Panther 55 Tilt and Trim

Just installed a Panther 55 tilt and trim unit on my Alumacraft 1648. I discuss that some in my thread below about what was initially for a question on a jackplate install. I got the trim unit with the purchase of a used Yamaha 30 2-stroke. Was said to be slow and noisy but function somewhat. Was able to try it for the first time yesterday with the motor mounted and on the water and it has to work to tilt the motor up in general and wont tilt up at all above anything over forward idle speed in the water. I have it on a good fully charged battery and connections seem clean. When I first started messing with the unit it would barely trim at all even with no motor mounted so I added grease to to the actuator and cycled it a number of times and it actually seemed to work pretty well.

These models use linear actuators instead of hydraulics so I think they are very sensitive to water intrusion and this unit had a cut breather tube in a location subject to motor splash and rain. Does anyone have any experience with these? I plan to remove and inspect/clean the motor first and see what that accomplishes. If the motor seems good then I don't know what to try with the actuator itself. The manufacturer states they are non-repairable which may be true. In the event it does just need to be replaced, they only sell a motor/actuator combo of which the cheapest I have found is about $275. At that point I question whether it is smart to buy their replacement or adapt something from another make or model. It just attaches at the top and bottom with a 1/2" clevis/pin so I would think many ones with the same stroke length may be able to be retro-fitted.

A little more backstory I forgot to add. Previous owner said either contact switch or relay (I can't remember which he said) had a period where whenever it rained, it would short out and run the unit in the up position until it totally drained his battery. Took him a while to figure out what was going on so it must have done it multiple times. I would have thought it had a limit switch to prevent it from constantly trying to go up but maybe not. Anyways, for whatever that info is worth it may have damaged the brushes more than the actuator itself trying to constantly trim it up like that. Or could be the complete opposite and just a matter of water in the actuator causing it....or even worse, a combination of the two lol.

Sounds like you inherited someone else's problems.

This sounds like a safety issue to me:
"Previous owner said....it would short out and run the unit in the up position until it totally drained his battery."


If you can't find a way to make it work with retrofit parts, there's no way I would spend $275 on that unit. You could probably find a used PT-35 or PT-130 for that.

I would start by checking internals on motor. Brushes probably bad and armature could use a cleaning. Then on to actuator. Assuming it is a ball and screw set up, water intrusion could have caused some rust build up and should have a bearing at top and bottom of shaft. Haven’t seen much mechanical that can’t be repaired with a little patience and perseverance. A good dosing with some penetrating oil to start with and if that loosens it up then use some transmission fluid on it. If you get it working good then your next step is to find and install a limit switch.

some actuators have built in stop/stop limit switches.

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Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

Sounds like you inherited someone else's problems.

This sounds like a safety issue to me:
"Previous owner said....it would short out and run the unit in the up position until it totally drained his battery."


If you can't find a way to make it work with retrofit parts, there's no way I would spend $275 on that unit. You could probably find a used PT-35 or PT-130 for that.

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It was included with the sale of an outboard. I didn't go out and buy this stand alone in the condition it's in. So that's why I'm trying to fix it prior to spending any money on it. The good news about it being a linear actuator versus a hydraulic system is that if the motor doesn't turn, then the position is securely fixed - so no leak down issues or the likes. So as long as it will tilt up slowly at idle I can position the motor appropriately before taking off. The seller was very honest about all of this upfront so I don't think he tried to pawn anything off on me, just told me how it was. He said the factory switch was what caused it and he replaced with an aftermarket one. From my reading, these factory switches and relays for both Panther and CMC are junk. If I can iron out the motor/actuator problems, I plan to buy a recommended winch relay and install in the motor cowling like the factory would do it, and install a OEM E-tec trim switch in the end of the tiller handle. That will keep both out of the elements and also make for a much cleaner install in the boat.

Right now the unit is serving more as a sacrificial transom as I have it mounted to a 15" transom with a 20" shaft outboard on it. I say sacrificial because now I can build a riser for my motor which can bolt to the tilt unit without drilling random, non-standard holes in my boat's transom.

I was actually thinking of getting rid of it right off the bat and getting a CMC. But after reading up on them, I found that most people who have ran both prefer the Panther. I saw a lot of examples of the lower clevis on the PT35 breaking and their relays were said to be even junkier than Panthers. Also the PT35 doesnt have a standard bolt pattern, which isnt a huge deal on a 1648, but something I wanted. The PT130 has decent reviews but the weight is what turned me off to it.

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Originally Posted by Cray

I would start by checking internals on motor. Brushes probably bad and armature could use a cleaning. Then on to actuator. Assuming it is a ball and screw set up, water intrusion could have caused some rust build up and should have a bearing at top and bottom of shaft. Haven’t seen much mechanical that can’t be repaired with a little patience and perseverance. A good dosing with some penetrating oil to start with and if that loosens it up then use some transmission fluid on it. If you get it working good then your next step is to find and install a limit switch.

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Yeah, I'm pretty confident that the actuator can be repaired to the point it is serviceable. Not sure it will ever be fast or quiet but as long as it will trim up under power I will be happy. Iv'e never messed with a small 12v motor like this so that will be new to me but I bet there are plenty of videos on Youtube.

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

some actuators have built in stop/stop limit switches.

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I will see if I can get an answer on that from the manufacturer.

PM sent

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Originally Posted by pescador

PM sent

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Got it and replied.

I pulled the motor off and pulled it apart. Motor worked fine disconneted from the actuator. Was quiet and spun smooth, just got a little hot on the shaft end after running it both ways for 10-15 seconds which may be normal. Inside there was no sign of water intrusion and the brushes were not worn or sticking. I think its pretty clear the actuator is the culprit now. There is an armature repair shop in Arkansas in duck hunting country where I've read people get these worked on. Also found a used actuator for sale.... The warranty is only 1 year so buying used is an option. Im still considering trying to fix myself but I actually dont see a real clear way to break it apart to even inspect so Im not sure I want to risk messing it up before sourcing a replacement. Im leaning towards buying a replacement and working on this one in my spare time and saving it for a project down the road.