Tilt/Trim leaking down

tavett

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Feb 14, 2009
Messages
32
Thank goodness for this forum. A summer of perfect boating using good advice here. The only problem was my tilt leaking down. I had to retrim @ every 2 min. Can I repack my trim system with O-rings? Is it difficult? I searched FAQ, but to no avail. Thanx
 

RRitt

Captain
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
3,319
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

1987 125hp?

98 out of 100 times it is the trim pump valve body that is bleeding down. Not something that can be correctly fixed at home. You may be able to find a valve body or pump assembly here on Iboats. If not then try ebay. If you still come up dry then send me a note. Try serching for Chrysler or Force or Volvo AQ290. It's all the same pump. 1970-80's Evinrude and mercury may look same but don't always work on Force.

If your motor has rust starting to form around cable fitting or cover bolts then you would be wise to swap out whole pump assembly including motor + reservoir + valve body.
 

AmigoAzul

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
44
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

I have an 1986 Force 85hp with the same issue. I was checking out this site http://www.maxrules.com/. They seem to have what we are looking for. I was figuring I would have to replace the whole thing any way.

Later,
 

RRitt

Captain
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
3,319
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

$500-$600 is awfully steep price for a motor + valve body. The Pump assembly is just half a system. If I was going to spend $500ish then I would want a complete new system. I think you can search Iboats and find the Panther and CMC systems for $400ish. Alternatively you can get an existing Force system raman'd for $350ish. If you are industrious with your searches then a local auto electric shop should be able to rebuild your trim motor for $80-$120 and you can find a specialist to do valve body for another $100-$140. $500+ is awfully steep price tag.
 

AmigoAzul

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
44
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

Where can I get it remaned. I was originally looking at the motor not the whole assembly. I just looked at it again and the price just went up. I'll be thinking about the CMC myself. The 500 ish is the complete kit with motor , res and valve assembly. The other thing is I have rust like you stated before so I am going to go all in at some point.

Thanks,
 

findinghomer

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Messages
271
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

i have same problem on an 89 125hp. i learned to live with it, with the motor in the water bouyancy seems to help it from bleeding down, quickly. only out of the water does it come down quickly. Rrit, do you rebuild these?
 

Stachi

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
1,671
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

Where can I get it remaned. I was originally looking at the motor not the whole assembly. I just looked at it again and the price just went up. I'll be thinking about the CMC myself. The 500 ish is the complete kit with motor , res and valve assembly. The other thing is I have rust like you stated before so I am going to go all in at some point.

Thanks,

your problem is not in the motor, or the pump, it is in the valve body,... the motor does not maintain the pressure,nor does the pump...the motor spins the pump, and the pump produces pressure to the valve body and the cylinder(s), this is why you are able to raise the engine each time you operate the switch.......if the valves are not seating in the valve body , then the weight of the outboard engine will force the hydraulic fluid back thru the valves that are supposed to be holding the pressure.....hope this helps...
 

AmigoAzul

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
44
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

Thanks, I was thinking of just the valve body and see what happens. The other issue I have is that when I do Tilt the motor it sounds OK at first and then sounds like it is struggling. This happens when I go up or down with the tilt. I tested it with 2 batteries fully charged and also checked for any electrical issues. Is this something the valve body would do or am I looking at a motor on it's way out also.

Thanks for all the info,
 

RRitt

Captain
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
3,319
Re: Tilt/Trim leaking down

I rebuild these things, but it is the off season. There isn't enough people boating during winter to keep the force tools and parts out. Individual repairs are out of the question because who wants to spend an hour taking out and putting away special tools and parts for just one system? So during off-season it might take two days or it might take two months. You might want to check ebay .... after I do a batch I often list a rebuilt pump or two.
Any decent auto-electric shop should be able to rebuild a force trim motor. It's chrysler stuff you know. Just insist on complete rust removal and internal etching/coating to prevent future rust.

Regarding doing just valve body versus pump .. here's the bottom line -
It's a pain in the butt to get trim parts on/off your boat and the more you mess with it then the more likely you are to strip out an aluminum port and cost yourself bigger headaches. So undertake the repair that best balances your total time & cost over the next season or two.

The trim motors never wear out from use. They break because of rust or oil. 3w trim motors can last almost forever. When water begins to creep inside of a 3w motor you will notice rust around cap bolts, cable fitting, or edge of gaskets. 2w trim motors last about 20 years whether you use them or not and then the rubber seals begin to break down. There may or may not be any visible signs of external rust on a 2w motor. 3w seals are a pain to install and you may as well do a full rebuild. 2w seals are easy to install and a cheap way to get new motor if you are ahead of rust. So it pays to be proactive on 2w but not so much on 3w.

As a rule of thumb - if you have 2w then replace pump assembly and be done with it. If you are ahead of rust on your 2w then put new seals on motor at same time as rebuilding valve body. If you have 3w then examine motor for signs of rust and take an educated guess. Don't try to peek inside. The very act of peeking ruins the seal. If you think your 3w motor is still watertight then just fix the valve body. You don't save any money by being proactive on a 3w (but you do cost money is you let rust fester into big problem).
 
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