R31 engine compartment hydraulic lifters

[kapandkaren]

Has anyone experienced gradual and then complete failure of the electrically controlled hydraulic lifters on your R31 (or R29?) engine compartment cover? And if so, what did you do to remedy it. I noticed the lifters raising the compartment less and less over the last few weeks and yesterday it failed to raise the cover at all. I can still raise it manually but it is quite heavy and since I did't have a broom handle to place in the corners to hold it up, i could not even try to trace the hydraulic line and see if i can figure out where it goes and if there is a container for fluid that leaked out or somesuch.
Any thoughts, ideas or related experiences are appreciated. Unfortuantely, Ranger has yet to issue an R31 manual and i've been working with the R29 manual but it is close, but not the same. And it has no reference to a hydraulic fluid well either.
Your help is greatly appreciated as we are leaving on a long trip (circumnavigation of Lake Michigan) in 2 weeks.

 

[Cruzerboy]

Make sure your trim tabs are completely up. They share the same hydraulic fluid as the lifter on our 29s and probably on your R31 as well.

Tom
Life Savor

 

[kapandkaren]

Thank you Tom -- I will check them. I think my husband was playing around with them and that may be a clue.

 

[Lehill]

Agree with Tom. Probably the trim tabs extended has drained the reservoir which is location on the transom wall. Lift the rear seat forward and you will see it there just about center.

 

[kapandkaren]

Thank you all for the answers. You're all correct -- below is the answer I received from Andrew Custis (Ranger Tugs) with a little more detail, FYI:

The trim tab pump controls the engine hatch lifter. If you follow the hydraulic line it leads right to underneath the back cockpit seat. You should open that, make sure all of your trim tabs are in the up position and the engine hatch is in the closed position. Check to make sure the fluid is within range on the front of the pump.

If the fluid is within the range, I suspect the hatch has airlocked. When you hit the switch down, you should hear the pump run. When you open the engine hatch, make sure you do not go to the full open position or this can happen again. To get it down, loosen the small brass nut right on the lower end of the hydraulic lifting ram and allow some fluid to blead out. Tighten it back up and try to lower again putting a little downward force on the hatch while holding the switch down.

 

[BaseCampAnne]

I am losing fluid from the lifts on my 2013 R29. I find it on the floor in the engine compartment. I do not regularly check the trim tabs and will. I must have the hatch lift cylinders working because these rotator cuffs no longer work very well.

Thx for posting this issue and resulting advice from Andrew.

 

[bill46]

Had a trim tab blow out and lost fluid - no hatch lift.
Plugged trim outlets on pump and refilled - hatch OK
reconnected trim tabs after replacement of defective.
Hoo OK now

 

[kapandkaren]

I filled the trim tab/hatch lift hydraulic fluid container. Hatch lifter works great. Trim tabs are still snarky and not moving. When i turn on the master power switch i hear the motors run-stop-run-stop but even filling the compartment and bleeding the lines at the container end didn't make a difference. I can tell by the algae growth that the tabs haven't moved in quite a while. If i can't figure this out will have Larsen Marine take a look when they do our pre-Lake Michigan prep work in three weeks. Glad my question was able to help others. If you have thoughts on my snarky trim tabs, i'm open to ideas. Happy motoring, karen

 

[bill46]

Bennett marine gives a 3 year warranty and was very good with my bad ones.