Johnson power tilt/trim failure

[buckshot]

Here goes. I dont' have details about this motor (not mine), but it is a Johnson in the 25 HP range, prob mid 80's. The boat was tied at the dock with the motor up. The next morning, it is down. it will not tilt back up (can hear the tilt running, sounds like it should but nothing happens). Took the boat out of the water, released the pressure with the release screw and can not manually lift the motor. It just won't come up. What is going on and where should we start looking?

 

[OBJ]

Re: Johnson power tilt/trim failure

Hey buckshot....first question......you sure it's a 25hp? With TNT? If it's a 250....it's sure not from the mid 80's.

Or is it a 25hp with an after market TNT unit like from CMC? Looks like a jackplate but also operates like a trim and tilt unit.

Let's start with getting a model number so we can better help with the problem.

 

[buckshot]

Re: Johnson power tilt/trim failure

Got the details now. It is a 40 HP 1987. The tilt/trim unit doesn't look like either one in the manual. We did get the motor to raise ( manually) by removing the plug in the very bottom of the unit. I would assume this is a drain plug. It is a allen screw with a single check ball in the hole. The pressure released and the fluid came out foamy and whitish (to me means air). Now the problem is that we can't figure out how to get fluid back into the unit. I see 2 options. First (most closely related to the manual) there is a large (~ 3/4" diameter) screw near the bottom under the pump motor. When removed there is a small plastic "plug" that fits into a seat of a slotted valve looking piece. However, turning this does nothing (almost like it has no thread engagement). Tried sgueezing the fluid in here (won't go unless the "drain" plug is cracked open to allow air to escape. The other option is a small allen screw on the very top of the pump near the shaft. Problem there is that it is frozen tight. Have twisted on allen wrench completely around trying to remove. So todays task is to find out how to fill the unit.

We are leaning towards old/low fluid. I hasn't been filled in the last 4 years and knowing a little about the previous owner, maybe not in the last 10.

BTW, the only identification on the unit is ARCO on the pump motor.