Opacmare passerelle wont go up / down

nw04jen

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Hi

New to me boat and 6996 passerelle - extends and retracts fine - when i press the buttons for up / down, you can see the hoses twitch but no movement up or down - any ideas - could it be a sticky ram and if so whats the fix please? Or of course anything else that anyone knows! Anyone used a passerelle engineer of note also ? Would like to get it serviced - IM Surrey Thames

TIA
 

Hurricane

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There passrerlles work from a hydraulic pump.
On the pump, you will find a block of valves.
Each valve is responsible for a pair of each of the movements.
The valves contain a shaft that is driven by an electromagnet.
The electromagnet drives the shaft one way for one operation and the other way for the alternate action.
If you look closely at the end of the shaft, using a sharp object (for example a small cross head screwdriver) it is possible to push the shaft in from each end.
There is often a hand pump fitted to the unit.
The idea is that you can push the end of a shaft in and hand pump to manually operate the passerelle.

Often the shafts become stiff or stuck so simply pushing them in from one side, then from the other, alternatively, can release them.
Doing this several times can release a sticky valve.

This might not be your problem because you say that you can see the hoses twitch but IMO it would be worth looking at the valves first.
 

nw04jen

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There passrerlles work from a hydraulic pump.
On the pump, you will find a block of valves.
Each valve is responsible for a pair of each of the movements.
The valves contain a shaft that is driven by an electromagnet.
The electromagnet drives the shaft one way for one operation and the other way for the alternate action.
If you look closely at the end of the shaft, using a sharp object (for example a small cross head screwdriver) it is possible to push the shaft in from each end.
There is often a hand pump fitted to the unit.
The idea is that you can push the end of a shaft in and hand pump to manually operate the passerelle.

Often the shafts become stiff or stuck so simply pushing them in from one side, then from the other, alternatively, can release them.
Doing this several times can release a sticky valve.

This might not be your problem because you say that you can see the hoses twitch but IMO it would be worth looking at the valves first.
Thank you - trying to asertain as many ideas as possible b4 calling in the cavalry - i will start with that tho!
 

Hurricane

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Just found a photo
This is the view of one end - 3 (double ended) valves.
The arrow shows the end of the shaft that you can push with a small cross head screwdriver.

IMG_6066.resized.JPG

EDIT
You only need push the shaft a short distance - a millimetre or so.
 

dj43

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You could try swooping the plugs over on the pump, we ended up with a new switch panel as existing was faulty, Opacmare do a complete upgrade, I contacted them direct in Italy , excellent company to deal with
 

nw04jen

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You could try swooping the plugs over on the pump, we ended up with a new switch panel as existing was faulty, Opacmare do a complete upgrade, I contacted them direct in Italy , excellent company to deal with
Do you mean the black things that sit in the solenoid valvels?
 

dj43

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Do you mean the black things that sit in the solenoid valvels?
Yes, this will show if fault is on the pump or control switch, does yours have the original printed Circuit Board separate to pump ,that and control panel have been replaced upgraded by Opacmare,
Ps don't forget to label them before you move them about,?
 
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Hurricane

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Yes, this will show if fault is on the pump or control switch, does yours have the original printed Circuit Board separate to pump ,that and control panel have been replaced upgraded by Opacmare,
Ps don't forget to label them before you move them about,?
I did exactly that on my Opacmare crane.
Useful to help finding faults.
 

nw04jen

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So this is my passerelle hydraulic pump - i pressed in the end of all 4 circular solenoids and they didnt come back out? Made no difference - she still extends and retracts but not up / down - tomorrow i will switch the small black relays (assumption that is what they are) from the extend / retract to the up / down to see if the fault follows the 'relay'
I cannot see a control panel other than the black box on the left of the pump
 

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slowsailor

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Suggest: pull the solenoids for up movement stick a screw driver into it, operate the proper button. Magnetism should pull the screwdrive. If so your problem is with the valve. Valve sticks or is to be replaced. If not check wireing for continuity, if that is fine your board is bad.
 

Hurricane

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So this is my passerelle hydraulic pump - i pressed in the end of all 4 circular solenoids and they didnt come back out? Made no difference - she still extends and retracts but not up / down - tomorrow i will switch the small black relays (assumption that is what they are) from the extend / retract to the up / down to see if the fault follows the 'relay'
I cannot see a control panel other than the black box on the left of the pump
Yes, the little shafts will probably "stick in" when you push them.
But the shaft usually goes through to the other side where there is a similar solenoid - and you can press it back from the other side.
I would just "jiggle" the shaft back and forth until it runs freely.
And then (as slowsailor says) the electric solenoids should move the shaft when you operate the switches.
Either watch the shafts or hold a small screwdriver against them to feel if they are moving.

If you get to the point where the solenoids are operating properly (its only a small amount of movement) and the passerelle still isn't operating properly, it is probably best then to check the ram itself.

Good luck
 

vas

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odd, shafts both in passarelle and some Festo compressed air controllers I working on currently in another boaty project are capped nothing to press or pull. I thought all were sealed but seems yours are not.

pulling solenoids and swapping them around to figure out what's to blame shouldn't be more than 20mins work (but as Mike said, mark carefully what goes where!)

V.
 

nw04jen

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This isn’t going well - switched all the black square boxes and all that did was change which switch did in / out and up / down with up / down still not working. Same for remote and control panel.
hoses twitching like a bird watcher but no up /down so now thinking ram / pins potentially seized. Cannot move it by pushing in solenoids and manually pumping. In / out works that way but again not up/down.
so going to undo top and bottom connections and open up the ram and if necessary drain the hoses to see if it’s seized in that tube. Can’t see anything else it can be.
can I just check there isn’t a’locking pin’ that holds it in place when underway. We cannot see one and see no way in which she is secured by a lock / pin / any other mechanism.
 

Portofino

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They are very heavy. Care should be taken if you start to unscrew a line to the up / down ram .
Perhaps place a jury rigged car Jack to support with blocks of wood etc before you attempt to ease the ram pressure .
As fluid runs out from the lower part of the ram the hose joint near the bathing platform it should start to lower with its own weight .Cover your teak as it will not like oil all over it .

Seen this happen on other boats when the hoses are replaced .Ends up messy .

It could be an internal collapse of a hose .
 

starfire

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There is, on some passerelles, a hydraulic valve called a lock valve, this is usually on the pipe connections where they come through the transom. Some passerelles have a single check valve on the bottom connection to the ram.

It's purpose is to stop an uncontrolled drop if a hose bursts.


Might be worth some more pictures of the bottom of the ram & if possible, the inside of the transom where the hoses come through.
 

penfold

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This isn’t going well - switched all the black square boxes and all that did was change which switch did in / out and up / down with up / down still not working. Same for remote and control panel.
hoses twitching like a bird watcher but no up /down so now thinking ram / pins potentially seized. Cannot move it by pushing in solenoids and manually pumping. In / out works that way but again not up/down.
so going to undo top and bottom connections and open up the ram and if necessary drain the hoses to see if it’s seized in that tube. Can’t see anything else it can be.
can I just check there isn’t a’locking pin’ that holds it in place when underway. We cannot see one and see no way in which she is secured by a lock / pin / any other mechanism.
I was going to say, check there isn't a locking mechanism. Is the rise/fall ram visible and does the piston move at all when you see the hoses move?
 

penberth3

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I was going to say, check there isn't a locking mechanism. Is the rise/fall ram visible and does the piston move at all when you see the hoses move?

Yes, my first thought when I started to read the thread. Hoses twitching but no movement, I'd look for a locking bar or pin somewhere in the mechanism.
 
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