Tilt / Trim stopped working

[bluedolphin]

Hi, all!
Boat is 1978 22' Aquasport Center Console, 1992 Mercury V-6 200 hp outboard. I used the boat all day fishing around the ICW here in Ft. Lauderdale. The trim/tilt worked fine all day, until I got home and tried to raise the motor. Nope. The tilt/trim motor just gave a hardly audible grunt/whirring sound every time I activated the trim/tilt button on the shifter. The battery has enough juice, in fact, I just turned the engine off when I got back to my dock. What can I check? Thanks.

[JimCt]

Sounds like a flaky electrical connection to the hydraulic pump, probably due to corrosion.  Disconnect the battery before you start cleaning up the connections.

[rsh19904]

Had a problem with my old t/t on the same motor..turned out to be a wire that was pinched by the trim unit on the starbord side of the motor..then one of the wires that connected to the main engine harness had worn into to and I had to reconnect them..also check the fluid levels and seals on the trim pump?  If the motor's working and nothing's moving  

[bluedolphin]

Thanks. The mechanic tried to get at the pump motor but it was between the outboard motor and the transom. He tried to raise the outboard manually, but the plastic nut (?) that had to be turned to release the motor and allow it to be manually raised was not turning. He drilled (?) the plastic nut to remove it, but even after doing that, the outboard still will not tilt. How can he check the fluid levels, seals, or wiring if they are not accessible?

[GoneFission]

The rule is simple:  if the pump motor does not operate, the problem is electrical.  If the pump motor operates but the motor does not trim/tilt, the problem is hydraulic.  

Please be careful here - the trim system is pressurized when the motor is in the down position.  You must turn the manual pressure release to lift the motor by hand - then you can raise it up, engage the lock, and check the fluid at the filler neck on the port side of the engine.  The pump is not accessable with the motor down.  If the motor is gone, it is not rebuildable.  

If you don't see oil leaking somewhere, the oil is probably fine.  Mercurys don't usually leak out out - they quite often have the o-rings on the trim cylinders leakby and won't hold trim.  But no oil leaks out of the cylinder.

It sounds more likely that you have an electrical problem.  The solenoids for the tilt system are on the starboard side of the engine.  You can use a jumper wire from the positive battery lead (red wire) to the up solenoid (the up one has either blue wires or blue/white wires going to it - down has green or green/white wires).  If the motor tilts up this way, the trim/tilt switch is probably the problem - or something else along the way.  Trim switches are exposed and sometimes get corrosion in them - you can replace the switch or the switches are rebuildable if you know how to take a switch apart and put it back together.  If you've never rebuilt a switch, take a look on eBay for a new switch or go see your local parts dude.  

Again, be careful, because if the manual release valve is open and the motor is tilted up, it will fall freely if the tilt lock is bumped or someone bumps the motor.  Most good mechanics have a safety bar for Mercurys that lock it up - you can also use a piece of lumber or support the bottom of the motor with a block or jack - but don't take a chance at getting your hands chopped off by a falling motor!

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, gonefission. I will try your suggestions. The manual release that you mentioned is the one that the mechanic tried to turn, but could not. He even used a drill to remove this manual release nut, but no success. I will ask him to try jumping the wires. Thanks.

[RickK]

Hmmm, shouldn't a mechanic already know all this?  

[bluedolphin]

The mechanic probably figured out that electrical is not it because he saw oil leaking on the water. He's probably thinking pump motor and seals. I will mention it to him, though, to check the electricals.