25hp Mercury HELP???

J

John D.

Active member
Gentlemen,

I've got a 2004 model 25hp 2-stroke manual start Mercury. Always runs great.....But I got an issue. It's sat up unused for about a year now. I can't tilt the engine up and down. Doesn't have hydrolic Tilt and trim. Just manually pull the engine up and down. This thing is stuck. I tried squeezing some grease into the grease fittings and it won't even go. Couldn't get a drop to go through them. I removed them and hosed everything down with PB blaster. Removed the nuts on either side of the transom mount and hosed everything down with PB Blaster too.

So how does thing come apart? Does the steel tube with threads on both ends just press out or what? Is there some secret to getting it apart? Should I take it apart?

What do I need to do?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
The tilt tube hammers out with a long punch. I use a long piece of threaded or cold rolled steel from the local hardware store.

I Had to pound a tilt tube out on a 90hp they can be pretty stuck in there. take it out and wire brush it up, then grease the crap out of it.




Paul
 
There should be a large size nut that needs to be removed on one side or the other to allow you to pound it out.

I have never done this on a small merc, please take with a grain of salt, and good luck!
 
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This may not be exact because you did not provide the exact model number for your motor. You can look it up yourself at this web site.

By design, the tube should slide right out once the nut(s) is/are removed. In actuality, it may need to be pressed or driven out. If you try driving it out be cautious of mushrooming the end being driven. If it mushrooms you will never get it out.

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Not on mine, one lever releases it, puts it in shallow tilt and all the way up.
 
It's not jammed. The rod that I'm talking about is obviously corroded really bad. So bad that I can't even get grease to go into the area where you lube the thing.

Thanks guys. I was worried that there was some sort of secret doo dad I needed to turn or something.

thx
 
And those nuts that hold the rod in are made of aluminum for some reason? Don't want to bang on those. I've continued to hose it down with PB blaster and let it soak. Think I might try to find some steel nuts to screw onto the end of the tube....and then beat the @#$% out of it.

Wish me luck
 
Two words 1. Kroil & 2. HEAT. You may have to sacrifice one of the parts, make it the cheaper one ;-)). Sounds like a salt water problem?? I have seen Kroil do magic.
 
Patience is needed with these jobs. I use lead or dead blow hammer and lots of kroil. A little tapping each day works. I think they make a after market s/s nut now...
I use this process for stuck shotgun chokes and rusted gun actions. Have three totally frozen shotguns that will become winter projects...
 
Rich, speaking about shotgun choke tubes. Some five years or so ago I wanted to set my Benelli duck gun up for a turkey hunt up in Georgia with my friend John Van Houten. Well you figured it, my duck choke wouldnt budge. After wringing the nubs off my choke tube tool, I decided to try heat, pb blaster and an easyout. I got it all set up in a big vise, wrapped it in rags to protect the gun, and the phone rang. Just about at the end of my conversation My young muscelbound mechanic walks in with with a big smile on his face and my gun all set with the new turkey choke in place. I thanked him and put it in my case. Along about the first day of our hunt, i just happened to glance down my gun barrel and noticed a sharp twist and distinct curve to the right. This frustrated the you know what out of me. Not wanting to abort the hunt, My son and myself set out to correct the bent barrel. There was this old picnic table out front, we laid the barrel across the top of the table and the seat and took turns jumping on the barrel, checking it with a carpenters square for some semblance of straightness. We finally reached the "probably good enough,better stop here before we ruin it" stage. I hung a piece of cardboard on a tree trunk and fired a shot at it to see how bad it was off. Good thing I did this because i had to shoot a whole barrel to the left to hit the cardboard, kind of like leading a flying duck. Must have worked as I shot a big ol' gobbler that afternoon. I had an old gunsmith straighten my barrel and have never noticed any issues with it since. Rich
 
Tom, have not got the tube out yet. I've been spraying it down with PB Blaster everyday. I keep banging on it with a hammer. Hitting a 2x4 on top of the threads. There has been no sign of any progress whatsoever. I haven't worked up the nerve to take a blow torch to it and destroy the tube beating it out. Scared I'll destroy the tube and then be left with it stuck in some god forsaken way.

I'm scart
 
Fear will serve you well Grasshopper. If you decide to use heat maybe start with a heat gun then maybe propane or MAP and finally oxy/acet if you have access to one. Another trick is to heat it up and then hit it with some penetrating oil, I prefer KROIL but sometimes others work with the heat. Go easy and raise the bar a small step at a time. Sometimes nothing works.;=))
 
Fear will serve you well Grasshopper. If you decide to use heat maybe start with a heat gun then maybe propane or MAP and finally oxy/acet if you have access to one. Another trick is to heat it up and then hit it with some penetrating oil, I prefer KROIL but sometimes others work with the heat. Go easy and raise the bar a small step at a time. Sometimes nothing works.;=))
Click to expand...

I am horrible at getting stuff apart, but it seems that the 2x4 may be hurting you a lot. You need to protect the treads, but a softwood block will really dampen the sharpness of your blow to get things moving. A big brass punch, or a hammer with a soft head may get things moving better.
 
All this talk of banging and pounding on it makes me ask can you use a press to get it out? I had a belt sander shaft that was stuck really good in an aluminum drum. There was no way to hammer it out without doing damage. We put it in a press and with a few pumps there was a loud POP. Then it basically slid out. Dissimilar metals have a tendency to corrode but once you break the bond it is very easy to finish the job.

Try taking the entire bracket off the motor and to a machine shop where they can press it out.
 
John, why not check the price and availability of a new aluminum tube? It might be more economical to just destroy away! and replace it with a new tilt tube. Rich
 
Another option;
The tube is threaded, use the nut to “pull the tube” out of the bracket. First make sure the threads are cleaned up and lubed. Then stack washers or spacers against the bracket leaving room for the nut. Install the nut and tighten away. Once it has moved as far as the threads will allow, remove the nut, add more spacers and repeat.
Caution; The threads on the tube may be too small and shallow to hold this kind of pressure. They are not like full depth threads on say a 1.0 inch bolt. These threads were only designed to keep the tube in place, which has very little sideways force on it. Therefore you do run the risk of stripping the threads. If you go this route use a spare steel nut and plenty of lube on the threads.
Tapping on the opposite end while under pressure may help to break it free.




 
Ok guys

I took the grease fittings out first thing. Been spraying stuff in there the whole time. I don't know what Kroil is but I'm going to find out and get some. Is it better than PB blaster? I've had good luck with that stuff.

The tube is not aluminum. It's steel. The nuts are aluminum. So pulling on the nuts is out of the question. I have considered getting some real nuts? To bang on or whatever. I hadn't thought about pulling it out. I have a puller? I like the idea.

I don't think I can remove the "bracket" from the engine. I believe that the way you go about removing it is to take this @#$% tube out.

Pressing it out sounds like a good idea. I don't have access to a press. I'd have to take the whole engine to someone and set the whole thing in a press. I think? Not completely sure.

As the engine sits now. I can use it. Can't tilt it up, "which is a problem", but without spending money I still have a motor. I'm scared to screw it up past my pay grade and then end up buying parts and maybe even taking to a mechanic. Next thing you know I've spent more than it's worth.

That being said. I haven't given up. I'm still hosing it with lube and scheming on plans. Thanks for all the suggestions!!! Keep em coming.
 
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