Help needed Tohatsu 40hp Trim/Tilt

[cormorant]

If it doesn't have it put a earth cable from engine to tilt trim. Should slow it down acting as a annode. A lot of smaller motors don't bother with this as they don't expect their motors to be on moored boats. Check the electrial conductivity once you have it connected. Check there wasn't an extra annode that has completely cone from the motor mount bracket

Use a isolating paste ( like duralac) when you put the bungs in and that will slow corrosion between dissimilar metals as well and the best is a acid wasn , bead blast and a complete fresh coating of paint while you have it off. good coating of paint is the best for stopping corrosion and you can buy the ones they use as a primer on the underside of moored aluminium hull before they put antifoul on it will give real good protection. Good for engine brackets on moored boats as well.


Not too much heat with the removal as seals aren't real tolerant and shaft will conduct well and there may be nylon spacers in there bound up as well. Don't bur the end of the pin and make sure they haven't used circlips on both inside and outside of mounting bracket - they are hard to see.

Only use OMC or quality marine grease putting pins back as the other stufff gunks up and weldsstuff in as it goes solid.

Lots of other tricks - see how you go as some had a bad rep for corrosion issues

Bleed the thing several times as well as it takes a while to get air out of them and they will foam the fuid up

Good luck.

[tigermullet]

Thanks Cormorant. Strangely enough I was wondering about the corrosion on the lower part of the trim/tilt and, on the way home from delivering the unit for repair, was thinking about putting a bonding strap on the trim/tilt. Now, after reading your post, the bonding strap will definitely be attached

The anode on the lowest part of the bracket seems ok.

Fortunately we didn't come across circlips - hadn't even considered checking for those.

It was also a matter of luck that we used just enough heat and didn't melt the nylon spacers.

Bleeding is still a mystery but I hope to get a few tips from the mechanic on how to do it properly. I don't know if bleeding can be done as part of the repair and service seeing as the unit is off the engine.

Your points on painting, corrosion resistance etc., will also be done.

Great advice! Thanks again.

[tigermullet]

So much for counting my chickens...

Just got word back from the repairer. Drill and tap didn't work because the metal kept crumbling. A desperate attempt at welding was no go either. Too much corrosion as well as being infiltrated by the hydraulic fluid.

The cheap option disappeared but, at least, it's fixed by the purchase of a second hand hydraulic unit and using our old trim/tilt motor. I owe him $650. Ouch.