Adding power tilt/ trim?

[jason389]

I have an 82 Evinrude 70, long shaft. I am curious about what it would take to add a power tilt/ trim. There is a dampener(?) shock on the back of the motor, and it looks like all I would have to do is add a hydraulic tilt ram. The motor bolts to the transom and is not a "clip-on." Anyone know anything about this, and what it might cost?<br />thanks,<br />-Jason

 

[OBJ]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

Oh there out there Jason. Problem is the cost might be a little more than you want to pay for a new one. You might take a look on eBay....they turn up there from time to time. The OEM units replace the "shock absorber" and mounted between the transom brackets.<br /><br />An alternative is the CMC units. The act like a jack plate with trim and tilt built in. Take a look at the link below to iboats store for more info.<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...=keyword&keywords=cmc&submit.x=41&submit.y=10 <br /><br />The CMC units are a lot cheaper to.

 

[jason389]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

Thanks obj. I was on the lake all weekend, and boy do i need that power trim! I hauled 15 people at different times and I have too much weight in the back, water too rough..yada yada. Trim sure would help that! How about adding the control for trim, since my gearshifter doesn't have the button. Would I just add a switch? Thanks for the info.

 

[willamettejeff]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

I purchased a T&T unit for my 1978 70hp Johnson on Ebay and have been very happy with it. I've seen units go for anywhere from $120 - $250. Just be careful to thoroughly check the feedback of the seller and the condition of the unit. The guy I bought from even offered a 30 day warranty. You might want to be sure to purchase a 2 wire motor unit instead of the 3 wire original design. The motor which is the most common part to fail is cheaper to replace later if you should need to. You will also need a relay control box to match or you can make your own as I did. I also added a trim gauge with sender and gauge also being purchased on Ebay.

 

[jason389]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

those prices sure seem better than what I've seen. My boat is nothing fancy, definitely not worth investing $600-$800 for power trim. I found an oem trim unit on ebay for $100, but it wasn't for my exact motor and didn't look like it would fit. I will keep looking, thanks for the info!

 

[willamettejeff]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

The one you need works on many different motors from 1978 up to about 1994. It fits between the transom brackets and has 3 rams. One tilt ram that looks very similar to the tilt assist shock you have now and 2 smaller trim rams. There are 2 different units that look like this. What you don't want is the "fast" one. I you manage to get a hold of one, just write back here and I will be happy to tell you how to install and wire it up.<br /><br />Edit: BTW these units are heavy so shipping will be about $25 to $30 UPS ground including when shipped from the opposite end of the country as mine was. Anything over and above this is handling/packaging charge.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

Originally posted by Jason389:<br /> ...How about adding the control for trim, since my gearshifter doesn't have the button. Would I just add a switch? Thanks for the info.

Get a switch like this (IBoats example) <br /> trim switch <br /><br />Instead of screwing it to the transom or dashboard, just attach it to your gearshifter, just below the handle, with a cable tie (AKA zip tie, etc) around the handle and the switch (between the buttons). The wire will run down the handle, around behind the control box, then back to the motor. YOu'll also want to add a second, similar switch, back by the engine on the transom or somewhere near the engine, and reachable from outside the boat. So you don't have to hop in to tilt up and down (e.g. when on the trailer) - does this make sense to you? If not, I can try to email a photo of how I have it set up. That way, you can control the t/t with your thumb while your hand stays on the shift/control handle. I've seen other T/T units controlled this way, and I have my hydraulic jackplate control on this exact switch, zip-tied to my control handle.

 

[jason389]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

Thanks for the info, D. and Jeff. I let that one unit I say on ebay slip by...the search continues. Seems like someone would have one of these on a bad motor that they would want to get rid of....I'll keep looking.

 

[willamettejeff]

Re: Adding power tilt/ trim?

Jason, TH Marine makes a trim switch assy that replaces the plastic grip on the gear shift/throttle arm. You just remove the existing one and install theirs. I put this on my boat and I am very happy with it. Easy positive control, waterproof and looks good. Just do a google search for "TH Marine trim handle" and you will find it. TH Marine also makes the one D has suggested.<br />

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