1998 Alpha I tilttrim Difficulties

"I have a '98 Mercruiser A

"I have a '98 Mercruiser Alpha I that the tilt/trim (trottle switch operator) that operates the up and down trim does not function properly. The down button works very well however the up button does not. When I hit the up button the tilt goes up very slightly and then dies. The button goes dead. I can hit the down button and tilt will go down back down to full down position. What is causing the up tilt to cut out or limit out after moving and inch or two? The trailer switch will tilt the motor up/down and works perfectly well. Any ideas/help would be a great help.
I was at the barn this weekend to winterize the boat. After spending 2Hrs I think I found the problem. As stated the trim up postion will move the trim shaft up to a maximum of 3.5 inches. If I grabbed one of the two port side limit switch BLK wires and moved them with someone holding down the up bottom on the trottle, it would jerk the trim up another 1/2 inch. Closely looking at the situation I found the top blk limit switch wire on the port transom 1/8" bare. I also think that the connection inside the trim limit switch unit would also not be in good shape. I believe the trim limit switch is a sealed unit. I also have read that to replace the switch is expensive as you need to remove the outdrive. As well they say if you change one switch you might as well change the starboard side one as well. WOW. Here is my thinking. If I were to buy a new limit switch, cut the wires off from the old one, connect them by soldering and cover with a heat shrink electric tube to make it water resistant would this work? Or can I fix the old switch? The bare wire is right up against the plastic housing of the limit switch. My other scare is the often mentioned BE CAREFUL when changing the switch to make sure you do not over extend the 6.5" +- 1/4" travel or you can damage the outdrive severley. Sorry for the long e mail. But these are things I need to work out over the winter layover and fix this spring. Any and all good thoughts are appreciated. Thanks again."

"John: Save alot of money dow

"John: Save alot of money down the road by pulling the O/D and replacing the switches as a pair. While the O/D if off, have the unit gone over carefully, gimbal bearing checked and lubed, engine coupler cleaned, examined and lubed, the U-joints need checked and lubed.

If it was never done since the boat was built in 1998, consider changing the bellows and water hose. The labor is only a little more than the cost of the O/D removal you are paying anyway to replace the trim switches. Add a water pump kit to it for insurance.

When the O/D is reinstalled, they SHOULD use an O/D and engine alignment tool and readjust the whole engine/OD assembly. Now you are back on the water next spring with the O/D intact for a long time.

When my O/D would not go up with the trim switch but did with the trailer switch, I found a broken red wire in the shift lever assembly. The cover plate comes off easy for inspection. If you find a broken or frayed wire, pull the male connecting pin out of the coupling and clean out the wire end of the male connector so you can resolder the wire to it. I couldn't find a new pin anywhere. Use flux and a freshly stripped wire end (3/16") and tin the stripped wire first. Then solder it to the pin; if you don't it will fail again.

Note: I also slipped some shrink tubing (1 inch) on the wire and slid it back as far as I could before I resoldered the wire. AFTER the soldered wire/tip is cool, slide the tubing just over the edge of the pin head (1/8") but not onto the pin portion that makes contact with the coupler and heat it to shrink it tightly. This extra step will stiffen the connection to prevent the wire breaking agan.

Carefully put the wires back into the shift arm and add a little white lithium grease to the wires where they enter the shifter since this is a prime chafing point."

"1998 Alpha I tilt/trim Diffic

"1998 Alpha I tilt/trim Difficulties
Appreciate the info Guy. But my boat has only 92 hours. It's not a boat that I use often but more as a cottage/docker. Taking the out drive off is drasatic....because re-alignment means a good mechanic which in the marine industry is rare to find. Since the bare wire I found is next to the port switch (trim) I was hoping to either solder it and cover with two shrink tubes. But my thinking is that the wire going inside the switch may also be frayed or corroded. I believe this witch is sealed. So I need to replace it(switch) with a new one. Cut both wires, re-attach and double tube shrink both after soldering. I know one guy that's done it and it's been good for three years. If this was your boat, with 92 hours on it....would you proceed as you first stated? J
John"

"John:
You make a valid poi

"John:
You make a valid point and I would be reluctant as you are at this point since it is only used a few hours each year. I would not remove the out drive based on its limited use and the great care I had given it over the last 8+ years.

Now look at it from a point of preventive maintenance. You have a failed component that you plan to repair so that it will be sufficient to keep it running for an unknown period of time but expect it to last a few years. Done properly it may last another 8 years.

Now let us consider the mfgrs' recommended P.M. schedule. Other than engine oil and oil and fuel filter changes, you have gotten by very well without any large expense. The mfgr wants the drive removed and serviced annually under normal use and recommend replacing the water impeller annually under the same conditions. Again, I would probably do the same as you. It is not used alot and doesn't need the same schedule as other boats. Besides, I want to repair what I can and keep my costs to a minimum.

A little parody: Just as we are strong and invincable in our youth, we eventually begin to wear as we age. We no longer have the same durability as before since we have taken it easy over the past decade and look and feel good. But, one day the boys come home, pull your warm blanket off and get you off of the couch. They are convinced that you can get up and run with them because you look good and have not been overused. You take off running with them and keep up just fine when all of a sudden the left knee doesn't feel right but you ignore it and keep on chugging with them when your side starts to ache but you know you are okay; heck, I'm still strong! You keep going and the boys yell come on, one more lap, so you continue with the knee and side discomfort a little longer and you start to slow down, can't get your breath, and feel like something is sitting on your chest--you pause, get your breath and take off only to fall flat on your face--engine water circulating pump gave out with only 93 hours on it. But it shouldn' have quit with just 93 hours.

Damage assessment from overheated engine: warped heads, scored pistons and cracked rings and melted crank bearings. Further examnination reveals the bellows cracked when the outdrive was raised and lowered after dry rotting over the years, allowing water to enter the stern; on its way to the stern it saturates the u-joints spinning at 3,000 RPMs and water gets sprayed onto the gimbal bearing, causing it to overheat and seize in the mounting bracket; oh! the reason the engine overheated was the water pickup hose also cracked from dry rot and was not able to provide enough water to cool the engine along with a chunk of the rubber impeller jammed in the O/D water pump housing which quit pumping water to the hose--I was having so much fun that I didn't even notice the gauges since it was still practically a new boat--then the engine alarms went off. Crap! I'm 10 miles from shore and nobody knows I'm out here since I new I'd be right back I didn't tell anyone where I was headed. Fog is setting in on me, no food
or refreshments, it's beginning to rain and the temperature is falling--is that sleet falling? Why is the stern getting lower in the water? I put the plug in! Darn, I meant to get that bilge pump replaced last summer. Where is the flare pack? Expired? What the ... Can anybody hear me? Why did the lights go out? I better get to the bow. Help! Can anybody hear me? No signal on the darn cell phone. I should have bought that ship to shore radio for $200. What's the water temp? Feels like 60 - 70 deg. I'll be okay.

Man, it was cold last night! Oh, there's the Warden--hey; over here! He didn't hear me. I said, over here! Honey! Why are you crying? You found me! Warden Smith; can you give me a few minutes alone with John? Before you put his body in that bag? John! Why did you do this to me? How am I going to tell the kids? Well, one thing for sure, you saved enough money for your funeral.

Rubber dry rots over time & lubricants dry out and stiffen over time. I have a known failed switch and have never had the O/D serviced--I am going to find a competent mechcanic this winter and have the boat gone over and perform the annual P.M. the mfgr. recommends at least once now since there is a part failure that has not caused any other damage. I guess I can afford the repair and P.M. cost since I saved $350 a year for the past 7 years. That equals $2,450, the cost of an outdrive. I'm well ahead of the game. I can do the recommended P.M. and repair now and get 8 more years out of the boat before I sell it and save the cost of the recommended annual P.M. of $450 a year--inflation. That equals $3,600, the cost of an engine.

Choose! But choose wisely. There is no second chance."

Hi Guy. Good points. You sure

Hi Guy. Good points. You sure you don't work as a marine mechanic for Merc Marine? If you don't then you really should take up writing novels... LOL. Very dramatic. Thanks for the input I'll keep your logic in my mind.

"John: sorry for the novel; T

"John: sorry for the novel; Three recent needless deaths locally; two due to a lack of PM performed and stupidity--two men I knew tied their small boat to the dam pier on the OHIO River two years ago; had done it before to catfish--it took on some water, bilge failed and engine wouldn't start and then capsized--both were sucked thru the locks.

A local boat dealer's 21 year old son put a new cuddy cabin boat on the Miami River during flood stage at the buyer's request to see how it ran. No safety equipment on board, engine stalled, drifted a 1/2 mile, buyer swam to shore at the last minute, boy stayed with the boat as it went over the low level dam at high water and was thrown out--drowned needlessly; just needed to go below deck since the boat rolled and righted itself but remained in the boil. I knew those three men.

Two more young men went over the same dam just before the last one; due to engine failure in high water conditions. Both drowned with life jackets on.

Some times words just start flowing like water from a hose. No, I don't work for Merc.; I own a 19 foot one that I just completely refurbed this past 8 months from the F'glass hull up. All new wood, carpet, bilge and blower, fuel pump, carb, alternator, water pump (engine) and hoses and belts, all new wiring harnesses and fuse block with breakers, gauges, switches, added new lighting (had only bow and stern) Did it all as a novice except for the engine removal and transom rebuild. Had the outdrive done the year before.
Plan on retiring in Jan. 07 at 55 and may take some repair classes for myself. I did experience the flooding and outdrive and engine coupler damage from engine out of alignment, and from a cracked bellows and had a gimbal bearing rust from lack of lube--did not know how and said so what. Also experienced the impeller breaking down on the lake and engine failure 6 miles from the dock--bad carb--trolled for two hours to get back after dark and did not know the lake. Safe boating to all."