Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

I have 4 in my boat, two for drives, two for K-planes.

I have one on the SB drive that is acting up, and does not have enough downward pressure to lower the drive unless the boat is off plane. When I shift from forward to reverse, the drive moves about 1/2 a notch on the trim-indicator. (I know the indicator is fine.)

?: Are all the Keikaffer Trim Pumps the same?

I have the boat in for service, but do not know if it will be done in time for the Richmond Poker Run (in two weeks) which is 200+ miles.

Can I just swap the problematic trim pump to a K-plane supplying position, and a good trim pump to a drive? (Just for a temporary fix, since I hardly ever move the tabs.) I was comparing the pumps side by side, and the one on the trim pump has what looks to be a small SS plug with a hex-key allen wrench insert into a small plastic hole on top of the pump body. What is this for? Do I need to move this to the trim tab pump once I swap them?

Next ?:
What do you think is wrong with my pump? I am fairly sure it is the pump. There is no leakage, no sheen behind the boat. I have bled the system (self bleeding system, so up-down 10 times as instructed by the mechanic), there is no milk-shake or indication of water in the trim-pump reservoir, and I am not gaining or losing fluid. Is the pump bad? Is there a valve body in the pump which is the problem?

I am considering just buying a whole new pump, and having this one repaired for a spare or sale. Do these things fail on a regular basis? 200 hours on boat. 37 Active Thunder, Bravo1 XZ drives, 280s K-Planes just swapped to 380s.

Thanks in advance!

Lmarth

Sydwayze-Check your PM's for the name of someone you can PM to provide help. If you look at the Merc manual, you'll see that the Prestolite,Oildyne, Kiekhaefer pumps all operate at different up/down pressures. Are all Kiekhaefers the same? I don't know. The trim pumps with the black metal resevoir with the notch at the very top of the cap for the solenoid bracket will be either Oildyne p/n 818161A4 or Kiekhaefer p/n 846859A1. Both have the black plastic dipstick half way down the pump assembly. I don't recognize the screw you're referring to unless someone replaced the dipstick with a piece of hardware. By the way, the dipstick has a groove in its side to vent the resevoir. Merc says tighten it and back it out 1 1/2 turns. This can be a complex issue. Just went through it with one of my trim pumps and SSM's. Running the drive up/down won't always get the air out. You may have to crack the lines and bleed where they attach to the hydraulic ram next to the Gimbal ring. A quick check to see if you have air is to run the drive all the way up and then try to manually force it down. If it moves more than 1/8", you've got air.If not air, it could be the shuttle valve has debris on it or the internal pump itself. Parts are available to repair it. Try to see the Merc manual to give you more info. I'm purposely being brief here due to the complexity. It sounds like the solenoid is engaging, but I can't be sure from your description. I'm just trying to get you started here until the endless resources of OSO kick in.

Crazyhorse

To answer your question, yes you can swap one pump for another to troubleshoot the problem.

Gary Anderson

Swap the pumps.
Just note there's a high and low pressure side so be sure to get that correct.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

Thanks everyone, especially Lmarth. I talked to the mechanic today. We are going to swap and test this weekend. I will get in touch with the rebuild guy soon if this does not look to be a warranty issue.