19' Sorrento, OMC i/o, outdrive tilt/trim starting to fail

[jroach]

I noticed the last few times where I left the outdrive up...come back a few days later and its all the way down. I don't see any leaks so I'm thinking that it might be the pump assembly. I searched for a pump I was wondering if there is a newer version that could be used. Any thoughts on the pump or problem determination would be appreciated.

 

[Mark.60]

You can take the lift cylinder out of the system, connect the lines together with a pressure gage. Run the pump to a set pressure and let it sit. Check to see if pressure drops

 

[jroach]

Mark.60,
Thanks. Great idea but unfortunatelyI don't have a pressure gauge. If the outdrive is dropping slowly, and not leaking out then would it be the cylinders? Also, I'm wondering...how long will an outdrive stay up (on land) normally? Maybe I don't have a problem.

 

[Timeflys]

I always thought the OMC drives (70/80s vintage) had an electric motor to power a rack and pinion type set up to tilt the drive.

 

[Soulshine]

That’s true of the older Stringer drives, but it seems like he’s got a Cobra drive which should stay in the up position indefinitely if everything’s OK.

There may be an internal leak in the pump’s valve body.

The cylinders can have by pass leaks in them too but they’d both have to be bad for it to drop over time.

One never knows when in OMC territory.

 

[jroach]

Am I trying to hard to keep the OMC alive? Should I switch to a newer engine/outdrive and if so, are they plug/play with the holes in the hull?

 

[Soulshine]

I have lots of experience with Cobra drives. Some great design features, some troublesome.

When they work, they’re fine but are hyper sensitive to shift cable condition and adjustment.

Get a good manual or find someone who understands them and see how it goes.

Shift cable replacement is a more regular part of maintenance than it should be and I can’t stress enough the importance of using the setup tools designed for this.

Poke around online. There’s no shortage of info. Parts can be another thing.

I’ll never own one again but SEI makes a conversion kit to install Mercruiser Alpha drives in their place, but it’s not cheap.

Lotza luck.

 

[jroach]

Soulshine, as far as I can remember I've never replaced the shift cable... should I replace it anyway or is there something I should inspect (fray or ???)

 

[Soulshine]

That surprises me.

A good indicator of trouble is balky shifting accompanied by a ratcheting sound. If/when minor adjustments don’t solve the problem it’s time to do the lower cable.

Also the bell crank mechanism at the end of the cable is sensitive to free movement and position, hence my mention of the set up tools.

Many people just deal with it and that leads to gear failure pretty quickly.

There are things I loved about them. Easiest raw water pump service out there and the dipstick in the top of the drive to check fluid level and condition is a plus.

Stay on top of it and learn its quirks and you’ll be fine.

That said, nobody with experience with them goes back for more voluntarily.