Mercury outboard tilt problem

[Ghost6ix]

I just got a boat that has a 1980 40hp mercury outboard on it,the tilt on the outboard doesn't lock.The guy i bought the boat from said "now if you hit something the motor will just flip up".I want to get it working properly,the tilt is a manual one so there must of been some kind of lever on the outboard at one time,could some one sent some pics of the tilt locking mechanism or diagram of it,the outboard is a 1980 40hp mercury ......thanx

 

[lots of boats]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

Hi

No lock down in reverse either? Means the whole catch bar, the hooks, the pin etc. are gone? I think the the shift also controlled the lock down through a plastic cam on the top of the gear case, when you shifted, the sloped cam on the gear case pushed up a rod that moved a lever on the cross rod with the catches. So you need a bunch of parts and a manual.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

When it is in forward it is not locked... when it is in reverse it is.

 

[Ghost6ix]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

The catch bar and hook are still there but it just flops around,looks like it is missing parts,I can latch it over the bar by putting my hand down there and just flip it over the catch bar but that isn't the way it is suppose to work,and when heading in to the boat launch it is so hard to reach down there to unlatch it to get the motor up.I have a manual but it shows nothing...help

 

[Ghost6ix]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

Bump

 

[kingsnakejr]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

I see a diagram of your swivel bracket/tilt mechanism at crowleymarine.com but many of those parts are NLA. Might try Master Tech Marine. Hope this helps.
ks

 

[lots of boats]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

Hi
I am trying to remember how this worked, I think there was a push rod off a plastic cam on the shift shaft. The sloped cam rotated and locked it down in neutral and reverse. We used to take the cam off and grind the slope so it only pushed the rod up when the motor was in reverse, so it only locked in reverse. The cam also wore out, and you had to grease it. So the missing pieces are the rod from the cam up to the lever on the lock down bar, maybe the cam itself, and a spring that pulled the lock bar and hooks back up.

 

[Ghost6ix]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

I just got a Mercury tilt lock shift linkage shaft assembly 53886 A4 off of ebay hope it will work.

 

[glenlyn]

Re: Mercury outboard tilt problem

hi, i have the same problem. in reverse the 2 hooks do not lock on to the pin bar. can anyone help?