engine room ram not working

Xplicitlnck

Xplicitlnck

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2012
4,030
Long island ny
Boat Info
330ec
Engines
Twin 7.4 straight drive
Well here we go again. Another week another problem. On my boat the entire cockpit floor raises to gain acces to the er. The floor is raised by 2 hydraulic rames. One port one starboard. When lowering the floor the port side always came down just a little faster. Mayb closed about 2 inches before starboard side. Both rams are on one switch so the only option was to hold the switch and wait for the other side to close. While doing this the port ram stopped working.no up no down. Are both rams run off the same fuse? Relay? This rarely happens but im at a complete loose in were to even start fixing this.. I don't think I can even get it out with the floor down. Theres so much pressure on the clevit pin holding the ram to the underside of the floor I cant move it... any ideas?
 
Oh yea and once I do fix it is there any adjustment I can make so it comes down evenly? Should I install limite switches or wire each ram to an individual switch?
 
If it works the same as my window actuator, screw drive, once you figure out how to release the top pin, turn the whole ram out a couple revolutions. This will essentially manually raise the ram a bit.

There is an electrical limit switch inside the ram that may be stopping you from raising it.
 
Ok ill try my best to get the pin out. Its tight in there with the floor down. Were do u get the pump or parts for the pump if I need them? Theres no markings or part numbers on anything
 
WATCH YOUR HEAD...
1 probably wont hold it up...
if it's actually a non screw type hydraulic cylinder it could be just low on fluid and have air in one side
 
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I have the same boat and had a problem like this earlier this year. One side was going down but not the other. It turned out to be the switch, when I took it apart you could see how part of it had melted. I was able to with two pieces of wire to bypass the swith to get it down. I also was able to even out the rams by move one at time near the bottom of the cycle.

A new swith solved the problem.
 
Are you talking about the switch in the cockpit to the side of the swim platform door?
It worked great until I held the switch down trying to make the starboard side close all the way while port side was all the way down. The floor is stuck shut not open.

My biggest fear of the setup I have is the rams giving way while open and me being inside. That would really hurt if not kill me not to mention if im alone and don't open the small door and it closes im stuck inside lol
 
Ahh I wish everything fixed itself when you givw it a good wack with a hammer. That would have really been difficult to get out if something was broken. Tapped it a couple times and works perfect again. Cleaned all the connections at ram and switch afyer I got it open also. I jumped the wires as you said to straighten out the platform and worked great also until I opened it up and shut it. On the way dow. It was uneven again. Im just gunna put the 2 pumps on seperate switches but theres a lot of wires attached to that one switch and its gunna take a lot of trial and error to get it right. Thanks again everybody. I know officially have nothing to fix. Well until next weekend when something else breaks. And goodnight
 
I went through alot of trial and error when I had the same problem. Everything you said sounds just like my problem which was the switch on transom. I jumped the wires to get it even then installed a new switch and everything was fine.
 
Xplicitlnck said:
Are you talking about the switch in the cockpit to the side of the swim platform door?
It worked great until I held the switch down trying to make the starboard side close all the way while port side was all the way down. The floor is stuck shut not open.

My biggest fear of the setup I have is the rams giving way while open and me being inside. That would really hurt if not kill me not to mention if im alone and don't open the small door and it closes im stuck inside lol
Click to expand...

You're hanging off the skid of a helocopter, several thousand feet in the air and you're worried about being stuck in an engine room? Something isn't adding up.

Before you add a switch, check all the connections for corrosion. One side may be getting less voltage than the other.
 
dpmulvey said:
You're hanging off the skid of a helocopter, several thousand feet in the air and you're worried about being stuck in an engine room? Something isn't adding up.

Before you add a switch, check all the connections for corrosion. One side may be getting less voltage than the other.
Click to expand...

Can you say photoshop??? LOL


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Todd
 
They are not hyd pumps they are on long screw and screw gets dry or rusty. I put a small flat blade screw driver between ram and sceal open up enougth to get WD40 tube in and spray it in will free it up for a year or two.
 
Good to know vandal. Will do next trip out

Dp
I jump out of planes off buildings bridges cliffs and cranes, I can dive 100 feet underwater and go inside tight ships and planes. But put me in an elevator or a tight space and its all over..extremely terrified of enclosed areas. ..

Tod
In block i have some videos for you. I cant post them because some are highly illegal and a few pilots will loose there jobs. Put it this way we were chasing deer through the everglades at 135mph sog about 10feet above the ground in a red bull stunt chopper. The one in the pic above. Best ride of my life
 
Question: how exactly do you open the hatch if the ram is closed fully and it is NOT a switch? Will force pull the ram open? I've pulled at smaller rams and those suckers are NOT at all easy to pull out as the gear mechanism design requires great torque to move the piston. My dockmate has this situation. I'm not sure how to advise him?
 
Gerry,
There should be an access panel on the hatch by where the distal end of the ram is located. If you open the access panel and reach inside you should be able to feel the pin that joins the ram to the hatch. If you pull that pin out you can then lift the hatch by hand and prop it up with something so that you can progress to troubleshoot your ram. I hope this answers your question!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Todd
 
I will tell you that if the ram is tight and there is any pressure on that pin you are not getting it out. I couldnt budge mine when I was trying to get it off. Hammer wouldt budge it and thats when I got frustrated and hit the motor with the hammer and that actually fixed it lol. But there are 4 bolts that hold the plate to the bottom of the deck. I would take them off. Would be much easier but remeber there could be ALOT of pressure on the piston and if it pops off and hits you it will hurt
 
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