311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Well. After two weeks of almost daily use I've got my first issue. The engine hatch was working fine when I put her away on Sunday and today it won't lift. It's making a ratchet sound kind of like when it's all the way open but it doesn't move. I lifted it enough to reach in and pull the cross pin and I have it propped open with my gaf pole. Any ideas?

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Is broke .... :) .....if thats the worst problem you have ... I dont have a clue though ..sure the battery is not dead ? ...by the way .. if you put the pin up in the clotted part you can still lift the hatch ....

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Screw jack needs greased. Threads have dried up grease in them. You gotta take the jack out and do some minor surgery on the workbench to do it right.

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

The batteries are brand new deep cycles and the engines start fine so I don't think it's an electrical problem. I'll take a look at the slot and use it when I put things back together because it was a beach getting the pin out with the hatch only open a couple inches.

I think I must have ran the hatch too far down the last time I closed it and it ran off the end of the drive. Looks like I can get the jack out by removing the two screws holding it to the center stringer between the engines. (Some gymnastics required.) How about the wires - do I snip 'em or is there a plug somewhere?

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Don't know about the wires, probably easiest to just snip 'em and resplice/heat shrink back.

I never put my jack in the pinned position, I just use the slot. If you ever loose power you can't getit open if it's pinned.

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

It's jammed in th down postion. The ratchet sound you hear is a safety clutch slipping. Mine does it all the time. :(
You have to pull the lift machanism out, remove the screws holding the bottom cover on, remove the top screws that hold the outer cover over the screw jack, take a pair of large channel locks and grab the large gear at the base and turn the chrome sleeve to loosen it. Don't worry, the channel locks won't hurt the gear, it's harder than the plier jaws. Spin the sleeve to the top and generously grease the drive screw. Spin it up and down to distribute the grease then reassemble. Don't forget to grease the gears and bushings in the bottom gear box while it's open.
I may get jammed again. Mine does at least once a year. I've gotten good at tearing it apart and fixing it.

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Bob ...when you lower the hatch where do you stop ? I watch mine and and soon as the "lift" comes off the center ..( you can see it relax) I stop ...and I havent had any problems ...Keep in mind though a whopping 3 months !

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

I watch for the same thing, but every once in a while the wife or grandson will run it down till it clicks. Then it's too late.

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Iggy hit it right on the money. Being it was a new to me boat I didn't know how far down it would go. After the hatch was all the way down I just held on 'til I heard the ratchet. (What ever happened to limit switches ???) That was Sunday night and I didn't know I had just created a problem. When I tried to open it Monday - no luck.

Iggy - did you cut the wires so you could have quality time with the lift on the bench?

Re: 311 Engine Hatch Won't Lift
 

Yes, that's the only way to get it out.
What I'm going to do is solder in a trolling motor connector so I don't have to keep cutting and soldering the wires. The trolling motor connector is the only thing I could find that has the same gage wire as the hatch lift.


I've been working on a down limit switch diagram. It's a bit complicated right now because of the fact that you reverse polarity to change direction, no separate ground wire. Once I get it right I'll pass it along.