Trim Ram Sticking

[planetsix]

One of the rams on my trim mechanism is sticking -- so much so as to keep the motor from lowering into the water without going up and down up and down up and down until she breaks free. Is this just a matter of getting some silicone on the ram, or is this more than that? The other ram works fine and the hydraulic works OK, too. This engine's sister is same age and mounted at same time right next to her, and she works flawlessly.

[Ken]

Mitch,
Try raising the outboard all the way up with the power t/t - drop the locking lever for safety, and apply a marine grease to the entire length of the rams - just a thin film will do - I use Mobil 1 because of it's water resistance.
Also, make sure all grease fittings on the bracket and tilt tube are lubed.
If this doesn't fix the problem, then I would suspect a mechanical problem with the internals of the tilt ram itself.
Good luck [img]smile.gif[/img] ,
Ken K