drive is hard to go down?????
 

I have a 29 foot fountain fever with twin 454 mags. the question that i have is that the port side drive is hard to get to go down. when it finally does move it is slower than the starboard side. i read that the rams basically never go bad. is this true? should i try changing the fluid or replace the pump? maybe the switch is not working properly? to be a little more clear you can hear the pump running when you try to lower the drive but it just doesnt move. any trouble shooting help will be appreciated.

Has it always been this way?
If no - possible air in rams.
Does it stay up?

To isolate the problem swap the pumps. If their is still a problem with the port trim that rebuild the port trim rams.
If the problem goes to starb. then rebuild what was the port trim pump.

remove the 2 x4 holding them up :angry-smiley-038: just playing

Rams are simply double-acting hydraulic cylinders. They have a bore, a rod, a piston and a seal. Pretty simple, but the seals can have issues. I've seen them where they'll "roll" or bind in the piston groove. Not hard to fix. Pull the end off, pull the fittings. Try to work them manually. If one is tight, re-seal it.

Over time the end cap where the piston comes out of the ram corrodes and pinches the piston. Since the force in the "down" direction on the ram is not as strong as the up force from the hydraulic pump (don't ask me why), the first indication of the corrosion pinching the ram is the drive not going down as well. The rams need to be rebuilt.

BTW Lake Speed all my family is from Dallas, GA. Homer Cochran road is named after my great grandfather. Are we related???

Check drive alignment and drive centering wear pads.

Also, if you want to verify if the rams are the issue and not the pumps, put the bad actor rams on the other side and test. Switching the pumps is harder.

Pull the rams and replace the seals and or end caps & seals together. Don't waste time in changing pumps or ram from oneside to the other. Been there done that. 'Cause I work on them....