Stern Drive Control Panel -- 1969 Hydroswift Mercruiser Stern Drive.

I have a '69 Hydro swift with a Mercruiser Stern Drive. I was unable to raise the stern drive, but read comments here (http://www.marineengine.com/boat-for...-down-position) which led me to discover that the switches are bad. The panel has three buttons, which are sustained push button switches, one marked "Up," one marked "Up" and "Out" with a line between them and one marked "In." Between the top two it says "Trailer" and between the bottom two it says "Trim."

If I understand correctly -- pushing the "In" button lowers the stern drive and pushing a combination of the "Up/Out" button and "Up" button" raises the drive out of the water for trailering. After replacing the switches these work as expected.

If I have read correctly the Up/Out button pushed alone should do something, perhaps raise the drive to trim it for better acceleration, but as far as I can tell it does nothing. Since I have never had this boat in a running state, I don't know what the button might do.

It would be interesting for me to know what the button was intended to do, and how the buttons might work if the drive is in forward or reverse.

I would appreciate any insight into how this should work. Thanks in advance.

Shawn

probable because the limit switch is bad but using the top 2 buttons will raise it all the way and the bottom button will lower it. Forget trying to repair it, the switch is no longer available

Is the function of the center button necessary? It doesn't appear to be able to provide any control that the other two actions provide?

Well, I can't locate the "Limit switch" either in the boat or the drawings. The wire to the limit switch, purple if you will disappears into the back of the transom. Given the age of the boat and motor, assuming the limit switch doesn't work may not be a good bet. There are bad connections everywhere and corrosion of the electrical is as much an enemy as outright failure.

Can anyone direct me to the location of the limit switch, I'd like to try to prove it doesn't work?

Thanks.

look at the center of the gimbal all the way on top in the steering arm is where its at

Thanks Bt Doctur.

I am pretty sure I figured out where it is. 45942A1 1 TILT STOP SWITXH ASS’Y, GIMBAL RING ( POWER TRIM) ... Getting to that switch is a bigger fix than I am willing to commit to. It looks like some large part of the power train needs to move to get to it. I think it's going to stay like it is for a while.

Shawn