Electric Hatch Problem

PaulZ00

Just got our 2003 Rinker 290. Pushed the button to open the electric hatch.. it almost seemed stuck at first. Then it kind of clunked but finally raised.
In doing so, however, it cracked the plastic bracket at the bottom of the hydronic arm. 
My questions are:
1) Did I miss a step in opening the hatch?
2) Has anyone else had this problem?
3) How the heII do I open the hatch now. The hydronic arm won’t stay in place on the floor so it’s out of commission at the moment.
Thanks in advance for anyone’s input.

GMSLITHO

 I don’t think you did anything wrong you just push the button up or down ,So the hatch is closed but not connected to anything down below ? If that’s the case you should be able to  lift it if you have a few good friends 

Ian

If like the 310 of the same era, the handle inside the hatch drops into the drain lip and props the hatch open. I thought my ram (which is an electric jack screw not hydraulic) is all metal, that hatch is pretty heavy as @GMSLITHO inferred and plastic isn’t a good design. Maybe something has been changed on yours?

Black_Diamond

A plastic connector for that actuator would be odd. 

zaverin1

Do you want mike to swing by and fix it lol

zaverin1

Some boats have lockouts but not mechanical 
they always at the helm and cut power off to the lift switch.

PaulZ00

We managed to pry pry it open and fix the arm, but the only replacement parts we could find were the same nylon brackets that were there before. Just seems crazy to me that something that heavy is supported by plastic. I’ll have to look into other hydronic lift arms that are a little stable. Just seems really unsafe. 

PaulZ00

Mike, come out and have a beer with us! You can show us how to fold up the camper top. We tried to put it up yesterday before we went for a cruise and that thing has us all baffled.

Ian

Can you post photos, I am not sure of the parts, nothing on mine is plastic, it's all metal and needs to be for what I was told is a 400lb hatch (on mine anyway)

PaulZ00

I’ll take some photos when we get out next time. The guys at Mikes tell me that’s normal.
from what I’m reading on here, that’s not normal.
The nylon brackets are made by a company called Lenco. 

Willhound

Maybe a previous owner changed out the actuator and the replacement used a nylon mount? My mount is metal on my old 270 and my hatch is a lot lighter than yours.

Ian

Yeah, sounds like something else not factory as mine is not a Lenco. Here are a few photos of what mine looks like on 2003 310, the last is the mount on the stringer in the bilge where a pin goes through the hole in the bottom of the ram to hold in place

zaverin1

Ye has to be metal because you can’t rely on anything plastic or nylon.
You don’t want that thing falling on you!big floor hatches like this require dual rams that can probably lift the entire boat lol but none of the rams have a physical lockouts.
reason behind that is if you forget to pull the pin it will crack the hatch when closing 

zaverin1

I have so much going on but send me a text 248-819-88threefive
and show me how the canvas looks.
i will for sure stop by one of the days!

zaverin1

Paul it just hit me
yes like people said in this thread said its aftermarket and probably designed for a lighter hatch like dual panel offshore 

PaulZ00

Thanks for the pics. That helps. The arm is the same, the brackets are different.
It was very obviously an after market product that had been replaced as there were three different types of screws used and the wiring was spliced.
Does anyone know a specific part number of the correct actuator that should be there?
I don’t want to take any chances with anyone getting hurt.

reneechris14

@icoultha Thats a sweet engine bay

Ian

That’s not mine, that’s @zaverin1

zaverin1

Ye that’s my brothers in-laws sea ray