Replacing Trim/Tilt Sender/Limiter

B

bbwhitejr

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
4,308
Lake Lanier GA
Boat Info
2003 420DA, 6CTAs
Engines
NA
I realize Mercury and most recommend pulling the drive to replace the trim/tilt sender/limiter pucks. I have read where some were able to change out without pulling by modifying a wrench or finding the right socket/swivel/extension combination to remove the bolt in the keeper.

Anyone here successfully changed out without pulling the drive? Last summer outdrive was pulled and serviced-all bellows, gimbal bearing, shift cable, etc were replaced so hate to pull it again for this 20 minute job. Mechanic wants $350 to do the job and I buy the parts. Looking to save the labor.

Thanks,
Bennett
 
I'm interested in this as well. My trim sensor is bad and I read that you can replace the puck inside, but I'll be watching the replies to this thread.
 
What is the problem you are experiencing that you think you need to replace it?
you can replace just the internal rheostat in 5 minutes. I did that on my last boat and it fixed a faulty reading.

i do have instructions on how to change it without removing the drive. Not impossible but you would need patience.
 
paulswagelock said:
What is the problem you are experiencing that you think you need to replace it?
you can replace just the internal rheostat in 5 minutes. I did that on my last boat and it fixed a faulty reading.

i do have instructions on how to change it without removing the drive. Not impossible but you would need patience.
Click to expand...


Care to post the instructions?

Bryan
 
paulswagelock said:
What is the problem you are experiencing that you think you need to replace it?
you can replace just the internal rheostat in 5 minutes. I did that on my last boat and it fixed a faulty reading.

i do have instructions on how to change it without removing the drive. Not impossible but you would need patience.
Click to expand...

I have taken the trim sender apart and cleaned it and it worked better for a while. The trim limiter(port side) has never worked. I have just been careful while trimming up as the trailer function worked. Last fall, the drive and engine were pulled to replace the oil pan. I "assune" during the reinstall of the drive, the limiter was bumped and the mount part is broken. If you could post or send me the instructions, I would really appreciate it. I have read everything I can find and watch one video on uTube. I looked at my boat yesterday and the only problem is going to be the bolt in the keeper. I can find a lot of patience for $350. That is money I would rather spend elsewhere.

Thanks,
Bennett
 
From a friend on another forum:

The hardest part is getting the 1/4" retaining screw in/out that retains the wire seal. Mark both puck locations on the drive and puck with a white line. Paint stick is best, then remove both pucks. Get inside the boat and disconnect all 4 sensor wires at the transom plate. Tape a single pull string on to the end of one of these wires so that you can pull the new wires back in. Jump back outside, and using a 7/16" socket with a long extension and a 1/4" drive ratchet, sneak into the space between the gimbel ring and the transom plate. To do this you will need to crank the steering hard right. Pull the bolt and retaining clip out. Gently draw the wires through the transom until you have the string in hand.

If you have an older Boat then your new sender kit will have both a trim limit and trim position sender as they sell them in pairs. If it's a newer one then the trim limit switch will be a three wire digital unit that you must buy separately and throw the analog trim limit switch supplied in the kit away. Either way the trim indicator switch goes on the starboard side. Because of the way the wire seals land in the transom plate you must pull both wire sets out. If the boat is over 5 years old, I'd replace both senders anyway. They usually fail due to water infiltration directly into the wire themselves.

Route the new sender wires in through their appropriate side and join them at their seal half's with a simple single wrap of masking tape around the wires keeping the tape off the sealing surface, while keeping them squarely aligned with each other. Once you see how they are formed, you will understand what I'm talking about. Next step is to tape the wire ends to your pull string keeping the wire bundle as small as possible. Have someone get in the boat and gently pull the wires back in while you feed them toward the transom opening. Once the wire seals are landed into the transom plate, keep tension on the pull string. I usually find something on the engine to tie the string off to with some tension applied. This keeps the seal wedges properly seated while you reinstall the retaining clip and bolt.

The next step takes patience and experimentation. I usually start out by taping the bolt into the socket with masking tape. I then slip the socket behind the gimbel ring and then slide the wire retaining clip onto the bolt. This must be done in the above sequence as the opening is too small to fit the clip, socket, and bolt in together. While holding the three pieces together with two fingers, I can then slide it up until I can attach the long 1/4" drive extension and universal joint. Get the bolt started squarely in the hole and draw her up snug, observing the seal half's to make sure both have remained landed and square.

Reconnect the wires, mount the senders based on the marks on the old ones and then calibrate both sensors and your back in business. Takes me about two hours to do this, and it helps if your 1/4" universal joint is either new and stiff, or you wrap some tape around it to make it wiggle less.
 
Many thanks Paul! This is exactly what I was looking for! I have read similar posts elsewhere, but not one that details the tools used nor went into the detail that this does. The only issue is getting the bolt and clip back in place. I am going to give this a shot. So what if it takes me 1/2 a day?

Thanks again,
Bennett
 
Before you do this, unless you have excluded this already - look online for a puck repair kit. I do not have the part numbers but quicksilver sels a kit that basically allows you to take the puck cap off and replace the copper slider plate inside. I bought one in eBay for $20 or so.

A buddy has done this successfully a few times now and convinced me to try this, unfortunately I have not changed the parts yet so I cannot give you first hand results (spring on the hard job in my prelaunch to do list)

Edit.
Here's is the kit, it cost $14.

New Mercury Mercruiser Quicksilver OEM Part # 805134A 4 ROTOR KIT-SENDER

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/m...ne/0w250000-up/gimbal-ring-and-steering-lever
 
Last edited:
Yes, I referenced that above, thanks for posting the part number.
I had a bad reading. Took out the rheostat and cleaned it but it did not help. I changed it out with the replacement piece, $16 on eBay, and it worked perfect again. Note that this is a fix for the indicator though, not the limit switch.
 
as an alternate you can remove the old trim senders and cut the wires right where they go into the transom....then you can install new senders and run their wires together above the outdrive and up the back of the transom a little ways to a point above the water line...then drill a hole through the tramsom above the outdrive and run the new wires through and splice them into the existing trim sender wiring....then cover the hole in the transom with a 'clam shell' cover....i believe they make kits to do this....if the senders ever need replacing again in the future it wil be a 10 minute job.....

i agree that it is a lot of work to replace the trim senders the conventional way....i would think new trim senders could be installed in an hour or less with the alternate method above....

cliff
 
Cliff,
Thanks for the post. I have read your idea and watched a video on uTube as well. This might be a viable solution except I would have to get above my swim platform somehow to be consistently above the waterline and that would just not look right. I saw another idea on the web, and maybe on here as well, where you cut the current wires before they go into the transom and splice the new wires in using a butt splice, marine caulk, liquid electrical tape,and finally seal with adhesive lined shrink tube to make as waterproof a joint as possible.

This would sure be a much easier fix, but I am going the OEM route. My originals lasted 7 or 8 years. I plan to move up in less time than that so I will only do this once.

Thanks,
Bennett
 
Thought I'd toss out the poor man's option. Which I implemented on my 300DA and my 175 sport. As you'll be chasing this failure every two years.

Jumper the limit switch so that the trim button always works. Ignore the position switch after it breaks. Just trim by feel.
 
There is a lot of well-intentioned advise on shortcuts for this job but the only real sure way is to to the correct way. Buy the tool to replace the pins on the side of the gimbal housing and lower it out of the way to gain access to the bolt holding the wire keeper. And since everything is out of the way it's a great time to change the bellows.

Remember, there's never time to do it right but always time to do it over. This job sucks. Why would you choose to put yourself in a position to have to do it a second time? Look on YouTube. There will be videos showing the proper way to do this.
 
From watching a video it looks like an easy job the OEM way if you have the hingpin removal tool and the bellows retainer ring removal tool. Remove the hinge pins, remove the bellows retainer ring, pull the bell housing to the side and you have good access to the wires/retainer. If I was not going to remove the bell housing, I think I would just splice the wires assuming the are in good shape. I know it's not recommended, but if you splice and heat shrink I think you would be ok - that's the way it used to be done.

I've never had issues with them, my boat is a 1999 with the originals, also my cruiser sat in the water 5yrs and still had the originals. I'm planning to replace mine soon only because I am doing the bellows anyway and there is some cracking on the wires. I honestly never look at the trim gauge, I just trim it by feel, but thinks not working on the boat drive me nuts.
 
I have the same job to do on twins as both sensors have bare wires and after reading all the easy ways of doing the job I have decided to pull the outdrives and do it right as I would also like to inspect the bellows and replace if needed. If you think about it the bellows are only what keeps the water from coming into your boat,they fail you may just sink. Do it right the first time and be safe. By the way the socket for the pins only cost 10.00 on Ebay.
 
Shortly after my post above in Jan 2015, I replaced the bellows, shift cable and trim sender/limit switches. Not the easiest job, but not too bad either. I went back and forth on whether to use Sierra or OEM Mercruiser parts. I decided to use Sierra and have had no issues. - saved $75 on parts. One thing I did different, instead of an exhaust bellows (requires a special tool to install) I went with an exhaust tube, about the same price as bellows, but just a clamp to install. Engine is a little louder on plane when it is trimmed up, that's the only difference I have noticed.

2 years later things are still fine - I have always stored the boat out of the water, the original bellows lasted 16yrs.
 
I did the quick and easy install by cutting the wires drilling a hole in the bracket and the transom and running the wires that way and it worked fine and without all the tools and hassle. Since I have had the outdrive off but still kept the routing the same. In my case all the wires were rotted and bare so fixing the senders was not an option also I have and old pre alpha outdrive and a 1977 boat.
 
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