DIY Trim sender

JSP · 03 August 2009, 19:51

Anyone any ideas on making a trim sender ?

Dirk Diggler · 03 August 2009, 19:54

33c cable, clamp and a ball joint

JABS · 03 August 2009, 21:48

Turn round and look?

Hightower · 03 August 2009, 22:38

Yeh, stick your VHF Aerial to the engine cowling and when it pokes you in the back of the neck, your trimming too high.

JSP · 03 August 2009, 22:48

I did have an idea of a gerbil duck taped in between the bracket and the motor. A panic squeak is when the engine is just starting to Trim down, Squeak gets louder and more high pitched as you trim in.....
Could have a nest in the Jockey seat as they make Rabbits look like mary whitehouse!

Anyway, any ideas on making the sender?

alystra · 03 August 2009, 23:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

33c cable, clamp and a ball joint

I've been thinking about this too - after too many bone jarring crashes caused by me turning round to look at the engine and missing the wave.

I'm not spending another 40 or 50 quid on some electronic rubbish that's not waterproof in mist, let alone on the back of a rib. But my head only turns 75 degrees these days, so I'd like some sort of indicator.

Bicycle brake cable, or something, and some sort of indicator (end of cable and a ruler?), but I'm not sure what and I've not started on the project - but might.

Poly · 04 August 2009, 07:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by alystra

Bicycle brake cable, or something, and some sort of indicator (end of cable and a ruler?), but I'm not sure what and I've not started on the project - but might.

Lego tecnic range? Long thin tube with a pneumatic actuator/piston at each end?

Nasher · 04 August 2009, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

33c cable, clamp and a ball joint

This appears to be what the 'Boatmad guys' use.

I'd ask the question over there as I'm sure I've seen pictures of them on that site.

Nasher

Marinautic · 04 August 2009, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

This appears to be what the 'Boatmad guys' use.

Correct, it's what's known as a mechanical trim indicator. Downside is that the 33c cable has limited travel, so the ball joint connection is only really suitable for measuring "trim". If you wanted to tilt the motor you either have to disconnect, or go the more expensive route of a proper engine actuator. Although that is only a folded bit of s/s and a few fixings.

JSP · 04 August 2009, 15:32

Sorry must have missed Diggler's post.

Sounds interesting, anyone got any photos' of the setup?

JSP · 04 August 2009, 18:34

I've looked on boatmad but can't seem to find much info.

Chris · 04 August 2009, 19:09

Does the Yam not have a sender then?

JSP · 04 August 2009, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Does the Yam not have a sender then?

Yeah, but I think it's buggered.

Chris · 04 August 2009, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

Yeah, but I think it's buggered.

Is it wired in then, you have the guage on the dash?

JSP · 04 August 2009, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Is it wired in then, you have the guage on the dash?

All wired in. But still no cigar. Gauge is in the dash, could be the gauge but from what I read on the 'tinternet it seems like the sender.

Chris · 04 August 2009, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

All wired in. But still no cigar. Gauge is in the dash, could be the gauge but from what I read on the 'tinternet it seems like the sender.

It should be fairly easy to check the guage just find the cable that runs to the sender and bypass the sender to see if you get a reading.

I would have thought a sender for that engine would not cost a huge amount to replace and it would not be difficult to change

I had a look on eBay international for <yamaha trim sender> and there are quite a few people selling them not sure if they are the correct type but it looks like £60 seems normal.

Otherwise keep an eye on ebay UK for one or phone a dealer.

JSP · 04 August 2009, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

It should be fairly easy to check the guage just find the cable that runs to the sender and bypass the sender to see if you get a reading.

I would have thought a sender for that engine would not cost a huge amount to replace and it would not be difficult to change

I had a look on eBay international for <yamaha trim sender> and there are quite a few people selling them not sure if they are the correct type but it looks like £60 seems normal.

Otherwise keep an eye on ebay UK for one or phone a dealer.

There's no reading from the sender at all.
Thanks for that Chris. Just had a look and they look different. Where they are round, this is a small square ish box with a small lever on top.

chewy · 05 August 2009, 14:13

If the bow goes under trim out, if you take off trim in, easy.

Bet you wish you had an SR4 with none of that fancy stuff on!

doggypaddle · 05 August 2009, 14:23

I looked into this at length.......
the yam senders are expensive and rubbish.
the answer i came up with but have yet to impliment is a stainless bowden cable up into the powerhead where i can mount a cheap cermet linear potentiometer with an arm to the cable and use that to operate the trim gauge.
The electronics side is Pi** simple but as previously mentioned you need to arrange the cable to either have enough travel to allow for tilt, or be operated by a lever arm which can be left behind when tilting. again fairly simple but very time consuming to do a neat job.
to date i aint been arsed to do anything

Chewy has the idea

chewy · 05 August 2009, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by doggypaddle

Chewy has the idea