Re: aq270 tilt does not lock down,
Its a complicated mechanism. You're going to have to get in there and figure out whats not working right. You could start by examining the locking mechanism itself. There is a spring in the center that pulls it up to lock. Is it broken, missing, worn out? Also the Pawls (hooks) that grab the bar, are they rounded off, worn out, broken. They also are held by springs on either side. Are the springs ok?
When you lift up on the outdrive does it catch at all? or just lift without resistance? There is also a rod that releases the lock down mechanism that runs up to the middle of the outdrive and is activated by the tilt mechanism so that when you tilt the drive up, the lock releases. If that rod is stuck in the hole it goes through, it will hold the mechanism from locking.
So there's your homework. Let us know what you see.
