DuoProp Tilt Rams.

If you have never done this before heres a few tips. I have never yet seen a boat builder cut out the transom on the inside as per Volvos instructions to get the trim cylinder pins out which means a nightmare job depending on the engine installation.
The cylinder is held in the transom by a horizontal pin which slides into its hole from the outer edge of the transom shield inside the boat and is retaned by a washer with a 10mm head bolt.
First you will need to remove the entire drive, then remove the two 10mm bolts inside and make sure there are a couple of inches clearance for the pin to slide 'partially' out, it doesn't need to come all the way out.
Then you really need the special tool Volvo part number 884978, its about £20 I guess but will save you hours of cursing and hassle.
Its a hydraulic hammer, you pull out the plunger and pump in grease until you are sure its full.
You will see inboard of the trim cyls a yellow plastic plug on one side and an 8m head size bolt the other which clamps the hydraulid pipes in place, remove both of these.
Now you can screw the tool into the hole, insert the piston and wack it with a hammer, it will neatly push the cyl pin sideways out of the transom, you will need to recharge it with grease a couple of times to get the pin out of the way, you will see grease escape where the trim cyl attaches once the pin has moved out of its inboard hole, to prevent loss of pressure and effect with the tool force the trim cyl over towards the center of the transom shield (depending which cyl you are working with) with a screw driver so the grease continues to push the pin through the end of the trim cyl. Its obvious when you see it. Then swap the cylinders and pipes etc and get someone to push the pin back in from inside the boat to retain the new trim cyl.
I have done around 20 of these and the tool is a must have.
I did the local plods Botnia Targa with two K 44's last month and it was about a 2 1/2 hr job per side even with the cramped double installation.
Good luck.
 
Thanks for the replies.
Blimey Spannerman - I looked at a DP drive at the show yesterday and the rams looked dead easy to replace from the outside. Didn't realise the whole leg had to be removed and one had to get inside the transom - eek!!
 
We are told that our present rams are quite badly scored due probably to the fact that we have to have the leg tilted up as we are on a drying mooring.

Is there any gaiter or cover that can be fitted to protect the extended rams?
 
I did this last year, my SS had the cutouts for the pins to be removed but even then this was a difficult job to do. I didn't have the hydraulic hammer tool but was able to get the pins out by making up a puller (the pins have an m6 threaded hole to put a bolt into). If the hydraulic hammer works on these I would suggest it's the best way to do them as it took me 3 days to remove the pins (part of the time making the puller) though I could do it now in a couple of hours with the puller I made up. You can get the rams reconditioned, I was able to get mine resealed and re chromed for about £35 per ram in a local hydraulic shop.
 
Cue the Volspec (or similar) engineer! Sounds to me like this could turn into one of those jobs you wish you'd never started!
But good luck if you attempt it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
No fear, our projected gentle stroll up Snowdon has turned into a full scale attempt on Everest. We'll take a rain check and give it a miss /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

It's been an expensive Winter. But atleast the money we've spent or are about to spend won't have earned much income if it had been invested.
 
hi fwiw,
Did both pairs of my 2 x dpa tilt rams last year.
After much swearing and hasle trying to remove the head stocks of the rams as discussed above we just unscrewed the barrel and ram of the old units ! The new vp ones have a different head stock and new pipes to suit and demand total removal.
Un-screwing leaves the head of the ram in situ in the transom shield.
Sent the 3/4 ram off for reconditioning and then just screwed the recon units back on. Pretty easy job really.
If your units 'un-screw' top and bottom of cylinder then this is the easy way to go in my opinion without major surgery.
 
Can you get away with just replacing the seals? This is not difficult and can be done in-situ. Seals are available from any decent industrial seal stockist. Just take in the old ones.
Take care
1. In removing the ram end cap. It's soft and easily damaged. I made up a two-pin C-spanner tool.
2. The lip seals must have stainless springs, otherwise they will corrode in no time.
 
Thanks mont and tfl.
Interesting info.
Our Volvo agents, who currently have the boat for other work, say that one can't get "parts" for the rams - have to get the whole thing - but they would say that perhaps.
If we were able to get spare seals from somewhere else I expect they would
refuse to fit them /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Furthermore, wouldn't the new seals pack up again soon, due to the rams being scored?

I assume we will have to live with this being a regular scenario, being on a drying mooring which means we have to have the leg up/rams extended. Pity there wasn't a "gaiter" to give the rams some protection.
 
The Volvo agent is telling you that Volvo do not supply spare parts. The seals are standard industrial sizes and are readily available from seal/bearing stockists.

I have fitted new seals without problems, but my piston rods and cylinders were in good condition. Given the mud situation, I assume that it is the piston rods which they say are scored. Why don't you check them?

If the piston rods are scored, get a secondhand pair of rams and cannibalise them for the piston rods. You will be able to examine their condition. It will save you money, give you practice in dismantling them and enable you to get the seals before you do the full job.

As to them refusing to fit the parts, why do you care? You were going to do the job yourself anyway.

Good luck.
 
Not easy to check them as they're in Devon and I'm in Stratford. They've sent me a photo though.
Don't think we are up to doing the job ourselves, as per the Snowdon/Everest comment earlier. As much as our mechanical uncertainty there are also time constraints on being able to get down to the boat.

Thanks for the advice though.
 
I have a couple of pairs of not very old S/hand rams if that helps? £100 a pair sound fair?
 
Hi spannerman with your description does that include the older style 290dp drives AD41B's 1991 with the reverse latches?
 
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