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Trim Fluid Changes

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sab

Regular Contributor
Lake 2004 350 Mag Outdrive trim motor/tank (w/ trailer & helm switches)

Is there anything wrong with my trim? No, and I don't want any, however, the trim tank hydraulic oil has got to be almost 20 years old, unless it was drained when the outdrive was rebuilt 5 years ago. Do they drain the trim tank for the Gimbal replacement?

Is there any problem replacing 4 or 5 turkey bulb amounts of oil each season, or is the pump going to lose it prime (positive displacement). Or is this a silly question and address the oil when the trim fails. (i.e. replacing bilge pump and the tank is staring at me.) Thanks
 
sab said:
Lake 2004 350 Mag Outdrive trim motor/tank (w/ trailer & helm switches)

Is there anything wrong with my trim? No, and I don't want any, however, the trim tank hydraulic oil has got to be almost 20 years old, unless it was drained when the outdrive was rebuilt 5 years ago. Do they drain the trim tank for the Gimbal replacement?

Is there any problem replacing 4 or 5 turkey bulb amounts of oil each season, or is the pump going to lose it prime (positive displacement). Or is this a silly question and address the oil when the trim fails. (i.e. replacing bilge pump and the tank is staring at me.) Thanks
Click to expand...

generallyi have rarely changed my trim fluid. For piece of mind every 6-7 years i suck out the reservoir with a turkey baster refill run it up and down a few times and repeat 2-3 times. Doing that you are basically changing the whole fluid contents. On my last two boats the trim system has been trouble free for 25 years and 18 years and counting…
 
If it really bothers you, the bottom comes off the pump and you can replace the filter screens and slosh out the black gunk in there.
You don't have to unhook the plumbing but def the electric connections including the ground so that you can access the fitting on the bottom. new yellow cap, filters and o rings available here from our sponsor.
 
Thanks for the posts. Ya it doesn't bother me its just the only thing I haven't addressed in the boat. If I lived in FL it wouldn't bother me at all because if it failed I get it fixed in a few weeks or a month and get the boat back in the water. Up north a few weeks or a month means the season is over or almost over, if you can find somebody. So the planning is a little different (head-off a possible problem). Also I see a lot of posts with trim problems. I guess I'll plan to do that filter work next fall. Thanks
 
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