Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

flyingpig

Recruit
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
2
Hello,
This may sound like a dumb newbie question, but I have to ask.
I have a 2004 40 hp Johnson Outboard with manual tilt and today when I went to raise the motor to the up postion it would not budge. It seems to be stuck now in the down position and I have no idea why. Any ideas would be kindly apprieciated.

Thank you,
Charlie
 

david_r

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
1,118
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

does it move at all?

is the reverse lock still on?

does it appear to be the assist cyl that is stuck?

im not familiar with your eng....... just trying to make a half-educated guess.

those cyl do go bad though......... if so it would be cheaper for you to buy an after market tilt/trim assy than to buy another assist cyl........... you could price it though..... last one i helped a guy find was $400 and the aftermarket tilt is about the same.

hopefully someone on here will know if there is some typr of manual release ......... sorry i dont know.......... if not you will have to remove the connecting pin, in which case it is easier to have the eng tilted up.

dont give up someone will jump in and help im sure......... if we cant fix it first
 

LiLGrady17

Seaman
Joined
May 1, 2008
Messages
67
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

My 77 85hp had/has this same issue. My engine's manual tilt has 2 assist rams, and one froze in the down position.. I viewed some schematics & figured out what could possibly be giving me any resistance, checking everything until until the piston was the only thing left.. Sometimes, a part may be tied into something, else that in person, isn't obvious, but on a schematic stands out clearly..
Evinrude Johnson Outboard Motor Parts Catalog
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

if it has tilt assist, sounds like cable came loose. take the bottom pin out and tilt motor and see what is going on.
 

flyingpig

Recruit
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
2
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

Thanks for the replies...I'll try pulling the pin and see what I get.
Being as it was just working the other day, I hope it's just something simple that I've missed.

Thanks again,
Charlie
 

jesseallen

Recruit
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Messages
1
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

I would just like to add my little incident concerning a 1993 Johnson 48hp outboard which no longer worked using the manual tilt. The boat had been in storage in Florida for a year in the tilt position. But it did have the tilt support. When trying to lower the motor, it did not move. Gradually, gravity won out and it did come down but then would not go up. Thinking it was either the cable corroded out for being in storage so long in the hot Florida sun or the hydraulic cylinder drying up, I had a mechanic friend check it out for me. It turned out to be something as simple as adjusting the length of the tilt control cable. I guess over time the cable must have expanded and no longer released the hydraulic sufficiently to allow the motor to go up. First he simply loosened the large nut at the hydraulic cylinder, then simply turned the adjusting nut to shorten up the cable. Presto! the manual tilt worked again. Hope this helps somebody out....
 

boobie

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
20,826
Re: Manual Tilt on Johnson Outboard stuck down

This post is over 2 yrs old. Check the Blue Hi-Lited Section at the top of this forum.
 
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