down since it had been converted to power tilt, all of that hardware was long gone.
Towing mine with motor down is no problem, if that is OK. Sad to say though, mine has nothing to help lift it...not heavy I guess by comparison but heavy enough for me, LOL. At this point I just have to put up with it but it will be a two person job, because the latch under the motor I have to release puts me in a bind and I can't lift motor by myself and then put transom saver under it. Maybe I just need practice, but awkward. The big thing is now what to do as far as rasing and lowering this. Here is my question, (maybe a new post on this question?), my plan all along was to tie this 55 to a 5.5 evinrude I picked up a while back, and have the abilty to steer using either motor, even if one was in raised position....I have the connector from Iboats that looks to do just that but if the motor is up on the transom saver it can't be steered so both can't be connected full time. What would you folks do, amd let me explain why I ask first. About 60-70% of the time we will be fishing is lakes restricted to 10hp or less. So I either lift the big motor or take off prop. To steer by the 5.5 tiller looks like might be a little difficult given the boat is deep, and 16' long. Might be a bit hard to see where I am going and there are trees in the water... Given that would you leave both motors down and connected,or, unhook whichever motor we won't be using and use the transom saver to hold up the bigger one, or go ahead and use the tiller, maybe with an extender and forget it? Any problem using the transom saver in water??
Last edited by JSGOLD : November 7th, 2009 at 05:46 PM.
Reason: addition
Good lord did I make goof on that last post....newbie brainphart....the transom saver bracket connects the motor to the TRAILOR, not the BOAT, LOL. Guess that answers some questions...so now I need to figure out how to hold this thing up when in the smaller lakes, or take prop off when we go, or see if I can get away with just keeping them both down and leave prop on....never seen anyone checked for either of these at the lake, maybe as long as I run the smaller one I can get away with it....will have a lot to think about over the cold months I guess!
Around here, there's a 9.9hp limit on one lake, and the rest are electric only.
I've always just run my trolling motor in the electric only lakes and never worried whether the gas motor was up or down. Just so long as it's not running.
I've tilted it just for clearance in skinny water but when tilted the motor sort of gets in the way.
I think you have tilt, no trim, no power.
From your photos it looks like there was a part broken off on the port side of the motor, and also there is a flat peice of metal in between the transom bracket and motor--where the holder might have gone. That may be your support bracket when it's up ("locking plate" on diagram). You pull/push it so it hooks onto a bolt.
I had two 55's growing up and I think they were late 60's and early 70's. Of course, no POWER tilt or trim. We had a lever/arm device that you put on top of the cowl to lift (tilt) the motor, then you flipped the locking plate, which caught on a bolt IIRC.
The black handle for tilt/lock locked the motor down to the horizontal pin. You locked it to keep the motor from kicking up in reverse. Because we ran in shallow water a lot we always kept it unlocked when running and just reversed slow. I can tell you that if you hit bottom while it is locked it will unlock no harm done.
You may find a release in the center of the motor or be able to reach something down in there to release the broken catch.
If you can lift the motor, the problem is solved. You just need a brace to hold it up when trailering, launch/retrieve, etc. A block of wood will do.
I'm suspecting that if it wasn't locked it was needing lube and felt that way. Until you figure out the leverage it's hard to lift one up from inside the boat, but my 15 year old sister could.
I've seen dozens of variations on the tilts and locks on OMC's. On an old turtleback 9.5 you had to put it in forward to tilt it. I think my 18 had the release switch in the center of the motor.
__________________
A man of constant boat tinkering.
Not quite sure how I am going to handle this for sure....most likely I will simply block it with something like you mentioned until I find something else that is better. I found the release at the bottom but hard to lift and release at same time. I can do it though, but motor is heavy like this as i am bent down and that makes it harder. Would it really matter when towing? No clearance problems, but I do have the transom saver bracket so I can use that if it is better. Just was not sure how secure those thinsg are. Long term if the motor proves to be a decent one, I will look at a better way of lifting later on. I was considering using strut, right angle metal, possibly a roller as well to reconstruct a locking mechanism. Idea still in my head, gotta write it down and see if is is plausable. Might be a 2 person job the first few times we take it out but that's OK, I have a helper.
I would ask, though, do these motors not have springs to help with lifting? I have seen that mentioned...but mine is dead weight.
Last edited by JSGOLD : November 10th, 2009 at 11:53 PM.
Reason: spelling/ additional question
Around here, there's a 9.9hp limit on one lake, and the rest are electric only.
I've always just run my trolling motor in the electric only lakes and never worried whether the gas motor was up or down. Just so long as it's not running.
I've tilted it just for clearance in skinny water but when tilted the motor sort of gets in the way.
I see guys do this but WV law states that boat motors in these lakes must be up, or prop removed. Still, I doubt if this is checked often. After all, unless it is running are they going to jump in to see if it had a prop, LOL?
Not quite sure how I am going to handle this for sure....most likely I will simply block it with something like you mentioned until I find something else that is better. I found the release at the bottom but hard to lift and release at same time. I can do it though, but motor is heavy like this as i am bent down and that makes it harder. Would it really matter when towing? No clearance problems, but I do have the transom saver bracket so I can use that if it is better. Just was not sure how secure those thinsg are. Long term if the motor proves to be a decent one, I will look at a better way of lifting later on. I was considering using strut, right angle metal, possibly a roller as well to reconstruct a locking mechanism. Idea still in my head, gotta write it down and see if is is plausable. Might be a 2 person job the first few times we take it out but that's OK, I have a helper.
I would ask, though, do these motors not have springs to help with lifting? I have seen that mentioned...but mine is dead weight.
I've been following this thread because I have a similar question about the springs assisting with lift. I have a 100hp Johnson that does not have power tilt. I am able to lift the motor and place the transom saver but I need to make sure I eat my Wheaties for breakfast! I'll be keeping my eye on the replies to this because I'm hoping there is some kind of "lift assist." It's doable in the driveway/on land. Can't imagine trying to lift that beast out of the water while standing in the back of the boat.
So far no takers, LOL. My 55hp is a bear as it is, can't imagine a 100HP. Eventually I hope to buy a damaged 55 or rig up a lift system, which is proving difficult. Until then I guess I will have the wife help me put a pc of wood in there like a previous poster suggested.
LOL, OK guys I hear ya! But on mine I have to release the latch manually at the bottom, and then lift from the bottom, no springs on this thing, it is dead weight! Welcome to come give me a hand if you want.
LOL, OK guys I hear ya! But on mine I have to release the latch manually at the bottom, and then lift from the bottom, no springs on this thing, it is dead weight! Welcome to come give me a hand if you want.
Agree with ya JSGOLD on the "no springs on this thing." I've manually tilted outboards with spring assist with no problems. I wouldn't be complaining if my springs were working. They make it a piece of cake.
Mine has been stripped of all release hardware, springs, handle and locking plate. I can lift the motor up and have the wife jam a pc of wood but it is awkward because the release itself is on the right side, if I use my right hand I have to bend over, push it and raise the motor with one arm until I can release the latch, then try to lift further. I know it sounds like it's not a big deal but it is awkward as heck. What we will do is have the wife push the latch then I can more easily lift it then she can put the wood in. Should be OK, just not a one person job like it is.
Last edited by JSGOLD : November 16th, 2009 at 05:27 PM.
Reason: addtion
see if you can find the lever apparatus for lifting it. Two pieces, or you could make one. Claw in the back hooks onthe back of the cowl; rubber feet on front. That's what we used on our 55's growing up; my little sister could handle it so can you!
__________________
A man of constant boat tinkering.
Not sure what you are saying by lifting apparatus....The motor had a release handle and a locking plate, and springs for helping lift. All is gone. Removed somewhere along the line and previous owner only ran it in large lakes so he never had to deal with lifting except when he put it on the transom saver on long trips. Do you mean putting some kind of handle on the rear to assist lifting??
That is a neat looking item. I would still need someone to put pc of wood under the motor of course but it is something to consider. Wish this thing had a lock mechanism on it yet. No matter what I will have to be sure to stay out of shallow water in large lakes to keep prop from hitting. That is why previous owner had a new depth finder on it, to keep from dragging motor... I was thinking, if I can find or make another way to release the catch at the bottom I can lift the motor from the rear. I have the winter to deal with this thing, maybe I can figure out a lock mechanism. Thanks guys!
Re: No tilt??
1983 Thundercraft 16.5 * 1983 Johnson 90 v4 * 1983 Johnson 9.9 * 1965 Evinrude 9.5 * 1955 Evinrude 7.5 * 1951 Viking 3 **Latest-76 Evinrude 15
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