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2002 Honda BF 130, how to check power trim fluid level?

Cohiba

New member
My power trim/tilt squeals sometimes. It seems like there could be some air in the system or the fluid is low. I can't find any info about servicing the trim system in the owners manual. There must be a filler plug somewhere. What type of fluid?
 
Yes, it is amazing to me that Honda offers NOTHING about checking the trim/tilt fluid in their owner's manuals. I'm guessing they made a corporate decision that the trim/tilt units are "no user serviceable components inside"...including the fluid! Pretty ridiculous in my mind.

Anyway, back to your question.

They do list the "manual" tilt valve and instruction on how to use it in most of the manuals I've seen so you should have that information if you have the owner's manual. If you need to download a free one, go to:

http://marine.honda.com/owners/manuals

And select your specific outboard.

Right next to the manual tilt valve, will be another slot headed plug. That is the fill/check plug for the tilt hydraulic fluid. You are supposed to check the fluid level with all the cylinders collapsed. This can sometimes be difficult depending on the transom of your boat and if you have any accessories in the way like swim steps or trim tabs. Also, you will need to rig a device to add fluid if needed because it has to go into the hole horizontally.

Yes, you are probably correct that you have low fluid or air in the system. The problem here is that you need ask yourself "where did the fluid go?" or, "how did air get in there?". Because these units don't "use fluid" and are supposed to be water tight but they will leak.

As far as what to put in there, it's going to depend on the year the outboard was manufactured. But, generally you may use either a clear, light, universal hydraulic fluid or ATF. Dexron or Mercon is a good choice as well as 10w20wt tractor hydraulic oil. Both are sold at Pep Boys or Auto Zone or No Ability No Assistance (NAPA). Know way? NO HOW! (IMHO).

The trick is to approximate what ever is already in there. It is not a good practice to mix the two types of fluid although it can be done in an emergency. Rule of thumb is; clear fluid came out, hydraulic oil...red fluid...Dexron II, III, or IV. I would avoid using Dexron V for the time being as it is supposed to be a more exotic formula than it's predecessors but I'm guessing it will work too in a pinch.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the reply! There seems to be no visible signs of leakage. After nearly ten years of use and never having been checked (to my knowledge), I suppose being a little low isn't too surprising. May be some leaks past the seals and is washed away by water... Another concern would be if water has leaked in. Is there a way to drain the reservoir completely and refill with new fluid?
 
The only way to completely empty the unit that I'm aware of is to take it off the boat and drain it. If you were to do that, then you might as well put new seals in. Also, if you have used it a great deal over the 10 years, it would be wise to put a brush and seal kit in the motor. However, most folks just aren't prepared to do this kind of work and even though I'm fairly comfortable working on the smaller ones, I have found a hydraulic shop that I contract the work to. They just do it quicker, cheaper and, in most cases, better than me. This saves my customers money and me time which is increasingly more valuable to me. However, this is a pretty unique and local relationship we have. Not that easy to do for most boat owners OR mechanics either.

No, the best you can hope for a quick and easy fix is to carefully free up the manual valve if it is stuck and then free up the fill cap in the same manner. I use an impact driver with custom fitting slot bits that I make myself so as not to "booger" up the slot. There is another guy on this forum that has recently had problems with this and you can get backed into a corner if you mess these slots up.

Once you are "in control", you can then back the manual valve off or even take it out. But, you might think twice about taking it all the way out as there are seals and a spring in there. Just back the manual valve out so that you can tilt the motor up and down manually and then, with the motor all the way down, remove the filler cap and catch the fluid in a clean container. You will probably need help raising and lowering the 130 manually. Then, manually tilt the motor up and back down to try and work as much fluid out of the fill hole as is possible. Parking the boat sideways on an incline might help a bit here to get the max out. Then, you can inspect the old fluid and make a determination as to how much contamination might be in there. If it looks acceptable, just refill with a like fluid. I'm guessing that in your 2002 the fluid will be clear.

Lift with your legs and
Good luck!
 
Yes, it is amazing to me that Honda offers NOTHING about checking the trim/tilt fluid in their owner's manuals. I'm guessing they made a corporate decision that the trim/tilt units are "no user serviceable components inside"...including the fluid! Pretty ridiculous in my mind.

Anyway, back to your question.

They do list the "manual" tilt valve and instruction on how to use it in most of the manuals I've seen so you should have that information if you have the owner's manual. If you need to download a free one, go to:

http://marine.honda.com/owners/manuals

And select your specific outboard.

Right next to the manual tilt valve, will be another slot headed plug. That is the fill/check plug for the tilt hydraulic fluid. You are supposed to check the fluid level with all the cylinders collapsed
. This can sometimes be difficult depending on the transom of your boat and if you have any accessories in the way like swim steps or trim tabs. Also, you will need to rig a device to add fluid if needed because it has to go into the hole horizontally.

Yes, you are probably correct that you have low fluid or air in the system. The problem here is that you need ask yourself "where did the fluid go?" or, "how did air get in there?". Because these units don't "use fluid" and are supposed to be water tight but they will leak.

As far as what to put in there, it's going to depend on the year the outboard was manufactured. But, generally you may use either a clear, light, universal hydraulic fluid or ATF. Dexron or Mercon is a good choice as well as 10w20wt tractor hydraulic oil. Both are sold at Pep Boys or Auto Zone or No Ability No Assistance (NAPA). Know way? NO HOW! (IMHO).

The trick is to approximate what ever is already in there. It is not a good practice to mix the two types of fluid although it can be done in an emergency. Rule of thumb is; clear fluid came out, hydraulic oil...red fluid...Dexron II, III, or IV. I would avoid using Dexron V for the time being as it is supposed to be a more exotic formula than it's predecessors but I'm guessing it will work too in a pinch.

Good luck.

Some good advice from JGMO, but I think he has his models mixed up. The BF130 P/tilt oil level plug is the plastic plug on the rear of the reservoir, and the oil level is checked with the leg raised fully e.g. the rams fully extended.
Bob
 
Man! I blew that one! Thanks for pointing that out Bob. Once again, I was trying to be helpful but was WAAAAY OFF! I hope you're watching Cohiba. All the stuff about the filler cap being next to the manual tilt valve is wrong on my part. Yours has the reservoir on the starboard side and should be much easier to check and fill. I don't have the manual for this outboard so I guess I should have just let someone else answer. I hope I didn't completely confuse you and you have my sincerest apology.
jimmyd
 
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