NXT/SSM6 trim hydraulic line change?
09-01-2012, 11:10 AM
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NXT/SSM6 trim hydraulic line change?
Trying to confirm my suspicion on how much I'll have to dig into the drive to change a trim cylinder's hydraulic line:
42 Fountain with 700SCI/ITS/NXT/SSM6's, the starboard trim cylinder's rear braided line has a leak at low end near the cylinder, NOT threads/fitting; but seems like the hose-to-metal-tube junction may have slight fracture (drip-drip leak there).
QUESTION:
Can I change that braided hose with flare wrenches somehow WITHOUT dropping the whole outdrive off the back end?
OR, must the drive come off to get at it, and route the hose?
You know what I think
Thanks...how much of a pain is it getting that off? I hear they steal them in minutes
42 Fountain with 700SCI/ITS/NXT/SSM6's, the starboard trim cylinder's rear braided line has a leak at low end near the cylinder, NOT threads/fitting; but seems like the hose-to-metal-tube junction may have slight fracture (drip-drip leak there).
QUESTION:
Can I change that braided hose with flare wrenches somehow WITHOUT dropping the whole outdrive off the back end?
OR, must the drive come off to get at it, and route the hose?
You know what I think
Thanks...how much of a pain is it getting that off? I hear they steal them in minutes
10-04-2012, 07:45 PM
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UPDATE: Well no answers to my query so...here's
"Episode 1 of 2007 Fountain 42 Lightning 700SCi Repair/Maintenance Procedures, by a Real Person":
YES, I DID change the trim ram hydraulic line on the starboard outdrive without removing the whole drive (as I had been told by Mercury and a shop I would have to).
-------------------
Mercury Racing NXT1/SSM6 Trim Ram Hydraulic Braided Hose Replacement, (Without Removing Drive or Much Dissasembly!):
1) Turn helm full left turn (drives to LEFT as looking at back of boat); trim full down.
2) Remove the 2 Phillips head screws and the backing nuts from the mechanical trim indicator sender's cable holder strap on the right side of the drive.
Remove the trim cable clevis's end nut and take clevis off its shaft, freeing up the cable so you can get the Outdrive Cover off. Mine had a hex nut on inside I couldn't get at so I grabbed its knurled round head with a toothed wrench/pliers.
3) Remove the big plastic Outdrive Cover that fits over the drive as it comes out from the transom; it unbolts with 4 x 14mm head bolts way down on the bottom edges, 2 to a side. There is a long rubber gasket that's supposed to be on the inner edge of the cover; mine was free and I figured it's supposed to be ON that edge.
4) Loosening and Removing the hydraulic line from the drive:
The line travels downward along with two other hydraulic lines, and the electric wires from the trim indicator that join up midway; remove the zip ties to free the line you're removing.
See the hydraulic line to the trim ram; it uses 3/8" flare fittings on both ends. Loosen the bottom one and drain the fluid into a container.
The lower flare fitting on the trim ram is hidden such that a std flare wrench will not get onto it without dropping the trim ram, at least its rear crossbolt. I didn't want to do that to minimize effort-hassle (I imagine you'd have to use a jack under the skeg to keep the drive from flopping down; or if you were removing the "pushing up" hydraulic hose instead of the one I was doing that "pushes it downward").
I was able to remove the lower flare fitting with a STANDARD 3/8 open end wrench, put at an angle "upward" off the fitting along the hardline, and applying force carefully, using an adjustable open ended wrench to hold the end of the 3/8 wrench so I could torque it adequately to free it up.
You can get at it from the side and from "inside" on top of the trim ram, at certain angles. Not easy but do-able.
Be careful not to overdo it as you could round off the flare nut if it's too tight...mine was not, fortunately.
You can get the upper flare nut fitting off with either 3/8 flare wrench or standard wrench; getting this one off is easy.
Remove the line from the drive, remember its routing/positioning.
5) Take new line out of Mercury plastic; put it into place, routed properly!
Mercury Part Number 32-846933, 23" hydraulic hose, $74 list, got for $52 discounted.
Make sure you have the proper 23" long braided hose that matches the one you've removed. Merc Racing guy WITH my engine serial number info, told me wrong one, a 15" he wanted me to buy; it IS the 23" long one). The Mercury Racing lady I talked to subsequently knew her stuff and apologized.
6) Screw the fittings on.
I suggest attaching the TOP fitting on transom block first, because with bottom one on the trim ram, I couldn't get proper angle with the stiff braided line to get the upper flare nut to thread into the block.
Tighten the fittings up (moderately, they are flares, need not be ultratight). Position the braided line at the top so the right angle hardline keeps the line AWAY from the rubber tube below it that it could rub against, if you let it flop down too far.
7) Re-Ziptie the lines and the ELECTRICAL trim wires together.
8) Refill the hydraulic reservoir with appropriate trim fluid. Some Mercury fluid is CLEAR and is for trim OR steering, some is RED and says "Steering Only, Don't Mix With Trim Fluid".
9) Run the drive trims up and down a few times, and check for any drips/leaks/problems. If you find one, fix it NOW before reassembling the rest of the job.
10) Reinstall the plastic Outdrive Cover with its gasket on inner edge. I used Permatex iniside the "U" of that gasket to keep it attached, as it simply fell off and wouldn't hold on otherwise.
11) Reassemble the MECHANICAL trim sender; make sure you position the slight INDENT in the 2-bolt strap holder on the INDENT in the cable's metal collar, so it is positioned at the right place. I greased the shaft and moved it to get grease up in there a little ways.
12) If your dashboard's mechanical drive trim indicators are annoyingly uneven, you can adjust this by screwing that end clevis up or down, til the dash indicator reads as you want it to/the same as the other engine's.
NOW, go enjoy your boat! And as always, Have a Nice Day
"Episode 1 of 2007 Fountain 42 Lightning 700SCi Repair/Maintenance Procedures, by a Real Person":
YES, I DID change the trim ram hydraulic line on the starboard outdrive without removing the whole drive (as I had been told by Mercury and a shop I would have to).
-------------------
Mercury Racing NXT1/SSM6 Trim Ram Hydraulic Braided Hose Replacement, (Without Removing Drive or Much Dissasembly!):
1) Turn helm full left turn (drives to LEFT as looking at back of boat); trim full down.
2) Remove the 2 Phillips head screws and the backing nuts from the mechanical trim indicator sender's cable holder strap on the right side of the drive.
Remove the trim cable clevis's end nut and take clevis off its shaft, freeing up the cable so you can get the Outdrive Cover off. Mine had a hex nut on inside I couldn't get at so I grabbed its knurled round head with a toothed wrench/pliers.
3) Remove the big plastic Outdrive Cover that fits over the drive as it comes out from the transom; it unbolts with 4 x 14mm head bolts way down on the bottom edges, 2 to a side. There is a long rubber gasket that's supposed to be on the inner edge of the cover; mine was free and I figured it's supposed to be ON that edge.
4) Loosening and Removing the hydraulic line from the drive:
The line travels downward along with two other hydraulic lines, and the electric wires from the trim indicator that join up midway; remove the zip ties to free the line you're removing.
See the hydraulic line to the trim ram; it uses 3/8" flare fittings on both ends. Loosen the bottom one and drain the fluid into a container.
The lower flare fitting on the trim ram is hidden such that a std flare wrench will not get onto it without dropping the trim ram, at least its rear crossbolt. I didn't want to do that to minimize effort-hassle (I imagine you'd have to use a jack under the skeg to keep the drive from flopping down; or if you were removing the "pushing up" hydraulic hose instead of the one I was doing that "pushes it downward").
I was able to remove the lower flare fitting with a STANDARD 3/8 open end wrench, put at an angle "upward" off the fitting along the hardline, and applying force carefully, using an adjustable open ended wrench to hold the end of the 3/8 wrench so I could torque it adequately to free it up.
You can get at it from the side and from "inside" on top of the trim ram, at certain angles. Not easy but do-able.
Be careful not to overdo it as you could round off the flare nut if it's too tight...mine was not, fortunately.
You can get the upper flare nut fitting off with either 3/8 flare wrench or standard wrench; getting this one off is easy.
Remove the line from the drive, remember its routing/positioning.
5) Take new line out of Mercury plastic; put it into place, routed properly!
Mercury Part Number 32-846933, 23" hydraulic hose, $74 list, got for $52 discounted.
Make sure you have the proper 23" long braided hose that matches the one you've removed. Merc Racing guy WITH my engine serial number info, told me wrong one, a 15" he wanted me to buy; it IS the 23" long one). The Mercury Racing lady I talked to subsequently knew her stuff and apologized.
6) Screw the fittings on.
I suggest attaching the TOP fitting on transom block first, because with bottom one on the trim ram, I couldn't get proper angle with the stiff braided line to get the upper flare nut to thread into the block.
Tighten the fittings up (moderately, they are flares, need not be ultratight). Position the braided line at the top so the right angle hardline keeps the line AWAY from the rubber tube below it that it could rub against, if you let it flop down too far.
7) Re-Ziptie the lines and the ELECTRICAL trim wires together.
8) Refill the hydraulic reservoir with appropriate trim fluid. Some Mercury fluid is CLEAR and is for trim OR steering, some is RED and says "Steering Only, Don't Mix With Trim Fluid".
9) Run the drive trims up and down a few times, and check for any drips/leaks/problems. If you find one, fix it NOW before reassembling the rest of the job.
10) Reinstall the plastic Outdrive Cover with its gasket on inner edge. I used Permatex iniside the "U" of that gasket to keep it attached, as it simply fell off and wouldn't hold on otherwise.
11) Reassemble the MECHANICAL trim sender; make sure you position the slight INDENT in the 2-bolt strap holder on the INDENT in the cable's metal collar, so it is positioned at the right place. I greased the shaft and moved it to get grease up in there a little ways.
12) If your dashboard's mechanical drive trim indicators are annoyingly uneven, you can adjust this by screwing that end clevis up or down, til the dash indicator reads as you want it to/the same as the other engine's.
NOW, go enjoy your boat! And as always, Have a Nice Day
Last edited by xwing; 10-04-2012 at 10:23 PM.
