OMC 400 stuck in upright position

[boaterman9]

Hello to all,
I have a 1986 Glasport with a 3.0 liter OMC engine. The tilt for the stern drive is stuck fully upright. I have replaced the solenoids and have installed a new tilt motor and the damn thing is still clicking. Someone had written that it is possible for the tilt to go too high and to jam in the full up position. Can someone tell me if there is something I am over looking? I have the lower unit off but it is still connected by the mechanical shift cables.
Before I put the new electric tilt motor in I tried it out on the floor of the boat and it was working just fine. I believe the unit is jammed. Is there an easy way to lower this unit?

[marshmat]

Welcome to bd.net, boaterman9 Hopefully we'll be able to be of some help.

Just making sure of one thing, firstly. Are you talking about a 1986 3.0L Cobra, or is it one of the earlier generation OMC drives? The Cobra drive used for the 3.0, 4.3 and 5.0 engines around that time had an electric trim motor mounted to the inside of the transom, but it drove a hydraulic pump. That hydraulic pump in turn actuated a pair of rams, one on each side of the drive, to actually adjust the trim. Those rams can, on rare occasions, seize. That is bad. It is also expensive, to the tune of several hundred bucks a ram just for the parts.
If you have one of the older design OMC drives that uses a direct mechanical connection (gears) between the electric motor and the drive leg, the diagnosis would of course be different; I'm not too familiar with these units though.

[boaterman9]

It is a Stringer and not a Cobra drive. The boat is a 1986 with 1985 parts.

[Frstbyte77]

sounds like the external worm gear is jammed... when i bought my p.o.s.... er.. i mean my stringer equiped boat the "gear box" was full of water.. you might wana check that.

[JerryIkemire]

If it's anything like the 800 I've been through the same thing. Along the left side as you're looking at it there would be a small gear coming from the clutch housing meeting a medium sector gear that mounts to the lower unit. If it has bolts (800 has 3) that hold the sector gear on use a ratchet strap or something similar to take the weight off of the gears mentioned above. Remove the sector gear. If you can lower the unit, then that aspect of it is fine. Keep the lower unit suspended and try to turn the small gear. You should not be able to. Take the cover off of the clutch housing (4 bolted plate). Try your motor now. The cover can bind the shaft. If no go, take the clutches out (snapring at both ends of the shaft). Leave the big brass outer gear in place. Try the motor again. If still no go, take the 3 bolts off the end of the worm gear cover (triangle shaped). There is a bearing/seal that rides on the end of the wormgear. Use a piece of wood and a hammer against the brass gear and try to turn ti clockwise. This action will drive the bearing/seal out. Pull the wormgear and the brass gear out. You now have nothing touching the end of the motor and it should work just fine. The problem could be anywhere between those steps but through the process of elimination you should find it.