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Trim pump reservoir milky

johnny44johnny44 Confirm Email, Member Posts: 93 ✭✭
in General Boating Discussions
I noticed that my trim reservoir on my port engine was low last year. When it was winterized in the yard, the mechanic said that the fitting on the drive was loose (he tightened the fitting and added fluid to the reservoir). 

Fast forward to last weekend when I was going through the boat and commissioning the systems after it was splashed for the spring. I raised and lowered the drives - noticed that the port engine reservoir was a little bit low again. Raised and lowered it one more time and noticed that the fluid in the reservoir was milky. Drained the reservoir, added new fluid and tried it again. The fluid is a little milky again. 

I'd hate to have to pull the boat out. Can I just keep draining the reservoir and adding new fluid when needed? I really don't need to use the engine trim often (if at all) as I can use the trim tabs as needed.
2008 350 EC -- Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island
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    aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 8,838 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If it’s not pulling in water now, yes, just drain and keep flushing with clean fluid.
    2008 330EC
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    aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 8,838 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It might have burped some air and that’s why it went down again.
    2008 330EC
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    johnny44johnny44 Confirm Email, Member Posts: 93 ✭✭
    It's milky, so I am guessing it is pulling in water.
    2008 350 EC -- Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,263 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes..water in the system and you have to clear the trim cylinders as well which I'd think hard in the water. I just went through it as one cylinder the seal blew out of do I replaced them and the lines at the cylinders, I had replaced the lines to the transom earlier...
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    rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,263 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2023
    Yes..sounds like for sure...it's going to be hard to clean it all out in the water- you have to purge the cylinders also..I have no clue on the life of that pump pushing water through it....
    .
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    YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 4,931 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Are you in salt or fresh water?
    2008 350 EC on Georgian Bay
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    johnny44johnny44 Confirm Email, Member Posts: 93 ✭✭
    Salt water. Any issues if I just clean it out as best I can and don’t use the trims for the season?
    2008 350 EC -- Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island
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    YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 4,931 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Chances are you need new lines to the trim pumps. I don't think not using them will help much, not to mention the boat won't perform well without trimming your drives.

    If it was me, I would do a short haul and replace them. They're not terribly expensive and relatively easy to replace. 5 months is a long time for the salt water to migrate through the system. A new non-OEM pump is $500+.
    2008 350 EC on Georgian Bay
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