C28 Trim Tab Actuators Keep Leaking

O

oceaneyes

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 20, 2020
Messages
61
Fluid Motion Model
R-21 EC
Vessel Name
Ocean Eyes
Bennett has been awesome for support but I keep having issues. This is the email I just sent. Has anyone experienced these issues?

I need help with my trim tabs on our 2013 Cutwater 28. The email below is when I first bought the boat and had a leaking cylinder after bringing it to my home port. (The email is from May 2020 when I bought the boat. We were bringing it home and that's when the first tab actuator went bad).

I had the cylinder replaced and it worked fine for a while then leaked again. I thought maybe they weren’t perfectly straight when installed or I had them down and reversed into my slip, I had them replaced a second time. 

A different tech replaced them a third time and they are now leaking yet again. I’m either doing something very wrong when using them or they’re not being installed correctly. 

Can you help me troubleshoot this issue? Is it possible I’m holding the buttons down too long and the pressure is causing the leak? Would reverse cause them to break?
 
This is a puzzling issue that you are having. I know the trim cylinders leak from time to time. This normally is because of operator error. Most common reason to fail is leaving the cylinders in the down position for extended periods of time. The cylinder shafts will get a build up on them. If the cylinders were left extended and build up occurs retracting can damage the cylinder sealing o ring and then the cylinder leaks. I always recommend after a day of cruising when approaching the marina, launch ramp or Rack storage dock make a habit of fully retracting the planes. Leaving the trim tabs extended while not in use is not a good Idea. Most common reasons that I have replaced trim tab cylinders (fouled cylinder shafts damaged seals) (Trim tabs left in the down position while putting the boat on the trailer.) ( trim tabs were left down when The rack store fork truck picked the boat up) (leaving the tabs down when doing a hard reverse) ( Cutwater C26 or C28 leaving the tabs down while docking, hard reverse and thruster pushing to the starboard water thrust hitting the Port tab)

If you know that you always retract the trim tabs when you're off plane and approaching a marina for a stop. There are other reasons for repeat cylinder leaks. Installation !!! Many service technicians do the easy install ( Unscrew the cylinder from the cap that is mounted to the transom. This replacement is a 5 to 10 minute install very easy but not always the right way to do it. The hardest part of this job is filling the reservoir and repeat operation to bleed the air. The problem with this is many times the threads are not in good shape and the composition material because of the damaged threads small burs cause the caps sealing to be compromised.

Post a couple of photos so we can see what is actually failing.
 
Hi again Brian!

I rarely, if ever, leave the tabs in the down position but I use the thrusters and reverse into my slip every time. I never reverse hard but maybe the actuators are more fragile than I thought.

I plan to put the boat on my lift to explore the actuators. I'll post a photo later today.

Also, while I have you - I have an auto tab retractor 99% installed with the exception of the 12v ignition wire. Any suggestions on a source?

I appreciate everyone's help!
 
Yes, It requires a relay to be installed. Volvo does not want any power draw directly from the engines 12Volt system. I installed water flow and exhaust temperature alarms. The alarm system is powered when the ignition is turned on but I am using the house battery to power the alarms. The relay (only) is activated by power coming from EVC which is how Volvo requires the installation. There is a multi link connection block under the helm shifter. You will need to get to it by removing the Monkey fur bulkheads the cave. Plug a multi link cable into the block turn the ECV on (IGN) and use a multi meter to find the two leads that are 12V. This 12V will be used only to power the relay. I will be on the boat Tuesday I can tell you the color of the wires then. These two wires are the wires that will be used to power the relay. The switch side of the relay will be wired to a house 12V circuit. It sounds complicated but it isn't. Pm me your contact information and I will text a few pictures of my install for better understanding if needed.
 
I put the boat on my lift last night but couldn't get a decent photo or video. I noticed that both sides would still move a little but ATF fluid leaks from the top and bottom. I also noticed a grinding sound while moving the tabs. It sounded like sand which might make sense because we have a very shallow sandy bottom. At times the boat will sit on the bottom.

I think I'm going to wait to replace the actuators until I get the auto tab retractor installed and working to avoid the mistake of leaving them down.

Brian - would you mind sending a photo of the wire colors and where the multi link cable gets connected? I'll call a Volvo dealer and order one. You don't happen to have a part number do you?

Any other thoughts or advice?
 
I'm going to the boat tomorrow. I will take pictures. If you have a Volvo Penta servicing dealer near by tell them what you are doing and they will know what is needed. Multilink cable to power an accessory. I think they make one with the relay included. I didn't use that because I already had a relay.
 
BB marine":3j3qt1j2 said:
I'm going to the boat tomorrow. I will take pictures. If you have a Volvo Penta servicing dealer near by tell them what you are doing and they will know what is needed. Multilink cable to power an accessory. I think they make one with the relay included. I didn't use that because I already had a relay.
Click to expand...

Hi Brian, My local dealer isn't having luck finding the multi-link cable. What dealer have you had success with?

Thank you!
 
I'm going to add onto this "Leaky Trim Tab" thread.

Yesterday our starboard side Actuator blew out all the hydraulic fluid. Earlier in the day I had noticed that the port Tab would operate but the starboard side seemed slower. At speed, the port Tab went down, the starboard Tab did not and the boat veered radically to the right. Not good.

But back at the dock I tried both switches and then noticed the blue tinge of ATF floating across the canal. Dawn to the rescue.

I've sent a note to Bennett this morning. This boat is a 2019 C-28 with only 50 hours on the engine. Almost new. No hard backing and I always place the tabs back in the up position when we get back to the dock. New bottom paint. I also installed zincs on the Tabs.

So:
-I am assuming that the Actuator cannot be replaced while the boat is in the water, it's going to have to be hauled.

-I'm looking at the Bennett "exploded view" of the Tab Assembly. The Actuator appears to be plumbed from inside the transom of the boat. How do you access the plumbing to replace the Actuator?

-It looks like the lower hinge has a simple pin holding the Actuator to the Hinge. It looks like ("exploded view") that the upper Hinge is not removable from the Actuator but is held to the boat transom with three SS screws (and I assume some 4200 bedding).

-How can I get the engine hatch up? Tried pulling on one of the rings and it didn't budge.

Thanks for any/all comments...Bob/Bradenton

PS: I moved the solar panel rack way forward and extended the solar panel +/- wires. Now all four hatches can open completely instead of hitting the rack, and the solar panel is now not shaded by the radar dome. Easy fix, no idea why Cutwater didn't do that from the factory design...
 
Actuator needs to be replaced out of the water. I would also flush the trim pump several times to confirm water did not get into the hydraulic system. If the actuator broke at the cylinder or ram shaft then you can leave the cap mounted to the transom in place. Unscrew the actuator cylinder housing out of the cap. Then remove the cap off the new assembly and screw it to the cap mounted on the transom. Fill reservoir with clean ATF fluid after flushing and trim up and down to bleed all the air out of the system. If the leak is located at the cap mounted to the transom you will have to remove the cap and tubing fitting inside the bilge area to replace.
 
HI Brian,
Thanks for that very good advice about maybe not needing to replace the entire actuator unit. I'll dive under the boat this weekend and take a look.

But, if the entire actuator has to be replaced, I'm assuming that I need to access the inside of the transom were the hydraulic lines go through. I looked behind the twin batteries but didn't see any lines.

Can you point me in the direction of where they might be?

From the Bennett diagram, if I do have to remove the entire unit (the three transom to hinge screws), there is a short length (3") of metal tubing that connects the actuator hinge, through the transom to the female elbow. What gets removed first: The hydraulic line from the elbow, the elbow from the 3" pipe, etc. Somehow something has to come off to get the actuator removed and replaced. Maybe once the actuator is loose, it can be spun around to un-thread it from the 3" pipe.

Regarding bleeding the system, I assume that I can do that when the 3" pipe is removed from the actuator hinge. That would clear out the starboard side which is the broken side, but what about bleeding the port side. Would I remove the elbow on that side as well?

Thanks, Bob/Bradenton

PS: Since the hydraulics are not working, of course the engine hatch won't open. Do you just use the lifting rings to pull the hatch up? Seems heavy as a rock...
 
To close this thread out, I spoke with Carl/Edgewater Yachts/Pensacola and he said that you just unscrew the three SS screws that hold the upper hinge to the transom and when you pull it off, there is enough loose hydraulic line where you can disconnect the barrel from the outside of the boat. No need to do anything inside except flush/bleed the system. Easy. I'm ordering two from Bennett today. Going to replace both and keep the old good one as a spare.

According to Carl, for the C-28, the part number for the Actuator is: A1101A. Thanks again for all the comments, Bob/Bradenton

PS: To access the pump, there are two small round access ports that you unscrew. Very small for access to all the gear way down there. So I'll be cutting out most of the entire floor under the seat and then fitting a slightly larger section of Starboard to fit over the hole when I don't need the access.
 
Quick question on the access ports you mention, are they the two under the reversing rear seat? If so, before you cut that hole, if you take the seat off and then a few screws that whole insert lifts out to provide better access - at least it does on a 2014 C28! Still hard to get at some of the gear way down low, but possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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