Evinrude tilt trim will not work

Gastroch

Cadet
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
6
I have a 1989 40hp Evinrude. Recently the tilt trim started acting up. It initially would stop midway through triming up or down but usually would continue with some repeated attempts at the switch. Now NOTHING. Will not go up or down. If you listen very closely you can hear some clicking and huming up in the head of the engine when holding the trim switch on. Engine stuck half way in down position. Any suggestions?
 

Steve135

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
394
Re: Evinrude tilt trim will not work

Gastroch sounds as if the motor has failed. You can first try tapping it lightly with a hammer. if you get a responce after trying this thats your problem. If not you can start checking the relays for this system. One of them might have failed. But give your motor a once over to see how badly its rusted.If its the motor they are only about 100.00 bucks online. Easy fix will take only a day. In the mean time you can release the motor to the up or down position . There is a pressure relief on the Starboard side of the tilt housing. Just turn it with a very large screw driver the motor will go down. You could still use the boat tilt the new one arrives.<br />steve
 

Steve135

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
394
Re: Evinrude tilt trim will not work

Gastroch sounds as if the motor has failed. You can first try tapping it lightly with a hammer. if you get a responce after trying this thats your problem. If not you can start checking the relays for this system. One of them might have failed. But give your motor a once over to see how badly its rusted.If its the motor they are only about 100.00 bucks online. Easy fix will take only a day. In the mean time you can release the motor to the up or down position . There is a pressure relief on the Starboard side of the tilt housing. Just turn it with a very large screw driver the motor will go down. You could still use the boat tilt the new one arrives.<br />steve
 

alanR1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 13, 2003
Messages
109
Re: Evinrude tilt trim will not work

You might tilt it all the way up manually and lock it, then remove the screw for filling the system with fluid on the right hand side cylinder. If fluid is not visible you are low on fluid and will need to fill it up. I had something similar happen on a Yamaha 85hp. It would not move up or down, we filled it up with fluid and it sarted working again slowly but surely. Give this a try before you buy a new motor.
 
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