76' 115 locked down

[Cricket Too]

Hey guys, I have a '76 Johnson 115 that is stuck in the down position. The engine doesn't have T&T, so I figured the manual tilt release was stuck on the pin, even though when I switch between RUN and TILT, everything seems to be moving freely, so I removed the pin and the engine is still stuck down.

It will move up about a 1/2" or an inch, and then it just feels like it is hitting something, like it's locked on something. That's why at first I figured it was just locked and hitting the pin, but it does the same thing with the pin removed.

I have really yanked pretty hard on it a couple of times and it will not budge, it sounds like metal clunking when I lift it and it locks, still sounds like it's hitting something that's keeping it from lifting.

It hasn't been in the down position all that long, maybe 4 or 5 months, and it's on the trailer, so it's not sitting in saltwater or anything, and I am able to lift from the skeg and get good leverage on it....still won't budge.

Anybody ever seen this....any advise??

Thanks,

Mike

 

[angus63]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Hey Cricket, how did the season treat ya?
If that motor is anything like my old 55hp, the "dog" that did the latching was preloaded with a spring. When the spring rotted, I had to lift the motor to take the load off, and then use a long screwdriver to "unlatch". Check the linkage and make sure all the parts are moving freely. The exploded view on BRP website might show things more clearly.
Good luck.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Hey Angus,

The season is still treating me well, stripers are starting to heat up in the Inlet. Are you still going out?

This is on my other boat up on the North Shore. I went to lift the motor up the other day and couldn't budge it, I thought that maybe the latch forks were stuck on the pin, but I removed the pin and it's still stuck, so I don't think it's the tilt linkage sticking since there's no pin for them to stick on.

I'm starting to think the tilt tube might have seized up on me, or possible one or both of the tilt assist pistons is stuck.

I actually just sold it too, and I can't get the motor up for the guy to come pick it up, so it's extra frustrating.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

You are in neutral or forward gear when trying to lift it?

Sometimes I have to manually push the bottom of the tilt lock (#102 on the exhaust housing diagram) to get it off the shoulder screw.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

It is in Neutral when I'm trying to lift it, but it won't budge. Definitely feels like it is hitting something, because it does move a bit, it has some play and then it just has a clunk at a certain point and stops hard, feels excatly like when it's in the RUN position and locked onto the pin and hits the pin when you lift up.

Is there something else in the tilt linkage that could be holding it down, even though the pin is out?

I will take a look at the BRP site and see if I can figure out what else could be stuck. By the way, how do I go about finding that exploded view on the BRP site?

Thanks.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Click the attached thumbnail:

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

From this page, http://www.evinrude.com/en-CA/Accessories/Literature/?popup=true, click on find Evinrude Engine diagrams, then on the top left corner, click on Johnson, then GO, then 1976, then 115, to your model number. Good luck. Sorry, Ezeke posted already.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Edit

 

[angus63]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

If its frozen in the tilt tube, you can try a little penetrating oil in the zirc fitting holes after removing them. PB Blaster works well for me freeing up stuff.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Thanks for all the links to the BRP site. I will check all of that out and see if I can figure out what is locked or sticking.

Angus, I was going to try and heat the tile tube a bit, then shott some PB around where it tilts to suck it in and see if I could get it to move, but I will try and shoot some PB down the zirc holes first, good idea.

I am not sure if it's the tilt tube, since it will move a little bit freely and then feels like it's hitting something.

Any chance the tilt assist pistons could be locked?

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Took a look at some of the diagrams, and just can't seem to figure out how anything in there could be causing it to be locked down if the pin is out. There is nothing in there for any of this to be locked onto.

Am I missing something? Is it possible for the linkage itself to be locked and causing it to be stuck?

I also can't figure out how to get anything in there to push on any of this linkage with the engine stuck down.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Push the lever to the up or tilt position.

Look just to the right of the model/serial number plate and you will see the exposed side of the tilt lock.

Push hard on the exposed edge of the tilt lock.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Ok ezeke, I will give it a shot tomorrow. This is the only thing it seems it can be to me, I don't think it's the tilt tube, and don't see why 30 year old tilt assist pistons would decide to lock up now.

I'll let you know.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Well I don't think it's the tilt lock that is stuck, I just spent hours playing with it, trying to get it to unlock and it doesn't seem to be locked at that spot.

I am starting to think that one of the tilt assist pistons is stuck down. The engine can move up slightly and I can hear and see one of the pistons moving slightly, but the other one doesn't budge at all.

When it binds up it sounds like a definite clunk, would a tilt piston make this sound of it was stuck down?

Is it possible at all for one of these pistons to be locked in the down position?

This is starting to become very frustrating.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Bump^^^

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

I don't think that the assist cylinders would prevent raising the engine. The only locking mechanisms are the locking lever hooks that hold the thrust rod and the tilt lock on the shoulder screw.

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Hey Ezeke, I was kind of thinking the assist cylinders couldn't hold it down either, but I cannot see anything else that would be holding this down.

The thrust rod is removed and the tilt lock moves freely on the shoulder screw when I push it around with a screwdriver.

I have had assist cylinders get tight and make noise, but never seen one lock, especially in the down position.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

I can't help. I had a Mercury 500 that locked like that on the tilt tube swivel and I had to cut past the brackets to get it loose. I have never seen a OMC motor do that.

PM chinewalker, joe reeves and iwombat, who have all worked these motors. Maybe Bill Kelly [Mastertech] knows.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

I agree with Ezeke, give Bill a call, this is his number. 850-936-6834 They are however only a 2 man operation, and usually extremely busy, so you will probably get his answering machine. I would email him, he will get back to you within a day or two. His partners name is Tom. Here is a link to his homepage. Good luck.

"http://www.maxrules.com/index.html"

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: 76' 115 locked down

Just an update in case it happens to anyone else.

The starboard shock/tilt assist piston was seized up on me, had to cut the whole cylinder out to get the engine to move. As soon as I cut one side of the cylinder out, the engine popped right up.

Original shocks from '76, so I wasn't all that surprised, just can't believe they worked perfectly all these years until I go to sell it, then it decides to lock up.

That's the way it goes though.