Thread: Tilt/Trim Relay Replacement

I got a used Panther Tilt/Trim unit with an outboard purchase recently. I have already posted some here about it. Anyways, since it is an aftermarket unit and the outboard did not have factory trim, the relays weren't under the cowl but had been installed in a 4"x4" electrical junction box. Also in the box was the keyed starter and kill lanyard attachment. It was done pretty slick but despite being in a gasketed box the holes where the wires passed through were not sealed watertight.

A couple of weeks ago I towed my boat into work to do some fishing that evening. We had a massive pop up thunderstorm roll though that afternoon and it dropped a couple of inches of rain on our site. Being that I store my boat indoors when not in use, I never take out the plug aside from when I hose it out, so while in the parking lot it filled up with who knows how much water. That junction box was yet to be permanently installed so it was loose on the floor in the rear hatch and got submerged. The relays worked fine that day but corrosion has since set in and ruined them.

I had already been looking into replacing the relays as I had read the factory Panther and CMC ones are junk. I ordered a KFI winch contactor instead of standard marine relays at the recommendation of other forums and based on TurboTodd from TinBoats. I got it off Amazon for about $35 which is a good deal compared to standard relays, especially when you need a separate one for both the UP and DOWN direction. I cut, stripped, crimped, and heated on new ring terminals with heat shrink to the wiring and hooked it up to test it last night and it worked great. The winch contactor simply has a 1/4" stud for the positive and negative leads, a 1/4" stud for each of the leads to the trim motor, and then two small 18 or 20 g wires that connect to the switch.

Soon I will find a good location to permanently mount it and clean up the install and post some pictures. I can't speak to the longevity of this product yet but I will say I am a big fan of the simplicity of it. The studs allow for easy swapping of the trim motor leads to ensure the motor trims in the correct direction as the switch is engaged. And the unit itself is sealed and designed to be in a harsh environment. Just wanted to share my initial thoughts for anyone interested.

Originally Posted by skeetbum

I only had issues with trim solenoids once on my Mariner 150. Replaced em off of eBay for under $40 as I remember.

Sounds like a cool system and that you’re on the right track. After using 5200 a lot In Recent weeks I would say that’s the stuff. So much better than regular silicone I’ve used in the past. They are proud of it though. $20 to $33 a tube, depending where you get it. Stuff even cures underwater.

I'm a fan of 5200 too but I can't use it here unless I'm willing to cut the wire before they enter the box if I ever have to redo it since 5200 is a permanent adhesive. Once I orient and mount the box I dont think it will really need to be sealed. I will probably just gob on some left over Starbrite silicon I used to seal the motor mount bolt holes