Trailer up issue and maybe more

[Btcowboy]

So was out cruising with my kids and grand kids today. We were heading in about 3300 rpm. Heard what sounded like aerating my props so I trimmed bow up to keep props more in the water. Boat didn't seem right after that. I had kind of thought I may have spun a prop but I could reverse and forward with both engines singularly. I did hear while trimming a little bump. Once back in the slip I tried to raise the drives to check the props using my trailer up switch. Only the port side leg came up and not the starboard side. That's as far as I could go at the time as my grandson was acting up and wanted to get home. I am concerned so hoping someone here can give me some ideas before I head down tomorrow to look more. It is a 94 290 DA with Twin 4.3 merccruisers and alpha one legs.


Thanks in advance

 

[OldSkool]

Did the pump run but the drive stayed down? If so the gimble may be going. The pop may have been the gimble stressed until you let it down now it's locked in place. Just a thought though others may have a better explanation.

 

[dvx216]

I would start by pulling the pin on the trim cylinders and see if the drive move up and down freely. You need to make sure your trim pump has the proper oil level in it. Bad gimble or U joints usually would be noticeable . Does twins use two trim pumps if so check you up solenoid on the effected drive.

 

[Btcowboy]

Thanks guys I will be doing some checking today. It is in the water and hoping not to have to pull her. If i need to pull her I will but hoping to keep her in the salt lol

 

[CliffA]

Heard what sounded like aerating my props so I trimmed bow up to keep props more in the water. Boat didn't seem right after that.

this is the opposite of what you should have done....the further you trim the outdrive out away from the boat the higher the bow will rise....if the outdrive is trimmed too far out the prop can start to slip in the water and the bow could start 'bouncing' up and down as it hits the chop in the water....the correction for this is to bring the outdrive down back towards the boat which will lower the bow height and put the prop deeper into the water.....

cliff

 

[Btcowboy]

Cliff you are absolutely correct, I was backwards in my thinking at the time. The reason I think I thought this way was two things. First bow up stern down and secondly I have found more aeration of the props with bow down. I should also mention I have never trimmed the legs, I only use tabs for bow up and bow down. My legs at the time would have been fully down

 

[chpsk8]

Go try to lift one leg at a time. See what happens. I just had my port up trim solenoid go bad and couldn't trim up that side. Also my trailer button would only lift the starboard side. I could hear clicking on the port side but no motor action. $10 solenoid and 30 minutes standing on my head in the bilge and all was well. If you had kids on board who knows how many buttons they pushed. Even though you watched them 100% of the time those sneaky buggers are capable of anything. Haha.

 

[Btcowboy]

Quick update went down to her today. Tried trailer up nod only port side came up and the starboard side made noise but no movement. Played with the tabs and tried again. This time both legs raised by the trailer up switch. I can only assume that somehow the tab was blocking the leg from raising. Regardless all is good and I don't have to pull her


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mwph]

... Played with the tabs and tried again. This time both legs raised by the trailer up switch. I can only assume that somehow the tab was blocking the leg from raising. Regardless all is good...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I would be a little concerned here. No way should the tab interfere with the drive movement. I almost want to suspect you have an electrical issue.

 

[Bob & Sue]

I would be a little concerned here. No way should the tab interfere with the drive movement. I almost want to suspect you have an electrical issue.

Agree with that you might want to remove all the connectors to the pump and solenoid and clean them sounds like some corrosion if it just started working again be sure and check the ground block. Mine had the same issue only worked with trailer up cleaned the ground everything works now.

 

[Btcowboy]

I would be a little concerned here. No way should the tab interfere with the drive movement. I almost want to suspect you have an electrical issue.

Thanks, I should add that when I got to the boat I tried just the trailer up and only port side came up. However once I played with the starboard tabs a little bit then tried the trailer up again both sides came up. I was able to repeat multiple times with no issues. I will say the port side leg trim lowering is way louder than the starboard side


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GrandMaster]

As stated previously there is/should be no connection, interaction, or contact between the outdrive trim/tilt and the trim tab operation, other than possibly both systems getting their power from the same DC power source.


If anything with the tabs is effecting the drive operation, something is serioulsy wrong with the tab installation

 

[chpsk8]

Just to clarify my issue. My trim would work occasionally. So much so that I was sure it was the trailer button.
Turns out it was a trim solenoid. I bet by next season you will be replacing a solenoid.
No way a trim tab adjustment made it work. They are not connected in any way. Just coincidence.

 

[Bucit]

Or his seals are gone and starting to corrode. Try raising them up and hit the rams with steel wool or something similar. Spray some lube on the rams as well and see what happens.