Remove quadrant gear and Stern leg is stuck in down position

[LovemySeaswirl]

Since the Tilt wasn't working, I removed the quadrant gear to manually lower the stern. After stern lower manually, I started the engine after turning water on using water hose and muffs. The engine started fine ran for a few minutes. The tilt gears now seemed to function properly. Went to manually raise the stern in order to put the quadrant gear back in place but the stern drive does not lift it seem to be stuck in the down position. Any ideas on what to do to get it to manually lift up?

 

[kenny nunez]

Since the motor worked with the quadrant removed and not with it on there is a good chance the tilt motor is tired. When the quadrant was off did you run the tilt motor in both directions and also while the the quadrant was off was it easy to lift the drive up by hand or did it feel stiff?

 

[LovemySeaswirl]

K, Yes using the tilt switch the tilt motor works in both up and down directions with the quadrant gear removed and the tilt motor sounds strong and the small gear, that engages with the quadrant gear, moves well in both directions. I have not put the quadrant gear back in place because I couldn't manually lift the stern drive to the up position for easy access to install the quadrant gear back in place. The drive is stuck in the down position and doesn't lift. To answer your last question, the stern drive was in the full up position when I removed the quadrant gear and after the gear was removed the stern drive manually lowered and raised very easily, no stiffness. The drive no longer manually moved freely after I ran the engine for a few minutes, tried the tilt switch in both directions a few times, and tried the trim switch a few times (which moves the engine and stern drive up and down, several inches in both directions).

 

[kenny nunez]

What year model is your engine? OMC has fuses in different locations which varies a lot.

 

[LovemySeaswirl]

1984 OMC 6 cylinder 3.8L

 

[kenny nunez]

Did you check the 50 amp fuse that supplies current to the solenoids?
Have you tried unbolting the Quadrant gear to see if the motor still runs?
If the fuse is good try tapping on the motor while using a remote starter button connected to the lift solenoid. The brushes could be stuck. If the motor is original you probably need a new one.
It could also be possible that the solenoid is the problem. You need to test it with a test light.
Sierra # 18-6755. Tilt motor

 

[LovemySeaswirl]

K,
Yes, 50amp fuses are working properly suppling current to solenoids.
Yes, I unbolted and removed quadrant gear. The tilt motor runs.
Is it possible to install the quadrant gear when the drive is in full down position?

 

[kenny nunez]

It can be done as long as the drive is in the full down position. If the drive is not all the way down you will wipe out the ball gears, the upper gear case and the intermediate housing. This all will happen if the ball gears wear out to the point where they “slip” over each other. When that happens so much force is built up that the housings actually bend away from each other.$$$$$$.

 

[LovemySeaswirl]

Unfortunately there is no room to install the quadrant with the stern drive leg locked in the down position and cannot be manually lifted. To try to free up the stern drive (since it is stuck in the down position and cannot manually lift/move it) Im going to start the engine and engage the tilt switch, if that doesn't help, with engine started Ill press the throttle only button and advance the throttle forward to see if that unlocks what ever is keeping the drive leg from manually moving freely.

 

[kenny nunez]

The tilt motor is not that hard to remove. A 3/8” universal 1/2” socket with a extension and ratchet will do the job. Most likely the brushes in the motor are worn or burned along with the commutator on the armature.
Unbolt the quadrant, lift the drive to the 1/2 way position and Re bolt the quadrant when you replace the tilt motor.
Refer to post #6.
There is a gasket under the tilt motor, but Sierra Marine does not show it. If the original one is good use it over or just make one.

 

[froggy1150]

The quad gear is off. He cant get back on. Without the quad gear off it wont move regardless of fuses or motoer condition.
Try loosening the pivot cap bolts a bit and gently pull on the bottom of the drive with a ratchet strap connected to something. It should move easy. Make sure ball gears and steering gear (if thats your model) are not bound up. If it moves some get it high enough to get some bolts in the quad gear

 

[froggy1150]

Edit...."without quad gear ON"

 

[kenny nunez]

According to post #3 the drive does in fact can be raised and lowered manually with the gear removed. If the boat was at my shop the tilt motor would have been changed by now.
I wrestled with those things for over 30 years.

 

[racerone]

Need to use more force to raise the drive.----Sounds like it is jammed by those 2 pins at the bottom.

 

[southkogs]

With the quadrant drive off, if the drive is "jammed" and won't raise - I would loosen the pivot caps to see if the ball gears have jammed up; remove the entire leg if necessary. BUT ... be careful of your shifting cables.

 

[kenny nunez]

Please read line #5 in post #3. The drive is not binding in the pivot caps.
Tilt motors that are weak will run with out a load. The only other thing that could cause the problem is a bad electrical connection, I have even had a fuse that was causing the problem, it was testing good but was causing the problem.

 

[southkogs]

Sorry Kenny - I didn't mean the drive was binding on the pivot caps. My thought was since he had the quadrant gear removed (Posts #7 & #9), the drive should lift freely. But he's saying it doesn't lift freely. Racerone is thinking it's binding on the two pins at the bottom of the intermediate (maybe), and I'm wondering if the ball gears have bound up somehow (dunno' how) ... but releasing the pivot caps would allow the drive to be moved away from the boat a little (if not completely uninstalled) and find a point where it's binding up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

without the tilt quadrant, the motor should just be against the intermediate and with some force, someone should be able to lift the drive unless something else is binding.

could be the lower pins binding
could be the true-course parts are binding
could be the OP is underestimating the force required to lift

 

[kenny nunez]

No problem Southkogs, we are all trying to help Lovemy Seaswril out but nun of us being on the scene we are just giving suggestions to the best of our knowledge and experience.
Another problem he is having is the tilt clutch holding. When they are in good condition I used to be able to check the “breakaway torque” with a special tool with a torque wrench. The plates are supposed to slip a around 130*. By now because of their age they have taken a set and I doubt the would slip at all. The clutch would have to be removed and disassembled and cleaned because they always have water in them. If it is possible to actually raise or lower the drive with the quadrant gear in place by hand then there is another problem.
At this point loosening the pivot caps is worth a try.

 

[LovemySeaswirl]

Just getting time to get back to this and thanks for all the comments. Ill report back this weekend on what I tired and status.