Replacing Trim/Tilt Fluid

[Prairie Dog]

My motor is a 1982 Johnson 90 HP.
I am replacing the trim/tilt fluid and I have removed the manual pressure release screw and the line from the bottom of the tilt cylinder. I believe all the fluid has drained out, however when the motor is lowered down it comes to rest on the trim rams. The rams are not retracting. Is this normal? Shouldn't the trim rams retract all the way in when there is no fluid or pressure in the system?

 

[Rustywrench]

The swivel bracket should stop on the thrust rod (if it's in the motor) to protect the top of the trim manifold from damage. If the unit had oil & you continued to run the unit down it would retract the rams, but the motor would not go down any further because of the thrust rod. That is how it is suppose to work.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks Rustywrench. I'm new to outboards and I don't know where the thrust rod is. The bracket on the back of my motor rests directly on the trim rams. When the tilt/trim was working, the motor would lower all the way down as the trim rams retracted in (the bracket staying in contact with the rams all the way in). Now, with no fluid or pressure, the bracket is still resting on the trim rams but the rams are not retracting in. Shouldn't the weight of the motor make the rams retract all the way in seeing as there's no pressure in the system?

 

[boobie]

No. You have to have oil in the system and the trim motor running to retract the trim rams.