Engine tilt lock

[lightning]

I have a Tohatsu 9.8 outboard motor on my SIB.
The engine will only start/the tilt is locked in neutral, presumably so you cannot start it with the prop out of the water.
However it's not locked in forward or reverse. In forward there's no problem but in reverse if you apply any throttle at all the engine swings back on it's mount with the thrust.

Is this how it should be?

[Salty]

Originally Posted by lightning

I have a Tohatsu 9.8 outboard motor on my SIB.
The engine will only start/the tilt is locked in neutral, presumably so you cannot start it with the prop out of the water.
However it's not locked in forward or reverse. In forward there's no problem but in reverse if you apply any throttle at all the engine swings back on it's mount with the thrust.

Is this how it should be?

I blipped my 9.8 tohatsu in reverse on Sat and it kicked up so I presume they are all meant to do that?

I seem to remember that my old Yammy had a manual lock for when you were in reverse. Maybe the tohatsu has the same feature? I haven't looked at mine properly yet

[lightning]

Thanks for the information.

I guess it's a case of only reversing at idle speed, not that you'd want to go any faster in reverse I suppose.

[9D280]

You have probably just struck the match on the taper to a firey debate, so I may as well start by throwing in my 2p worth:

When I did my Sportsboat course, the instructor emphasised, "Reverse is for going backwards - it's not a brake"!.

I have never locked an engine down (until now - but that's more down to the PT than any change of opinion) and have never failed to be able to manoever with it "unlocked". I also reckoned (rightly or wongly) that if met a submerged object at speed, it may reduce bottom end damage.


Doesn't the tohatsu have a catch that operates when the gear shift is dropped into reverse?

[Downhilldai]

Sounds like the reverse lock mechanism needs adjusting so that the motor is free to tilt in fwd & neutral, but locked down in reverse.

[lightning]

The locking clamp on this engine is connected to the F/R/N actuating rod on the engine leg and will only lock the engine in forward gear. In neutral it's unlocked (contrary to my original post) and in reverse gear the clamp is moved even further from the locking bar by the shift mechanism.
So...care is needed in reverse. I only revved the engine a little in reverse and it bounced off the clamp about 6 inches at the prop end.

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by lightning

The locking clamp on this engine is connected to the F/R/N actuating rod on the engine leg and will only lock the engine in forward gear. In neutral it's unlocked (contrary to my original post) and in reverse gear the clamp is moved even further from the locking bar by the shift mechanism.
So...care is needed in reverse. I only revved the engine a little in reverse and it bounced off the clamp about 6 inches at the prop end.

Something wrong there

[willk]

Is the trim position pin still fitted to the engine?

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by willk

Is the trim position pin still fitted to the engine?

Just what I thought. +1

[Peter_C]

I agree you should be able to lock the motor and leave it locked going between forward neutral and reverse along with starting and shutting the motor down.

[m chappelow]

There should be a black plastic clamp on the gear linkage rod that operates the reverse locking mechanism automatically when the the linkage goes up or down into the reverse mode ,, may be missing or just out of adjustment they can have a habit of sliding if the screws not tight enough.
some older engines had a Latch on the front of the Engine that had to be latched for reverse lock ,, in normal forward running the lock should be off so if you bottom out of ground or strike something the leg can move back rather than the boat come to a sudden stop !
Just had a look in the Tohatsus manual & it says ,, with the gear lever in Neutral or forward tilt the motor up " so it only locks the leg when in reverse .

Photo plastic clip & last pic latch button/lever on an old yammy

[lightning]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

There should be a black plastic clamp on the gear linkage rod that operates the reverse locking mechanism automatically when the the linkage goes up or down into the reverse mode ,, may be missing or just out of adjustment they can have a habit of sliding if the screws not tight enough.
some older engines had a Latch on the front of the Engine that had to be latched for reverse lock ,, in normal forward running the lock should be off so if you bottom out of ground or strike something the leg can move back rather than the boat come to a sudden stop !
Just had a look in the Tohatsus manual & it says ,, with the gear lever in Neutral or forward tilt the motor up " so it only locks the leg when in reverse .

Photo plastic clip & last pic latch button/lever on an old yammy

My Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke engine was new this year and the locking clamp only locks the motor in forward gear....the one time you'd be better off with it NOT locked!
The trim position pin is in place.
I will take a photo of the mechanism and post it on here.

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by lightning

My Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke engine was new this year

Are you a commercial user?

[Boats&Outboards]

Return it under your manufacturer warranty then..... That will test the legality of the purchase also

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[Salty]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

Return it under your manufacturer warranty then..... That will test the legality of the purchase also

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

Oooooooooooh get her x

[lightning]

New to me, effectively unused old stock, manufactured in 2005 according to the sticker on the engine
It had been used when I unpacked it, as there was evidence of water/fuel, but clearly only nominal use

Can't see how it can be faulty looking at the mechanism, cannot see how it could lock the engine in reverse

For legality of purchase see

1/My thread last year asking for a lightweight engine for my SIB and almost everybody recommending I buy one of these, the "legendary Tohatsu 9.8" with no mention at all of legality regarding purchase
2/ My further thread this year after I found there were possible issues with buying one, which went on for three pages with no real conclusion over whether the offshore dealer was acting within the law to sell me the old stock engine

The dealer still insists they are acting within the law, but if I had known of the argument at the time I would not have bought it, and would have gone for the lightweight Selva 4 stroke engine that I also found to be under 30kg...or sacked it completely and bought a small RIB/trailer instead, where the engine weight would not be such an issue

[lightning]

Fixed this!

Investigation revealed the locking clamp was assembled incorrectly, it appears that it was installed upside down!
Anyway I turned it round and refitted it, with the actuating lever on the other side, so now the engine tilt lock is only operative in reverse gear, as I assume is the correct operation.

[Salty]

Originally Posted by lightning

Fixed this!

Investigation revealed the locking clamp was assembled incorrectly, it appears that it was installed upside down!
Anyway I turned it round and refitted it, with the actuating lever on the other side, so now the engine tilt lock is only operative in reverse gear, as I assume is the correct operation.

Picture please?

[lightning]

When the tilt lock lever is in the locked position you cannot see it as it's behind the main transom mounting clamp
Oh and after fitting it the right way round it only went just over half way over the tilt pin (with the engine in reverse gear) and I had to take it off again and file down the end stops (on the locking lever) so it went all the way across the pin, or it would probably have flicked off when under load

I did take the engine to a local dealer for it's first service so am wondering if they took it apart and re-assembled it incorrectly, as I'm sure it cannot have come out of the factory like that?

[Salty]

So item 37 was upside down?