1993 force 120 tilt and trim not working correctly

[mattiep89]

Hello all this is my first post on this forum and first boat i have owned. I have a problem with the tilt and trim not working right. First off the trim ram is stuck all of the way out and is not allowing the motor to trim all of the way down. Secondly the tilt is not working right. I have to hold the trim up button and pull back on the motor at the same time to get it to come up. After it is about half way up the tilt kicks in and does what its supposed to and raises the motor all the way up. Then within a minute it has bled off all the way again. Any suggestions i am pretty handy and like to work on my stuff myself. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1993 force 120 tilt and trim not working correctly

I've seen the trim ram stuck all the way out on occasion. If you're lucky, you can take a hammer and gently tap it back down and it will operate fine. Anytime you're working on the motor when it is fully raised, make sure you support the motor so it doesn't suddenly drop down. A step ladder or a sturdy chair placed under the lower unit end of the motor is all you need.

Take a close look at the trim ram and cylinder to make sure nothing has been damaged or bent out of alignment. Sometimes backing up the boat on the trailer with the motor resting on the trim ram and catching something with the skeg on the lower unit pushes the trim ram out of position and jams it up. It's fairly easy to replace the components of the trim ram as long as the pentagonal shaped cap is not damaged.

I suspect that the reason the tilt is not working correctly is the trim ram is not sealing like it should allowing hydraulic pressure to bleed off.

 

[mattiep89]

Re: 1993 force 120 tilt and trim not working correctly

The pentagonal shaped cap looks fine and all of the bolts are there. Where would i get parts to rebuild this? Would it be wise to put in all new o rings and such? Thanks for your help!!

 

[pnwboat]

Re: 1993 force 120 tilt and trim not working correctly

You can remove the pentagonal shaped cap and inspect the trim piston and "O" rings.

Here is a place that has the parts.

Mercury, Mercruiser, Force, etc. - TRIM CYLINDER - 120 H.P.

Be careful when removing bolts that hold the cap on. They often get corroded and it's easy to snap them off. If you do break one off, you have to drill it out with a cobalt steel drill bit and re-tap the threads.

Forgot to mention one other thing. The end of the trim ram contacts the lower unit against a stainless steel plate that it held in place with two stainless bolts or large screws. Make sure that plate is not deformed allowing the trim ram to slip upwards causing the ram to get cockeyed and get stuck.