Trim Tabs

[BarrNone]

Got done work early today so I thought I'd take the boat out before flounder season closed after today. I came out of the marina and noticed that the boat was listing to port so I hit the switches to try and level it off with the tabs and lo and behold nothing happened. I didn't want it to ruin my trip today so I kept fishing and when I got back to the dock I looked at the starboard side tab and then hit the switch to see if it moved. I heard the motor engage and then I checked the tab and it hadn't moved. Hit the switch again and held it for a minute which should have put it all the way down an still no movement. After reading about this it sounds like the actuators are probably gone. How expensive is this going to be and how difficult is it to replace myself? Thanks for the help.

 

[pamarine]

What brand tabs do you have?

 

[BarrNone]

Don't see any kind of ID on them but of course they're working in the driveway.

 

[pamarine]

ElEctric or hydraulic?

 

[NYHarleyFisher]

If they are the ones that came on the boat then I believe they are Lenco's. There has been a few threads on these but I can't remember if it was on this site or the Florida Sportsman Fishing Forum site. If I can locate them I'll post a link. Also go to Lenco's web page. Lots of info and troubleshooting there!

"www.lencomarine.com"

 

[Chad@MerrittMarine]

Barrnone, if they are lencos, try unpluging them at the back of the switch, sometimes if there is a loose connection or corrosion, they seem to act funny. Let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day.

 

[BarrNone]

The new update, I can't find any kind of marking telling me the manufacturer of the actuators. I had my neighbor climb up on the boat and hit the switches. He hit them to go down and they moved only about an inch and I heard a lot of liquid "squishing" around in them. They did go back up but only came down about an inch each time we tried. Are they electric or hydraulic? How do I tell? I talked to a local marine store and he said that he has some Lenco's in stock, electric only, but I want to make sure what kind they are before I drop $270 for the pair. Thanks.

 

[pamarine]

look at the inside of the transom where the cylinders are mounted. If you see a small black tube going through the transom they're hydraulic, if you see wires and no tube their electric.

 

[BarrNone]

The tubes coming through into the back seat compartments are very stiff. I assume that that means the trim tabs I have are hydraulic. Any idea of price? The ones I checked into were electric. Can I easily change out hydraulic to electric or should I just stay with what I have?

 

[fridaysoff]

Barrnone,
Read the post from Chad at Merritt Marine. He stated that they are Lenco trim tabs which are electric. They are easy to work on and take his advice to clean the electrical connections behind the trim tab switch before you go any further.Good luck.

 

[BarrNone]

Can I pop the switches from the console or do I have to go underneath the console?

 

[Push&Pull]

Sounds to me like hydraulic. Probably Bennett's. Might have a leak & low on fluid. Ya know the ole saying.......a picture is worth a thousand words....or in this case, many guesses.

 

[NYHarleyFisher]

I believe that Triumph only installed Lenco's on their new boats. However I have been known to be wrong before! (once or twice) If the tabs are moving up and down even an inch you may need to help them with some easy taps with a rubber mallet on the tabs while pressing on the switch. It almost sounds like they haven't worked for awhile and have buildup on them. Try to get them extended out all the way and then clean the shafts up with very fine steel wool or brass wool and corrison X.

 

[BarrNone]

They stopped working about a month ago. If it is low on fluid , where is the fill valve? Is it the same as the motor? They topped that off when they did the swap. Of course that happens to coincide with the current problem that I have.

 

[NYHarleyFisher]

Normally if they are hydraulic the pump is normally located somewhere in a rear compartment. Just follow your lines backwards and see if you can locate the pump. It would have the fill valve on it. Most of the Lenco's were and are electric I believe, I know mine are. Try my above post and see what happens. You will need someone to help you as you/they keep the button pressed and you/they lightly pound the tab down.

 

[BarrNone]

Can I pop the switches from the console or do I have to go underneath the console?

 

[fridaysoff]

Open the console and look behind the trim tab switch. Take the lines off one at a time and clean the contacts and spray with silicone or some sort of CRC. Reconnect them and your problem may be solved.Always start at the simple (cheapest) solution and work your way up from there $$$$. again good luck with your fix.

 

[pamarine]

I have attached a picture of the Bennett Hydraulic Reservoir/pump assembly. Simpy add fluid until the level is within the black bar and that will be that. Bennett hydraulic systems self-bleed, so you may have to go back and top it off after a few cycles if there is air in the cylinders.



For the electrical connections remove the QD (Quick Disconnect) Terminal from the rear of the switch and spray with CRC's QD Electronics cleaner. You may have to hit the blades on the switch with a scotchbrite pad if they are corroded, but that's really all involved in cleaning them.

 

[BarrNone]

OK apparently I have Bennett hydraulic tabs. Hopefully attached is a pic of my resevoir which is under the console. I had to unscrew a plastic cover off of it. Where do I fill it at and how do I check the level?

 

[pamarine]

ok, looking at that picture the two round things at the bottom are the solenoid valves. UNder the left one you'll see a small round cap that you can pry off. Use a really small funnel to add ATF.