Tohatsu 50 Tilt/Trim Motor

[Lease]

This information is provided as it may be of some use to someone.

I have been looking around for a replacement power tilt/trim motor and found that the Tohatsu part is ridiculously expensive. My motor is already 10 years old and I don't like the idea of investing too much money on something that I will only keep for a couple more seasons.

Whilst researching options, I discovered that the trim motor on the Tohatsu M50D is the same as that fitted to many Suzuki models. This may be of use for anyone (like me) who wants to obtain one from a wreckers, or aftermarket provider.

The part is:

PT 651NM (New Motor) D051
Suzuki O/B V4-V6 1990-‘03
Tohatsu & Nissan 40hp-50hp
2-Wire Connection, 3-Bolt Flange
Motor has a Female Hex Shaft
Complete with O-ring & 3 Couplers
Replc. Suzuki #’s 38100-92E00-OED,
38100-87D10-OED & 38100-87E20-OED
Fits 1991-’97 DT90, ’91-’00 DT100,
’91-’03 DT150, ’91-’92 DT175,
’91-’00 DT200, ’91-03 DT225

[Craig LaForce]

What is the problem with the old trim tilt unit? Just curious.
My motor is about the same age and it seems fine, other than the switch gets gummed up if not used regulary, flicking the switch a half dozen times knocks the crud off the contacts and it is back in business.

[Lease]

In this case, one of the field magnets let go inside the housing and split down the middle.

After checking with an electric motor repair place, they just suggested glueing it back together and then glueing it back in the housing. Not easy to get the two pieces aligned when they want to repell, but G clamps got it happenning and Araldite did the rest.

Put it all together on the weekend, but no go. There was nothing. Having slept throught the electrical theory bits of trade school all those years ago, and not having been on the tools at all for the last 20, I gave up and went looking for a replacement.

Thought I was on to something today with the Suzuki thing, but whilst some wreckers have them, they won't separate them from the tilt unit, so it would cost the same as for a new motor from Tohatsu.

When I got home tonight, I decided to have another look, and voila! One terminally corroded safety switch hidden in a molding under the bakelite plate. There is no way I'm going to be able to find a replacement one of those (it's one of those simple bi-metal jobs), so I hotwired the switch. The logic here being that there is fuse protection upstream and if I overheat a motor that I was going to throw away anyhow............ Just have to make sure that I use it carefully.

So the motor now works with its glued field, and hotwired safety switch, but now the unit won't go up. Although I followed the directions in the manual for filling and bleeding, there hasn't been any action yet. It seemd to take a very small amount of fluid, which would be the obvious first cause, but I can't get any more in it. It's sitting out there now with the weight of the motor hopefully forcing some air out, but I think I'm missing something fundamental here. Serves me right for not having got my hands dirty for so long. I've become a complete shiny-arse!

[Craig LaForce]

Did you try opening the manual bypass screw on the hydraulics and hand tilting the motor to try and work the air out and get the fluid in?
Just a thought.
THe Tohatsu shop manual shows the screw (or bolt head). It is on the main housing on the back somewhere. I don't have the manual in front of me, but remember looking at the diagram a few years ago.


If all else fails, you can just leave it open and tilt the motor manually . At least to get by while waiting for parts.

[Lease]

All done.

Turned out that the unit was completely out of fluid. When the boat was at the Tohatsu repair place, they took the whole tilt unit off, so it was completely drained.

I took the unit back off, laid it on its side, eased off the pressure release and poured some fluid in the resevoir. Pulled the piston rod out to max; put the resevoir cap back on, and pushed the piston back in. did this a couple of times then stood the unit up to drain out the excess. Put it back on and it works fine.

So (hopefully) ends a saga. I took the boat in to get a service done in preparation for the comming season. It hadn't been revving out properly so I asked them to check that out as well. The tilt motor packed it in as I was preparing to take the boat to the Tohatsu place. They came back with a quote (I'm not joking) of $2,650. $1,700 to rebuild the carbs, fuel pump, and oil injection (the last two on suspicion), and $950 to replace the tilt motor.

In the end I did the carbs myself. Around $250 for the carby kit and a Tohatsu manual. The pump story as above. Cost on that one was $8.50 for the AT fluid.

Still got a QED on what happens when the motor is under load, but at the end of the day, I suspect the problem there was a simple case of the timing being out (I have a reason to suspect it had been altered).

So I'm now ready for the first cruise of the season this weekend. four days on the lakes with the Melbourne Trailerable Club. Roll on afternoon happy hour on the beach. More Port anyone?

[Rich Plumb]

I've had the Nissan (Tohatsu) 50 on my boat for six years and I still occasionally have trouble with the tilt hydraulic pump loosing it's prime. It seems to happen if the motor is not used for a while. I press the rocker switch on the motor and the pump runs but the motor does not move. I can help it by manually lifting or pressing down on the unit while pressing the switch and that usually gets it working again. I always check this before launching.

~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~
Rich Plumb "Plumb Crazy"
26X, Covington WA