[clarkwk]

Can't figure out why my outboard spring clip which holds the unit from tilting up won't engage. The little spring clip slips right over the pin that I assume it use to "hold' onto.
The result is when I put the motor in reverse the propeller causes the unit to swing out of the water. What an I missing? It use to work fine. Thanks for any help.

 

[MC40712]

Can't figure out why my outboard spring clip which holds the unit from tilting up won't engage. The little spring clip slips right over the pin that I assume it use to "hold' onto.
The result is when I put the motor in reverse the propeller causes the unit to swing out of the water. What an I missing? It use to work fine. Thanks for any help.

I have the same issue. have you resolved it if so how?

 

[Zanshin]

I had the same issue with my previous Tohatsu and couldn't figure out why it wasn't locking. either!

 

[Ulladh]

I had a 6hp Tohatsu long shaft for a few to many years. It was perfect in forward but reverse getting in or out of a slip was flirting with disaster every time. Not enough thrust and I just was not getting anywhere, too much thrust and the motor kicked up but never out of the water. Years of trying to fix it, then I gave up and got an 8 hp Tohatsu, problem solved. The 6hp is bagged and stored in the garden shed, it works, I will give it away free if anyone wants to pick it up in Philadelphia

 

[Den]

There is a hardened steel pin which removes on Yamaha. If you forget to put that pin the lock has no stop point.
I’ve seen a zillion Dinghy missing them and folks pushing down on their motor to reverse. I fed my original one to the fish made up a new one with a safety cable

 

[Quickstep192]

This is going from a not great memory and long ago, but I seem to recall there’s a hook that engages the pin Den speaks of. There’s a lever that disengages that hook so the motor can tilt up when you want it to. As I recall, there is a spring on that lever that makes it click into place and when the spring loses strength or breaks, you have to nudge that lever by hand to make it engage.

 

[Quickstep192]

This might be crazy, but I noticed that the owners manual says that the motor has to be in forward to allow it to tilt up. Is it possible it has to be in forward when you tilt it down before use in order for the tilt lock to engage?

 

[Steve Bateman]

Found the springs get weak no 40

 

[SteveWill]

I had a 6hp Tohatsu long shaft for a few to many years. It was perfect in forward but reverse getting in or out of a slip was flirting with disaster every time. Not enough thrust and I just was not getting anywhere, too much thrust and the motor kicked up but never out of the water. Years of trying to fix it, then I gave up and got an 8 hp Tohatsu, problem solved. The 6hp is bagged and stored in the garden shed, it works, I will give it away free if anyone wants to pick it up in Philadelphia

I had a 6hp Tohatsu long shaft for a few to many years. It was perfect in forward but reverse getting in or out of a slip was flirting with disaster every time. Not enough thrust and I just was not getting anywhere, too much thrust and the motor kicked up but never out of the water. Years of trying to fix it, then I gave up and got an 8 hp Tohatsu, problem solved. The 6hp is bagged and stored in the garden shed, it works, I will give it away free if anyone wants to pick it up in Philadelphia

Hello Ulladh--do you still have that Tohatsu? I'm looking for something like that if so.

Regards,

Steve

 

[Steve Bateman]

As a rule of thumb I never put the tilt lock on so if sorry when you hit something the motor is free to tilt up and may well save your transom. Going astern I can hold it down with my hand and I am talking a 15hp yamaha .

 

[TakeFive]

As a rule of thumb I never put the tilt lock on so if sorry when you hit something the motor is free to tilt up and may well save your transom. Going astern I can hold it down with my hand and I am talking a 15hp yamaha .

In my personal experience with outboards of 4, 15, and 50 hp, the tilt lock always had a safety release that would allow the outboard to pop up if it were struck hard enough. I've never heard about losing a transom in such a situation.