DF-175 not holding trim

[Vucelick]

I noticed that my DF-175 will slowly bleed down. There does not appear to be any external leaks, the tilt appears to function normally except for the slow bleed down. It will slowly tilt down until it is on the stops. When going up the river under power it will slowly tilt down as well. An entire new unit is very expensive, they appear to be re-buildable, does anyone know of a good re-builder, or has anyone rebuilt one themselves?

[Harper]

Have you tried bleeding the system? What you're experiencing is often caused by air in the system. Make sure your reservoir is full. If you are not familiar with how to check the fluid level or how to bleed the system, let us know, and we'll give you the instructions.

[Vucelick]

I cycled the motor up and down a few times, then loosened what i thought was the bleeder screw on the top of the cylinder and got nothing but fluid out and quickly tightened it. Any bleed/level check advice would be appreciated.

[Harper]

To check the oil level, raise the engine to full tilt level, and engage the manual tilt lock lever. Remove the oil filler plug and oil should be seen at the filler plug level. If low, top off with Dexron III auto xmsn fluid.

To bleed, first make sure the manual release valve (left side tilt bracket) is fully tightened, clockwise (manual calls for 2.6 ft lbs). First, fill the reservoir as above. Operate the PTT switch to raise and lower the motor 4-5 times, from full tilt to full down. Raise motor to full tilt and check fluid level again. Refill if low. If you had to refill again at this point, then you had air in the system.

If you still have the problem, then assume there's a more serious issue. How old is the motor? Let us know how it goes.

[Vucelick]

The motor is a 2006. So the knurled knob is the fill/level check? It seems like it would be difficult to add fluid to that small opening, fluid comes out slowly, so I assume it is at the correct level?

[Harper]

Yes, the cap is a little less than 1" in diameter, about ¾" high. You're right about it being a small opening. Almost have to use a small squirt bottle or something similar.

[Vucelick]

followed the procedure exactly as you described, a bit of air came out. The fluid level is right at the level where it barely trickles out. I cycled it several times and bled it again, no air this time. I cycled it again and left it in the up position. It fully tilted down under its own weight over about 10 minutes. I assume that means some kind of internal blow-by?

[Harper]

Yes, it's sounds like a seal, or more likely a stuck or malfunctioning shuttle valve or check valve. I would first eliminate any possibility of a leak bypassing fluid at the manual release valve. Open the valve two turns CCW and raise and lower the motor a time or two manually (requires muscles, or if you're close to my age, brains ) and then close the valve and see if it still drops. I think it's probably unlikely that this is the problem, but only suggest it because it is an easy check and costs nothing.

Parts for the PTT pump that you would use in a rebuild shouldn't be too expensive if you choose to do it yourself, but if you do intend to fix it yourself, it is almost imperative that you first purchase a Suzuki service manual for your motor.

I will tell you this much concerning doing the job yourself. It is not necessary to remove the motor to remove the PTT assembly, but you will need a way of holding the motor in the full tilt position while the PTT unit is removed.

[Vucelick]

The removal looks straight forward. The interior of the cylinder might not be. Does brownspoint have a "rebuild kit"?

[Harper]

No one makes a kit that I know of. You can buy the individual O-rings and seals. I think there's also a filter block. That should be all you need to rebuild the actuator. If a valve is leaking, it would be due to some foreign particle preventing it from completely closing, and should seal fine after being cleaned and flushed. You might consider removing the assembly and taking it to a dealer for the work. The cost might be reasonable, at least in comparison to just dropping off the boat and having them R&R the PTT assembly.

[Vucelick]

It was the manual trim valve, I tightened it a small amount, it has been trimmed up for several hours and has not moved. Thanks for all the assistance.

[Harper]

Oh, hey!! Great news! I'm glad that's all it was. Thanks for the feedback.