Swapping tilt & trim

[ryckiej]

I have a 1976 (?) Chrysler 60HP that does not have tilt/trim. The local boat store (small town boys) had a 50 hp of the same vintage with a tilt/trim unit. They pulled the unit off and sent it home with my dad and told him we should be able to switch it with the motor leg on the 60hp. I started working on it and first I noticed that the leg on the 50hp is only 9"long and the leg on the 60hp is 13". Can we build a sleeve to fill the gap? The second problem is that the shift linkage runs through the gear leg of the 60hp. How do we get the linkage out to pull the motor leg off? We paid $300 for the trim unit. Are we better off to get an aftermarket tilt/trim unit for $500, or can this unit be put on. We are mechanically inclined, so if this can be done, we aren't afraid to give it a shot, but don't want to tear it apart only to find that we wasted our time.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

I also have a 60 and I've been looking for trim/tilt for it.... I don't think it will fit. The 60 was the only engine that chrysler designed from scratch. This series of big bore engines (55,60,65) was completely different than others. Jury rigging the trim/tilt from the 50 will probably give you unsatisfactory results. If you really want t/t, the aftermarket is probably the way to go.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

if you have a good pump and motor that fits your engine properly then you can get the slave cylinders fairly cheap. You can bend your own oil tubing using 3/16" kunifer with inverted flare (double lap) fittings. Kunifer won't attack your aluminum as aggressively as stainless and it is easier to flare/bend. The hard part is getting a good working pump that fits your stern brackets.

I personally prefer the old three ram system over the single ram versions. The aftermarket systems usually require remounting your engine on a sub-bracket. Which is good and bad. bad because it can be a lot of work. Good because standing the engine back puts your prop further away from hull.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

here is link to parts diagram for system that mercury lists as OE on 1984 60Hp.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury_parts/7480/30.cfm

 

[ryckiej]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

Thanks Frank, so in your opinion, I'm asking for more trouble than its worth. If the shaft through the motor leg is the same diameter on the 50 & 60, would this work, or are there other issues at hand that would make this unrecommended? I'd like to make the attempt if it's at all possible, but if this is just a bad idea from the start, I'll go back to the CMC PT-130 and leave the leg on the 60HP alone.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

the TnT should mount to the stern brackets. it should work with your existing motor leg.

 

[ryckiej]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

Nope, that won't work. The TnT from the 50HP needs the bracket that the motor leg passes through, unless I'm using the wrong terminology. I'm looking at the shaft that the stern bracket mounts to - is this the motor leg? This shaft has the shift linkage passing through it. The drive shaft is behind all of this.

 

[RRitt]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

refering to the diagram linked above what part number are you talking about. if it isn't in the picture then it shouldn't make any difference to your TnT.

 

[ryckiej]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

If I'm reading the numbers correctly ( a little small), I bleieve it's part #26, with the motor leg running through it. On the 50hp, the ram mounts onto this, so it hs to go onto the 60 to work, unless I'm not looking at it correctly

 

[RRitt]

Re: Swapping tilt & trim

the trim piston (34) simply pushes against the bracket and forces it out. There is a SS fitting (28) that should bolt onto the swivel bracket (26). It keeps the softer aluminum from being distorted over time. At the top of swivel bracket underneath the horizontal part there is a threaded hole. You can't see it in picture. It is usually about three inches away from the pivot bolt (not shown). The shockeye bolt (56) goes into this hole.