Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

[Zamble]

Hi.

I have some issues with my tilt system. I have twin 175 electric stringers. I will give you a quick history.

I have had the boat for about a year and a half. When I got it the starboard tilt motor would just spin. And I didn't really have any issues with the port tilt.

Last November I took my boat out of the water for a week to paint the hull and do minor repairs. The starboard tilt problem was a broken tilt shaft. I already had the motor out when it first quick working thinking the motor was going out. But I couldn't put it back in, it was too tight for me to work in. I took the clutchpack's out and replaced the oil seal's with double seals and sealed it up on both of them.

The port started working intermittently. So last month I bought a trailer and hauled it out to try to fix it. I opened up the port and it was filled with water. As it turns out my marina has a problem with electrolsis. There was a hole the the outside back of the clutchpack wall. I repaired the hole. Replaced the seals again and repacked the gears. I took out the tilt motor for the port side and it had water and oil in it. We cleaned it out on the inside and the outside and closed it up. We hooked it up to a battery and it ran very strong. We checked out the starboard, it appeared to be in good shape and it appeared to run very strong as well.

I reinstalled the tilt motors and nothing. The solinoids click up and down on each of them. I just try to jump the motor with the battery and nothing. I took the solinoids off of the starboard and checked them. I cleaned the connections and the solinoids off. The connections are clean. I hooked an ohm meter to it. When we applied the battery to the top and the probes to the left and right and it read .5 on both when the juice ran through it. I reinstalled them to the boat and again nothing. Just clicking. Then I realized I didn't hook up on cable from the starter solinoid. It is one of the ball like fuse. I put it on the post outside left and the motor engaged and lowered the engine nice a strong. But the problem is that it ran by itself until I broke the connection. I tried it on the up solinoid on the inside right post. It sparked for a fraction of a second and went up just a little bit then nothing. I tried it on the down side and nothing. I hooked a jump from the starter solinoid and nothing. I tried to start the engine and the starter solinoid worked. So I know I didn't burn the starter solinoid out.

That's where I left off today, stymied. So any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Not really sure what to suggest here, you've tried all the obvious stuff I can think of off the top of my head. The only thing that's coming to mind is that you may have over tightened the clutch pack cover causing it to bind. I actually use two gaskets for the cover to ensure enough play at the end of the clutch shaft for it to move freely. Try lossening the 4 bolts on the cover a turn and see if it helps.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

I hooked an ohm meter to it. When we applied the battery to the top and the probes to the left and right and it read .5 on both when the juice ran through it.

you either just fried your meter, or blew the fuse inside it (if it has one)
an ohmmeter should never be connected to a live circuit.

 

[Zamble]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Initially it the gear was binding up. We realized that right away. Now if we take the worm gear off, we can turn the gear fairly easily by lifting the outdrives by hand or removing the quadrant and turning it by hand. Before we couldn't budge it, now its pretty smooth.

And on the solinoids. I am not sure if was I was fuzzy about what we did. We took the solinoids off of the engine to test them. I put the probes on the horizontal posts and applied juice to the post that goes to the tilt motor. The solinoid activates, it clicks like when I try to use it while installed on the engine and the ohm meter set to 200 ohms to see if there was a current. There was.

We were beginning to think both tilt motors were bad. Even though before we repaired the hole and cleaned up the tilt motor on the port side, it was working intermittently. Now it just clicks.

But when I reattached the wires on the starboard and realized I didn't attach one. I accidently tapped the horizontal post to lower the outdrive with the wire and it started lowering it. I tried the reverse side and it started to raise it. But then there was nothing. The wire had the inline ball fuse, came from the starter solinoid. I tried an unfused piece of wire and still nothing. I gave the keys a turn and the engine kicked, so I assume the starter solinoid did not burn out.

Am I not getting enough power to the tilt motor? We assumed the motors were dead and were ready to buy two and replace the old ones. But now I am confused. It worked well when that small accident happened, can the motors be burned out?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

And on the solinoids. I am not sure if was I was fuzzy about what we did. We took the solinoids off of the engine to test them. I put the probes on the horizontal posts and applied juice to the post that goes to the tilt motor. The solinoid activates, it clicks like when I try to use it while installed on the engine and the ohm meter set to 200 ohms to see if there was a current.

I apologize then, that is actually a valid use of an ohmeter on a live system....never thought of testing like that- neat

Am I not getting enough power to the tilt motor? We assumed the motors were dead and were ready to buy two and replace the old ones. But now I am confused. It worked well when that small accident happened, can the motors be burned out?

like any DC motor, with age, the brushes like to leave a carbon track across all the armature bars.... taking the motor apart and filing the contacts and cleaning between all the bars with a seal pick is often needed to cure a sticky spot or low torque problem.

 

[Zamble]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

When we took the tilt motors apart, I cleaned out every thing I could. I used a Dremel wire attachment and it is very clean. Atleast as clean as I could make it.

I hope I can figure this problem out, $200 for two motors and my wife will kill me. After buying the trailer and fixing it up, I already have to sleep with one eye open. LOL.

 

[Zamble]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Ok. So I took another look at the motors again today and I took them out again.

We hooked one up to a battery and it runs. For about 10 seconds and stops. Then I switch the direction and it runs like 2 seconds or so. And so on etc...

Any new suggestions?

 

[superbenk]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Rebuild or replace tilt motors? They don't sound right.

 

[Zamble]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

I found 2 new tilt motors for $64 a piece including shipping.

 

[run2car]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Did you find them on ebay? If so, I bought one of them last year and it worked great the last half of the summer I used it. I did tear the clutch pack apart and cleaned it real well. That helped a bunch.

 

[Zamble]

Re: Stringer Tilt Motor Problem

Yes I got them on eBay. Good deal for 62.00 a piece including shipping. A local marine wanted 150.00 a piece for the same motors.