1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

WhiteReef

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Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
7
I purchased this motor used a few weeks back. Using the tilt and trim on it worked when I first tried. Up on the lake it worked the first day, but on the second day it started to no go down. Finally located the bolt at the bottom of the motor that would let the motor down. Thinking it was a fluid problem I filled the well, and it worked again for awhile. The next day it still acted up on me to where it would go up but not down all the way. Checking the fluid levels it appears to be fine, but the motor did not want to go up or down. When I got home the fluid levels seem fine, but it will still not push the motor up, but it will let it down.

The tilt/trim motor runs in both the up and down direction. If I let the motor tilt down, and then run it up it will work if I lift the motor. It will hold the motor up when helping it lift. I was told that it could be the bolt on the bottom causing the problem. However, I am not losing any fluid.

I'm stumped as the only information I can find seems to point at low fluid levels, but they appear to be fine.
 

sleepinin

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 3, 2006
Messages
77
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

Whitereef,
You might check to see if you have air in your trim system. Trim your motor out so the rams are extended some. Push down on the outboard and see if you can compress the rams more than 1/8" if so you have air. If you have air you need to purge the system. To purge tighten up the manuel release bolt and the filler cap. run the trim system in short "jogs" until pump is primed and trim system moves. Cylcle outboard through entire tilt/trim range 4 times(using "short jogs") and then check fluid level again. Also check for air again. If air, keep cycling to get air out. It may be a bigger problem than this, but this is a good first check.
 

WhiteReef

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Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
7
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

I finally tore into the TnT assembly and the motor looks fine as I expected it would. However, the relief bolt has a broken oring-. Can I use any oring- or do I need to just replace the relief bolt assembly
 

WhiteReef

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Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
7
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

Also the o ring that failed is the one in the middle, and would it cause the issues I described?
 

sleepinin

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 3, 2006
Messages
77
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

I don't know if your 115 is the same as my 150, but I'll assume it is unless somebody with some experience in this can add to it. I'm looking at my flow diagram and it looks like that if the middle O-ring was gone, the two outside passages on the pump would just circulate in a loop without pressuring the rams. So my guess is yes it could cause the problems you described. As far as whether to replace just the o-ring or the whole bolt I don't know. My manuel just says to check the condition of the o-rings so I'm guessing(again) that you just change the o-rings.
 

WhiteReef

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Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
7
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

Well, I replaced the entire bolt. After working on filling the TnT for over an hour it finally will now work going down, but I still am unable to get it to go up. I left the motor trimmed up over night and it seems to hold its position. Hopefully I can get some more fluid in the system and get it to work in the up direction.
 

phatmanmike

Captain
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Oct 24, 2003
Messages
3,869
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

put the fl;uid in with it tilted all the way up. its pressurized when its down.
 

PC

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Jul 7, 2006
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Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

I'm in the same boat. The trim would fall very slowly in my garage and wouldn't trim up well at wide open throttle and would fall back down rapidly. I checked the fluid and it was full, but pink and milky. I figured this was water in the fluid, so I lowered the motor with the fill plug open to purge all the fluid and re-filled it. I trimmed it up while I added fluid and everything seemed fine. Next day it wouldn't trim up or down. I bled the air by opening the relief screw and trimming up and down by hand about 10 times and topping the fluid off. Now it will trim down slowly, but won't go up unless I help it by hand. I've searched the web and it seems like there are a lot of guys having this problem but I didn't find the answer. I just talked to a mechanic and he said to open the relief screw and cycle the trim in each direction for about a minute or two. He said that will bleed the air out of the ram. I guess it's worth a shot. I'll let you know if it works.
 

WhiteReef

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Jun 29, 2006
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Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

PC, did that work for you? I will be working on it again this week to try and I think the fluid level in the system is low. The reason I think this is that it makes a rushing sound when I start to lift the motor with the relief bolt loosened, and then it makes a similar sound when it tops out as I manually lift it.
 

PC

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Jul 7, 2006
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Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

WhiteReef said:
PC, did that work for you? I will be working on it again this week to try and I think the fluid level in the system is low. The reason I think this is that it makes a rushing sound when I start to lift the motor with the relief bolt loosened, and then it makes a similar sound when it tops out as I manually lift it.


Sorry to report that it did not work for me. There is a hydraulic pump sales and repair place near my office. I removed the unit (~1 hour job) and dropped it off yesterday. They'll be calling today with the diagnosis. The boat mechanic said it might be a bad bleeder valve. I didn't know these had a bleeder valve - nothing shown on the schematic. I'll post when I get the diagnosis. My hunch is that there was a big air pocket in the ram. Maybe if I had cycled it up and down enough times by hand with the relief valve open it would've purged the air. That was how I got it to start trimming down. But it was running slowly. To trim up, I had to assist by hand. I couldn't get it to take any more fluid, and there was still about 10" of play on the outboard where I could move it up and down even if the relief valve was closed.
 

WhiteReef

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Joined
Jun 29, 2006
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Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

PC - did you findout anything on the TnT?
 

86RajunCajun

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
218
Re: 1997 115hp tilt and trim problems - won't go up

Same darn problem i am having and have been having for a while. I followed all the steps i could read about trying to get this thing bled. I have an 86 v150 that will not trim up for anything.

Iv manually lifted and lowered it over 30 times, with and without the relief valve open. Iv come to the conclusion that something inside has broken, but sadly i dont have the money to get it to a shop, so its been sitting in my garage lonely lol.

Messed up part is, it all worked fine, juts dandy untill the reservoir cap broke right at the fill neck and leaked fluid out. When i replaced the cap and drained the old fluid, i refilled with ATF and it trimmed up once then never worked again.

This thing pisses me off that it is so picky and complicated. Not to mention costs a **** ton to get fixed.

If you guys make any progress, please post back what it was for you!

Even if the thread is 2 years old! I am desperate!
 
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