Trim tab troubleshoot and replace
skennelly
Member Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭✭
Made it up to the boat storage to troubleshoot my starboard side trim tab that stopped working.
Thought I would explain what I went through and maybe help others in this position.
I started at the helm and removed the dash to gain access to the dash wiring. It's a mess back there so I had to trace back the trim tab wires coming from the stern.
Each tab wire has a black and white wire...positive and negative. My wires were bullet crimped to the trim tab control box so I snipped them free and exposed the wiring. Applying 12 volts to either wire causes a working actuator to either go reverse or forward.
From there I applied 12 volts to the wires to both side tabs. Port worked as desired. Starboard did nothing and confirmed the actuator was the problem.
Back to the stern of the boat to unscrew the actuator from the tab itself and the transom. I read that it might be possible to just remove the pins that keep the actuator in place, but I couldn't get them to budge in place. So I removed the complete assembly.
Snipped the power wire from the outside and removed what I could of the 5200 or 4200 whichever was used to seal the hole. Went to the inside of the boat and attempted to pull the old wire back through...but that was a no go.
I instead had to drill the old wire out, but no big deal.
When I got home I put the old actuator on my bench and opened it up. About a cub of water poured out of the motor housing...so I can understand why it went bad
.
New one is on order...hopefully it will go in as smooth as the old came out.
Thought I would explain what I went through and maybe help others in this position.
I started at the helm and removed the dash to gain access to the dash wiring. It's a mess back there so I had to trace back the trim tab wires coming from the stern.
Each tab wire has a black and white wire...positive and negative. My wires were bullet crimped to the trim tab control box so I snipped them free and exposed the wiring. Applying 12 volts to either wire causes a working actuator to either go reverse or forward.
From there I applied 12 volts to the wires to both side tabs. Port worked as desired. Starboard did nothing and confirmed the actuator was the problem.
Back to the stern of the boat to unscrew the actuator from the tab itself and the transom. I read that it might be possible to just remove the pins that keep the actuator in place, but I couldn't get them to budge in place. So I removed the complete assembly.
Snipped the power wire from the outside and removed what I could of the 5200 or 4200 whichever was used to seal the hole. Went to the inside of the boat and attempted to pull the old wire back through...but that was a no go.
I instead had to drill the old wire out, but no big deal.
When I got home I put the old actuator on my bench and opened it up. About a cub of water poured out of the motor housing...so I can understand why it went bad
.New one is on order...hopefully it will go in as smooth as the old came out.
2002 - 270FV Mag 350 B3
Comments
Regards,
Ian
The Third “B”
Secretary, Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club
https://www.rcyachtclub.com/
https://www.hodgesmarine.com/Lenco-12v-2-1-4-Stroke-Actuator-W-6-Wire-p/len15054-001.htm
The 92 is the rinker, shes has new switches, the rest is original. She sat in the brackash and has bottom coat on her tabs
The 89 needed new hoses when i accidently hit one with my grinder cutting out the old transom. The rest is original. Never had a bottom coat.
Both boats sat on trailers during winter from about November to April.