84 Crest - first pontoon

[suseejr]

I have water in my trim fluid. Last weekend my pontoon boat took a nosedive into a wave and the back lifted up and then back down and I think the trim unit may have gone underwater. I just bought this boat and it was rebuilt by its previous owner. I'm not sure he did it all right, but I got a good deal and all the carpet, furniture and wiring are new. We've had it out a few times and it really runs great. There are just a few issues that have to be worked out. First about the trim. Can I just drain the oil ,replace it and look for leaks? Should I drain,and replace it a few times ? I'll try to post pics. Also should I relocate the unit so it's not so close to the water? Thanks for any help. I can't seem to load pics. I'll keep tiring

 

[suseejr]

Thank you

 

[suseejr]

Thank you very much

 

[suseejr]

[No message]

 

[suseejr]

[No message]

 

[suseejr]

[No message]

 

[Silvertip]

It obviously needs to be drained and flushed. Loosen a fitting at the trim cylinder and then operate the trim to force out the fluid. NEVER let the tank run dry during this process. Can't have any air in the system.

 

[HotTommy]

suseejr,
My experience with outboards is limited, so don't give my comments more weight than they deserve. ... But the tilt systems I have seen have the reservoir on the engine where they get exposed to lots of water. But those reservoirs are metal cannisters with very tight seals to keep the water out. I've not seen one with a plastic reservoir that is not sealed well enough to keep out water from rain, splash and the occasional dunking. If I were in your shoes, I'd replace, relocate or effectivel seal the reservoir. If you decide to relocate the reservoir, you may want to do that before you flush the system since you will likely be replacing some of the hoses with longer ones.