trim tab hydralic line

[Jman]

the line is ran through the drain under the portside rear seat this doesn't seem right or does it?

[Jmac]

That is where my line is routed.

[Tabman II]

Jmac,

I'm Thomas and I work for Bennett Marine in the Client Service Department.

I believe Triumph routes the hydraulic lines through the drain plugs to cut down on the number of penetrations they have to cut in the string system, which is a pretty good idea. Routing the lines in this fashion isn't much different than running them through a rigging chase and I would be willing to bet it is a more direct route with less bends to be made to reach the console too! Are you running into an issue with them routed this way? If so, please tell me the issue and we will see what can be done!

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
MJ Thomas
Bennett Marine, Inc.
Client Service
trimtabs@earthlink.net
www.bennetttrimtabs.com
(954) 427-1400
(954) 480-2897

[Jman]

tabmanII, they didn't run them through drainhole plug but through the drain hole at the bottom of the seat compartment that is the drain into the bildge these drains are only about the diameter of the tip of your pinky finger and now with a 1/4" line that doesn't leave much room through that little drain hole. could you give me some advice on the procedures that have to be preformed after disconnecting them from the control unit thank you very much, Jman

[Tabman II]

Jman,

You will need to ensure the trim tabs are fully retracted before disconnecting the hydraulic lines from the V-351 Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU), so the system will be in a relaxed state (no pressure). You will need a 1/2 wrench to remove them from the HPU and from the description of overall size of the drain hole the lines are routed through you will have to cut the compression fitting off to pull the lines out. If you will provide us with your mailing address (trimtabs@earthlink.net), I will see about mailing you a couple of new ones at No Charge to reconnect the lines after you complete the refit. After you reinstall the hydraulic lines (keep equal length runs to ensure same speed deployment) onto the HPU (follow the supplied installation instructions for the compression fittings), please run your trim tabs down & up three (3) to four (4) times to bleed the system and you should be back in business. Just out of curiosity, do you have a draining issue with the storage compartments or are you doing so preventive work?

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
MJ Thomas
Bennett Marine, Inc.
Client Services
trimtabs@earthink.net
www.bennetttrimtabs.com

[mowerchaotic]

Speaking of trim tabs, where is the hydrolic oil reservoir, or is it some sort of sealed system? How/where do you check/add oil to the system? What should be done in case of a leak? (Besides stop it)

Thanks,

John

[Jman]

TabmanII, I am doing both , The drainage on a triumph has enough problems already don't need any hassles later on from gunk and sludge building up around the hydralic line. Thank you for the info Jman

[recycle]

Jman,

I don't know what you're storing in the box to worry about gunk and junk but mine is the same way.

All I did was knotch out a milk crate to fit around the tubing and store in the crate. No stress with items putting pressure on the tube and no problems.

I thought you might be interested.

Recycle

[Tabman II]

mowerchaotic,

I believe Triumph installs the V-351 Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) inside of the center console, since we provide the actuators pre-connected with 18' of hydraulic line in the kits they purchase from us. The system uses any type of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) you might have handy and you can even mix them if need be! The bottom of the HPU is the reservoir and you can fill it by removing the Lexan Cover to gain access to the Fill Stack on top of the reservoir. It is a good idea to have one of those ATF Funnel Caps to screw directly onto the ATF bottle, which allows you to easily fill the reservoir. Of course, the ATF in the system isn't something you have to keep refilling, since the fluid isn't consumed like fuel. You keep a check on the system by testing it at the dock before you go out to ensure everything is working correctly, just like you do with all of the systems onboard your vessel. Periodiclly, check the reservoir to ensure the fluid level is within the operating range (2/3 to 3/4 full is more than enough), which you should do with the trim tabs full retracted since this is the relaxed position for the system (actuators empty). If you find the level low, then you should check for leaks by fully deflecting your trim tabs down and leaving them down for an hour or so. When you come back to them they should still be fully deflected, but if you have a leak one or both trim tabs will have retracted some or completely. For them to retract the hydraulic pressure has to be releaved, so you should be able to trace down the leak by looking for an ATF puddles on the trim tabs or inside of the transom. Depending on where the leak is coming from will determine the corrective action that can be done, since it could be as easy as replacement of a compression fitting or some new actuator o-rings. At any rate, they are normally fairly easy to fix and most of these parts can be obtained from us directly at No Charge with a phone call or email! In fact, our 5-year warranty states to contact us first when dealing with any type of issue you have with your system, since we can normally save you considerable time, trouble &/or expense.

Sincerely,
MJ Thomas
Bennett Marine, Inc.
Client Services
trimtabs@earthink.net
www.bennetttrimtabs.com

[mowerchaotic]

Great info, thanks for the response! Any tips for trouble shooting a leak in the system? Also, is there a way to fine tune the actuator to speed or slow the action of the tabs, or is that a no-no??

Thanks you're a wealth of wisdom.

John