Manual Release Valve For 70 Hp Evinrude
Author Topic: 40 Johnson - Manual Tilt Failure Jamber posted 08:39 PM ET (US) This chilly FL evening I went down to my 15 Super Sport (stored on my boat lift) to run the 1993 40 HP Johnson. I like to run it on the ear muffs every few weeks if I do not get a chance to use it. Unfortunately I have not been able to use the Whaler in the last few weeks (due to holidays, family visits, kid's functions, cold fronts, low tides.). Anyway, my 40 does not have power tilt and trim, so as usual I got a good footing, put all my muscle into it and tilted it up, lock the assist tilt lever in the up position to put the ear muffs on.
As I let it down, I eased the tilt lever so I could leave it slightly tilted (leaving it slightly tilted helps save the back as I was going to tilt it up again to remove the ear muffs after I ran it). As it went down something made a click sound that I never noticed before. When I went to tilt it up, I grabbed the cowling/engine cover handle and put some pull on it and released the tilt lever. The tilt lever did not have any tension on it like normal. I continued to tilt the engine up with a good bit of effort, it started to tilt then POP the cowling came off! I fell back hard on my arse, landing on the helm seat, and trying to hold onto the cowling best I could.
Unfortunately I could not and the cowling went overboard. Off course the cowling did not float, but the tide was pretty low and the water clear so I was able to fish it out with my boat hook. I was shocked the cowling came off like that, ticked it was at the bottom of the canal but, glad l I did not really hurt myself. I flushed the cowling/cover to remove the saltwater and canal muck with a hose and then in a large Rubbermaid bin. I used the rubber maid bin as a make shift cover to keep the morning dew and rain out while the insulation inside the cowling dries out. The latches for the cowling were all down, the metal catch on the cowling may be slightly bent. So I went to try to lift the engine again and nothing, only budges slightly.
I can not tilt it up at all. Kinda bummed as I have some time off coming up and wanted to use the Whaler. Any suggestions on how to fix this while still on the lift? I will not be able to get the Whaler on the trailer with the engine locked down. I remember on my previous Whaler there was screw to release the pressure to lower it if the the trim pump failed.I looked around the best I could from inside the boat (on the lift) but did not see any on the 40 horse. RevengeFamily posted 09:10 PM ET (US) You stated your 40 HP Johnson does not have power trim and tilt, there for it will not have a manual bypass screw to allow you to lower the engine. The cylinder you see is simply a dampner to slow the tilting motion of the engine either up or down.
Being that your engine is a 1993, most likely the pivot joint has rusted do to age and the fact that the engine lives in a salt water environment. Break out your can of WD40, CRC or any other brand of pentrating oil and give the pivot location a spritz.
Allow the spray to soak in over night and then spray it again the next day. Follow up with 90w gear oil. With time and some assistance by you, it should start to move a bit.
I have a 1984 90hp Johnson without power trim and tilt, the pivot tube gave me trouble 15 years ago. I gave it the lubrication treatment outlined above. Over time it got much easier to tilt, but has never returned to like new. To keep it that way I spray and oil it twice a year. Sorry to say, I don't believe your engine will ever be as easy to tilt as she was in her younger days. Best of luck, Norm Jamber posted 10:48 PM ET (US) Thank you Norm for your insight.
I will look into the pivot joint. I have owned the boat since April and it had a long previous life in fresh water with very little salt water use and is almost rust free, actually a very clean motor for 17 years old. So I doubt it is that, especially since it has been operating smoothly up to this point. The click that I notice has me thinking it is a spring of some sort for the tilt lever position lock.
Fuel Pump For 70 Hp Evinrude
It seems to be have broken in a locked position. I will however hit that pivot join you mentioned with some grease as preventative maintenance. Right now I am trying to wrap my head around this exploded view to figure out where a spring could be for the tilt assist. The only place I see is #29 listed as 'Lever Ay. Tilt Assist.'
A $42.47 part. Not that bad if that is all it takes. Just not very clear to me and I want to be certain before I order a part. Source for 40 Johnson ( J40ELET ) Exploded view: Jamber posted 10:50 PM ET (US) Edit that above - it is #28 (NOT 29) on the exploded view. Contender posted 01:17 PM ET (US) Jamber, I see you are in Sw Fla. Where, Not to far from my home maybe I can take a look, E mail me, Also if you go to boats.net you can in large the view so you can see the area in question better (prices cheaper also, same part $34.40) I think your problem is/are the part #14 (pivot), #21 Tilt/lock area Good luck.
Russ 13 posted 03:10 PM ET (US) Jamber, if you are in the Ft. There is a company called Superior Marine that has many used outboard parts. You may find a slightly used T&T for your Johnson, or parts for the 'ease of use cylinder'. CNC makes a nice T&T system. The 40HP through 60HP Johnson/Evenrude T&T systems are in high demand, as so many engines were sold without this feature. Including the 'special series' In shallow areas, T&T is SO helpfull, & easy on your back.
Tohsgib posted 03:19 PM ET (US) Sorry kids but I got this one being same happened to mine(1994).twice. This is a unique system on the newer 2cyl loopers. It almost looks like a PTnT system but it is just a sealed hydraulic unit that allows you to set the engine height manually without a pin.
These have their problems and unfortunately when they go bad, they won't allow to tilt.like mine did in a foot of water. If you look at the unit it says 'under high pressure, not a servicable unit' or something of the sort on it. You can try and work it or see if the cable(release) broke, etc. You might be able to use the boat if you stay in the channel. Now the bad part.they cost about $400+. What I did with mine was I bought a used CMC PT130 trim unit and converted. What else can you do is remove the unit and hope a pin/bolt will allow for a decent trim position which I doubt and you would have no reverse lock.
Jamber posted 08:04 PM ET (US) Yes I am in Fort Myers area - Bonita Springs to be exact. Thanks for the offer contender. Should be good, but I will shoot you an email. I have been meaning to get to Superior to look for a tach anyway Russ.
BTW, I have not seen you out in Estero bay, been looking for that 13 with the poling platform. I will take a closer look at it this weekend, but I think Nick called. I actually did not mind the manual tilt with the lever design.
It is simple and functional. Well not now that I broke it. Especially at $400. Would rather of had a PTnT. I recently had to sink $400 into the engine for a lower unit rebuild and a prop reconditioning. Previous owner ran it with a dinged up prop and wore the bearing carrier causing a lower unit leak.
So I am resistant to put any more money into the Johnson. My big issue may be if it is stuck in the down position, how do I get it on the trailer? I do not have enI may have to get in the canal at low tide (I will be able to stand knee deep or less) to try to unlock it/disassemble it. I have been seriously considering a Bob's Hydraulic Jake Plate due to the area I live in. In the winter months, when it is shallow and a fast moving tide, a jack plate will let me make headway much easier with a level but elevated engine. If my engine is un able to tilt, I think I may go this route until I re power in a year or two.
This way I do not have to invest anymore into it. I can live without reverse lock, I have left it off many times and as long as I do not gas it hard in reverse I will be fine. It may be time to just pull the trigger on a re power with jack plate anyway. But then I have the dilemma of choosing between a 60 E-TEC or F70!
Good news I should be able to use it as is, if I leave/return while the tide is high and I stay in the channel like Nick mentioned. So hopefully it will not ruin my next two weeks of vacation time. I will report back! -James Russ 13 posted 07:46 AM ET (US) Hi James, I agree with the jack plate idea, money well spent.
It will open up access to many shallow areas for fishing. And you will be ready for a repower later. I have been busy @ work.no time for boating.so sad! Hope to get out on Estero bay between the holidays. Russ Jamber posted 09:07 PM ET (US) I had a chance to look at my manual tilt today. I think it is good news. The tilt lever shown here does not work: It made a click then stopped working.
The click sound appears to have been the connector on the backside of the tilt lever breaking. In this photo you can see the broken connector and the broken piece laying there. Now did it click because something in the manual hydraulic unit failed and then I pushed it too hard? Or did just the connector fail? The hard part is that the engine is stuck down. Not sure if I can get in there to release it to lift the engine up to replace the connector.
That is my next challenge. The part I need is listed as $7.20 #48 'SHELL, Tilt assist cable' on the above exploded view. Hope to fix it in the next few days and see you out on Estero Bay Russ.James Tohsgib posted 11:48 AM ET (US) Bad news is you might have to hang the engine to get accesss. Flawton posted 06:18 PM ET (US) Please bear with me as I attempt to describe what has happened and a fix for your problem (it been awhile). I had the same T&T failure several times on our early 90's 40 VRO (79 13 sport). The cable that operates the T&T system is much like a cable on a 10 Spd bicycle.
It goes from the back of the 'tilt lever' and at the other end it pulls a hydraulic release valve. Our recurring problem was salt water intrusion of the cable, corrosion, resistance, and failure.
The plastic piece broke because the inside of the cable is corroded or frozen (you might be lucky and only the plastic piece behind the 'tilt lever' is broken but I wouldn't hold my breath). To release the T&T, follow the cable to T&T end, pop it out of its cradle while leaveing the ball in the valve and pull (might take some grunt). Might be hard to do on a lift. I remember those cables costing $250+/- 10 years ago, no telling what they cost now.
I know there are some defenders of the faith when it comes to the Johnson vros of the early 90's but this manual T&T deisgn for saltwater was absoultely 'craptastic' and cost me many an hour on the water (I had it fail in the up position as well). We cussed ourselves for not getting power T&T. Don't even get me started on the oiling systems. I hope this helps, give me a shout if the above didn't make sense. My email addy in the profile is current.
Flawton posted 06:28 PM ET (US) please excuse me, told you its been awile. Part #48 is broken. Work it from that end. Sorry for the mix up Jamber posted 06:51 PM ET (US) Thanks Flawton.
I looked up that cable and list price is about $80, more than I want to spend, but much easier to swallow than $250. The cable may have corrosion, but the rest of the engine is just about free of rust, but I guess it would not take much if salt water was sitting in there.
I picked up the plastic piece (#48) from my OMC dealer for $6. This afternoon I tried to work it for almost an hour, it was very frustrating.
I just do not have enough room to get in there and I can not get seem to get a good angle from inside the Whaler (I may not be able to get it from outside the Whaler either). I tried to put a heavy string on the end and pull it, but no luck. I think a pair of very long needle nose vice grips would work, mine are too short and the tips too wide. Not even sure if they make longer/thinner vice grips than I have.
Even if I can grip the end of the cable, will I be able to pull it hard enough to release the valve? After giving up, I went for a short ride on the Whaler right before sunset just to remind myself it is worth the effort. I think I may look at my trailer. I want to see if I can raise the bunks up so I can get it on the trailer (for more ground clearance) and work on it in my garage. When hooked up to my vehicle I think I have about 2 inches clearance under the skeg (when all the engine is the way down). Too close to drive on the road like that, but if I am able to raise the bunks enough, use my neighbors ramp down the block and drive REAL slow with a spotter for the skeg it may work. If I do end up needing to unbolt/lift the engine I will then install a Bob's Jack Plate!
Jamber posted 10:53 AM ET (US) I was able to simply move my trailer bunks closer which raised how the Whaler sits on the trailer and gave me plenty of ground clearance with the engine in the down position. Now that it is one the trailer I can see much better from outside the boat. There is still very little room to access the broken connector part. The engine will tilt up about an inch, that may be just enough to get my hand in the tight space to unscrew the broken plastic connector at the end of the cable and screw the new one on. I just need to secure the engine up really well so it does not crush my hand. If I still cannot get enough room/access, would I be able to remove the tilt position bolt? If so would it allow me to just lift the engine and the hydraulic assembly?
Or is that a bad idea? Would I not be able to get it back if the the tilt unlocked (released the piston)? Here is a photo with a red circle around the tilt position bolt I am thinking about removing. Thanks, James contender posted 12:35 PM ET (US) Jamber: The bolt you have circled is the bolt that does not allow the engine to tilt toward the transom.
It is possible that the lock maybe stuck on this bolt. I'm still a little confused why you can not raise your engine manually if you have open the bleeder screw and release the lock. I could understand if the lock is broken and stuck in the lock position, but you should be able to unlock it manually also.Good luck Jamber posted 01:19 PM ET (US) I can not find the bleeder screw/valve, others have implied this model does not have one. Tohsgib posted 02:15 PM ET (US) Read my 2nd post. No bleeder on this system, it is HIGH preassure.
Jamber posted 02:54 PM ET (US) So Nick, if I attempt to remover the tilt/trim position bolt I won't be able to or I will never get it back in? It looks like with that bolt removed the whole assembly will tilt up. Then I would need to secure it up and have access to the cable with the broken connector. Tohsgib posted 12:15 AM ET (US) Dunno! Seahorse posted 09:51 AM ET (US) quote: if I attempt to remover the tilt/trim position bolt I won't be able to or I will never get it back in? It looks like with that bolt removed the whole assembly will tilt up.
Then I would need to secure it up and have access to the cable with the broken connector. Your motor has a latch to keep it tilted all the way up for servicing. Use caution if you are trying to replace the cable. The trim uses pressurized nitrogen for the tilt assist and correct servicing procedures and care must be followed. Use a service manual and eye protection and understand what you have to do. Jamber posted 12:54 PM ET (US) Success!
I tried to remove the tilt adjustment pin/bolt, but no luck. After a while of spraying and tapping I gave up. It is frozen and will not budge. I used my floor jack to jack up the engine as much as it would go (about an inch and a half). Then put an old transom saver I had laying around in place to secure the engine from falling (that inch and half) and prevent my hand from being crushed when I inserted it under the engine. This gave just enough clearance. I used a thin piece of rope tied to the end of the cable that I pulled and worked so I could access the cable end.
It took some force(maybe too much), but I got it. The $6 part next to the broken one at the end of the cable. Unfortunately I broke another plastic part on the $80 cable when I pulled on it so hard. I then used two vise grips to pull on the cable and release the hydraulic assist.
Now I am able to tilt it up and have full access to underside of the engine! I will pick up a new cable this week and hope to be back out on the water next weekend! Thanks everyone for the advice!
You're not doing anything wrong. You are gonna waste some fluid when bleeding it. The reservoir will be almost empty when the motor is trimmed all the way up. Filling it when empty and then lowering the motor causes the fluid that is in the cylinder to go back into the fulll reservoir which overflows it. Doing this several times will ensure there are no air bubbles in the system.
Once you've done the routine a couple times, lower the motor down with the filler screw still out, allow the excess fluid to escape, make sure your motor is ALL THE WAY down and then insert and tighten the filler screw. You should be done.
You may be doing something wrong. I found this for youJohnson 90 Looks like yours may be self bleeding. Filling: To properly check the fill, the trim/tilt rams must be extended. Raise OB all the way up (if you can't via the trim motor, then back off the manual release valve and with extra help, tilt/raise the OB all the way up and set it on its mooring/full raise lock, then re-tighten the release valve). Tilt reservoirs are easier and best to fill IMHO when the boat is on a trailer, as you can lower the tongue all the way to the ground, as you want the tilt/trim reservoir as straight up & down as you can get it.
This procedure is also best done IMHO with a helper to assist you, as they will keep their finger on the t/t UP button on the OB cowl, when needed. Trim the OB all the way up and engage the full-up tilt support (or use a block. You do NOT want an OB to fall on any bodypart!). Slowly open the t/t reservoir cap (allowing air to escape) and insert the trim fluid tube/nozzle. I use a small long/slender nozzle on the end of the recommended trim fluid container to help keep it in there. Now this is where your assistant comes in.
Have them press the t/t UP button as you put in ALL the fluid it will take. Keep pressing UP while the OB goes all the way up (off its supports), you will hear the t/t motor hit the bypass valve (the motor sound will change) and until the t/t reservoir won't take any more fluid and it starts to drip/gush out.
Mind you, your helper's finger is still ON the UP button. And while their finger is still pressing the UP button, quickly put the trim reservoir cap back on.
FYI: the concept behind 'holding the UP button pressed while filling' allows the trim motor to suck in all of the fluid it can via the hydraulic system. Doing in this manner, you should not have to top off the reservoir again, hopefully for a loooooong time. Bleeding: OB tilt/trim units are 'self-bleeding' and you should always perform these 'purge cycles' to follow even if you don't need to add any more fluid. To purge/check, remove the tilt lock (if engaged) and cycle the OB down by 'jogging' it down, in 2-3 seconds runs. Then rest the motor a few seconds (akin to NOT cranking on a starter motor continuously), then cycle it UP all the way in one long blast.
Rest/pause again. 10 seconds or more. Then repeat that complete cycle a few more times to ensure that it has bled all the air out of the t/t system. When bled of all air, you won't hear bubbling or gurgling as the OB starts its up or down cycle. You should just hear a smooth start of the rams in motion. That sounds interestimg. I will have to try that after I go buy another tube of fluid.
If empty will it take more than 10oz? I have not been able to find capacities for the motor yet.
The reservoir tilts down with the motor as it goes down. Maybe this is why it pours out? Not sure if all reservoirs on other motors do this or not. You say your reservoir tilts down? Are you pulling the right plug? Part #44 http://www.marineengine.com/parts/johnson-evinrude-parts.php?year=1997&hp=90&model=E90TSLEUA&manufacturer=Evinrude§ion=Power+Trim%2Ftilt+Hydraulic+Assembly. Yes as the motor is tilted te reservoir moves from its vertical position against the transom and starts to angle down as the motor moves.
It does not stay vertical. Never really paid attention to anyone elses boat before to see if it moves or not.
I do believe I have the right plug, well it is actually a cap. I found my motor by going to the link you provided. The actual reservoir looks like that but other components look different. Where it shows 1 trim rod I have 2.??? This is what I get for trying to do preventive maintenance I guess. It was working fine but just wanted to check and top off if necessary.