Outboard Manual Lowering

[wingman]

Has anyone investigated how to lower the outboard (20 HP) if the batteries are dead or for some other reason the toggle switch does not work? I looked in my copy of the user's manual and there was no information.

[Ron]

Charge the batteries first. They are probably dead and that's your problem. I'm assuming you may have left them on the boat with no charger to float them. You should have brought them home and plugged them in there. Mine are sitting in the garage now and will be until October (leaving the boat down here in Florida).

The power tilt mechanism is hydraulic and fairly complicated, using ATF fluid with a pump, valve body and piston/cylinder. Fixing this is probably beyond what the average person can do. Very easy to break something while fixing it. There is a manual valve on the valve body which may be able to get the motor down in an emergency, but it may be wise to let a Honda mechanic fix it if that's the problem. You could test for voltage at the pump with a VOM to see if the switch and wiring are OK.

[wingman]

I do not have a problem now, but was just wondering in case I get caught out with the outboard up and the batteries dead. I guess from your answer that there is no way to manual lower it. I would just have to wait for wind!

John

[Ron]

There IS a manual valve on the hydraulic valve body assembly. I imagine that it will release the hydraulic fluid back into the resevoir in an emergency. There is nothing about it in the book, but why else would they put it there?

[Mark]

This is from the Honda 50 manual:

The outboard motor can be tilted
manually after opening the manual
relief valve. This allows the outboard
motor to be tilted when no battery is
connected.

Mark