Reply To: Mid-1970s 85 HP Johnson Remote Control Problem

[David Stanton]

Hey Fleetwin,

I finaly got around to looking more at the power tilt/trim problem – everything else is good to go now.  (Note I found the model number and verified it’s a 1979 – I guessed before at 1973-1977 based on finding models with the same remote control in exploded views online).

The separate IN/OUT switch had all three wires mixed up on the switch terminals so that’s why it would only energize the tilt motor in the down direction.  So after verifying wires and identifying terminals on the switch with an Ohmmeter,  I have that working now, with “Out” tripping the solenoid and “In” switching directly as you described – THANK YOU!

So I can hear the trim motor running in both directions like it should now, but I can’t get it to move the motor.  The story goes that the former owner said he took the trim motor off and had it rebuilt but couldn’t get it to work after that (I don’t know if the pump  was removed with the motor and “rebuilt” or just the electric motor).  I tried filling the pump through the screw on the side with dexron with the motor in both up and down positions.  My neighbor (current owner) took the line off the top of the hydraulic cylinder and then was able to lift the motor all the way up as fluid shot out of the cylinder.  It was fairly heavy purple liquid – not dexron, so don’t know what that was.   Maybe Royal Triton motor oil?…it’s purple!

With a turkey baster, I tried putting dexron in the cyinder, in the line back to the pump, and filled the screw hole on the side of the pump, with the only  fluid I could get in going into the hole on the side – that fill hole is full in manually set up and down positions of the motor.  Nothing will pump, even with the line off the top of the cylinder.  Is there a procedure for bleeding air? or having a line suck in fluid as it pumps?  I’m stuck!   Note that whatever was meant by the “tilt motor was  rebuilt”, may or may not have had the pump assembly apart, or may have just been electrical, so the pump may not be right.  I’d appreciate any tips on getting air out of the system and getting it to pump the fluid, and/or further troubleshoting.

Thanks Again!

Dave Stanton