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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I am the new owner of a 95 C250 WB. When I got my new acquisition home and started trying things out (we only had so much time to demonstrate things during our purchase trip), I find that I cannot tilt the 8HP Honda outboard (I think it's a '96). I see the Tilt/Run lever on the side of the motor, and I am able to move that to both positions, but the motor stays firmly locked in the vertical position. The boat is parked on the trailer in my driveway so I am able to experiment with it. Any suggestions what to try?
Be sure it's not in reverse. All outboard motors I've ever been around are locked down when in reverse to keep the prop from lifting the motor under higher power settings. If that doesn't work... Without starting the motor try shifting it into forward. Put the tilt run lever in the Tilt position and trying lifting the motor.
Select "Portable" from the list, scroll down to the BF8, click on the "+", then scroll down to the appropriate "serial number" range that matches the serial number on your motor. Click on it to get the owners manual for your motor in a .PDF file that you can download to your computer.
I looked thru approx. 10 of these manuals for the tilt instructions and they all say to make sure the motor is in neutral, move the tilt/run lever to the tilt position, then grab the handle on the back of the engine cowling to tilt the motor up. Do NOT use the tiller handle to tilt the motor.
Once in the desired position push the tilt/run lever to the run position to hold the motor at the desired tilt angle.
Below is an example in one of the manuals:
4. Tilting the motor Tilt the motor to prevent the propeller and gear case from hitting bottom when the boat is beached or stopped in shallow water. 1. Stop the engine and put the gearshift lever into NEUTRAL. 2. Pull the tilt lever toward you, set the lever in the TILT position, and raise the engine to either the 30, 45 and 70 tilt position. J7iiEiq Do not use the throttle grip to tilt the outboard motor. 3. To return the engine to the normal RUN position, move the tilt lever away from you until it stops, tilt the engine up slightly, then lower the engine slowly. )NOTlCEl Do not transport the motor in the tilted position; it may drop suddenly causing damage to the boat or the motor. 30 49 70
This is puzzling... the on-line manual, thank you Gary, does not, in case of problems, seem clear or descriptive at all. It seems logical to ensure that motor is in neutral before lifting. Not having encountered any problems, we are at a loss to resolve this.
Hopefully there is a Honda outboard shop or dealer close by to help solve this or perhaps someone on this forum has had a similar experience
Henk & Johanna "Floating", a few off your "barnacles". "Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016) "Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018) "Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023) "Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)
There are small springs that hook on to small pins in the release mechanism. Could be that one is broken. Happened to me. I also have it I'm my annual maintenance to lubricate the mechanism by spraying some WD-40 all over it.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I did ask Henk about it and he suggested the same thing as the manual. I did find an online copy of the manual and like Gary posted, it should be simple: stop the motor, gear lever in Neutral, move lever to Tilt, tilt the motor. I will experiment some more with the gear lever, and Islander I thought of the WD-40 idea last night. I will experiment with that today. I have also been trying to lift from the shaft end standing on the ground, I will try it more lifting from the motor cover sitting on the boat. Maybe there is something to the pulling-up motion. I have shined a flashlight up into the mechanism and I don't see anything obviously wrong.
The tilt mechanism is complicated. There are levers, springs and springs counteracted by other springs that are adjusted by levers. I've spent quite a bit of time with mine because sometimes I cannot get the engine to move from one click of tilt to vertical even though it'll go from two clicks of tilt to one click of tilt. WD-40 helps plus lube for the detente bearing. Takes a lot of trial and error, mostly the latter in my case. One thing I will warn you on is be extremely careful putting hands or fingers in the area behind the engine. The motor weighs ~100 lbs and there are several pinch points back there to give you a nasty blood blister or you could bust a knuckle. Not fun.
I'm mechanical so to me it was an easy fix. My problem was a broken pin and a weak spring. Ordered the parts online and it was a 15 min. Fix. My suggestion is to look at the mechanism closely and try to understand how it works. If you don't see anything that doesn't look right then it could just be stuck from non use and just needs a good lubrication. You definitely need to have the engine in neutral and the tilt lever in tilt.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
...and I would cycle the shifter from F to R a few times to possibly shake loose the reverse lock--then go to N.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
In my case I lubricated the entire mechanism. I took the parts out, cleaned them with degreaser, wire brushed them then regressed them and reinstalled them. Nothing was broken but there was some corrosion on the parts. The working part, I believe it's called a Pall, slips into grooves in the stationary part of the engine mount. Before it was quite stiff, afterwards it worked fine.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.