TNT Lift Problems?

Thanx pete. have pics of ur RIB?? I'm tryng to get a new slip in my marina as we speak. With the new platform I no longer fit in my current slip . Details !!!!

Rob

Was finally able to upload this pic of the thrust lift with the home made plank. Now imagine if the dink was there ... then what ?

Thanks for all of the responses....so it looks like I should stay away from the older TNT lifts as they seem to be too much of a headache to maintain.

Does anyone have an good experience with the older (three cylinder vs one cylinder per side) TNT lifts? You can't repair design flawed equipment. Seemed like a great winter project though.


Thanks for the guidance.
Ed

I am also looking at a 400DB with a TNT platform. Most likely a 2000 or 2001. Can someone define what is an older TNT lift. Am I to inderstand there is a newer TNT lift which has not been a problematic? How can I tell the difference?

Hi everyone, I just found this thread and can put in my 2 cents worth. I purchased my 44EB in October 2003 and it had a 6 cylinder TNT lift on it (3 on each side). The lift has square metal tubes that telescope up and down. The lift sits about 2 feet above the water when up and goes down at least 3 feet below the water when down. I believe it is the "Goliath" model capable of 800 lbs. I can't say when the lift was installed but my boat is a 1995. The lift worked fine until late last year when it started slipping down and was difficult to get back up. I contacted TNT who inspected the unit said the cylinders needed to be re-built. When I pulled the boat out for bottom paint in May, I had all 6 cylinders re-built and replaced all the hoses. It's been working great ever since. The TNT guy said it would be good for another 8 years or so.

If there is anything else I can add, please let me know.

Randy

I will attach the first photos of the Sea Lift. They are not great but they do show how much room there is on the original swim platform.

Can anyone provide any insight re a lift manufactured by Nautical Structures - I think that it may be called a "Tail-Lift System?" This is the lift on our new (to us) 2000 450EB - a few "steps ahead" of our previous 280DA!

When you say 'old' how many years we talking about?

HOLY cow ... Just recieved a reply email from Fla bow thruster. They want 33,000 for the lift...Guess im again not getting the lift...

: (

Rob

Wait till you see the price of the sexy little 4-stroke jet boat you want to put on the back for a dinghy.

Hey Oddessey, how much did the rebuld cost?

The hoses were $1,500 and the cylinder rebuild was $2,000

Bump for good info.

John,

Do you plan on doing the job yourself or hiring a company to install it for you? The reason I ask is that I put a TNT on mine by myself which in the end meant that I was far more comfortable with the internal support for the transom.

I ended up having larger brackets made to attach the lift to the transom and connecting the brackets/backing plates to the stringers with 1" stainless steel tie rods. The transom of most boats are not strong enough to have the weight of the lift, jetski and following sea beating on them. A friend of mine had his boat sunk in a following sea when his factory installed swim platform cracked the transom wide open. That was a swim platform....I can't imagine the stress that would have on a loaded hydraulic lift.

That said, the purpose of my lift was for the 100 lbs. dinghy that I have and make it easier to get people and the 80 lbs. dog out of the water.

I have had it on the boat for 9 years and it works flawlessly probably because I am on fresh water and use it all season long. I removed it a four years ago to check for any leaks around the bolt holes and will remove it again this summer when I get the bottom soda blasted.

I appreciate the technique a lot of people have mentioned regarding filling the bolt holes and redrilling them. It makes sense but I didn't do it. I used 5200 and on the last inspection everything looked fine. We will see what I find when I pull it this Spring.

The key to hiring a company that does this work is to find one that has done your model boat successfully before. In my case, no one had done a 1994 370EC so I decided to install it myself. TNT was great to work with. The original TNT went into bankruptcy I believe in the early 1990s. Dick the current owner, bought them out. He owned the custom fabrication shop that made the brackets and lift components.

When I wanted to enlarge the brackets, Dick made them for free out of stainless steel (probably $500 of material and welding) and I paid for shipping. I gave him a copy of all the installation photos in return.

-JD

I have a 1997 400 Sundancer fitted with a TNT Lift. How do I tell what model it is?

Bought the boat three years ago in Florida and have only ever fitted new anodes.

Can anyone provide a link to a service manual for the Lift, I'm pulling the boat in March and would like to service everything that can be done to ensure a trouble free summer.

Graham

They'll do the work. I like projects, but....

Graham Lorimer said:

I have a 1997 400 Sundancer fitted with a TNT Lift. How do I tell what model it is?

Bought the boat three years ago in Florida and have only ever fitted new anodes.

Can anyone provide a link to a service manual for the Lift, I'm pulling the boat in March and would like to service everything that can be done to ensure a trouble free summer.

Graham

Click to expand...

Graham,

Just give them a call with your hull number. They can tell you the history on the lift and the routine/major maintenance that is required.

-John

John,

The problem with John Hampton's situation is that he is in a very corrosive salt water environment. Most TNT lifts don't last but 4-5 years before cylinders, hoses, pins & bushing begin to fail. The design also make for a marine growth farm on the back of your boat.

You have had good success and have been around the technical side of boating, so I wonder what opinion you might offer for a saltwater installation and the chances of long term success with a TNT in a very corrosive environment?

I only have about 3 inches touching the water in the up position, so growth hasn't really been a problem on mine. The main issue I have is the one cylinder inside the frame. what a PITA.

After reading about some issues with the lifts, I'll just say thank GOD that mine has only one cylinder.