25 hp Merc tilt lock!

I'm pulling my hair out! My motor has no power, or manual (charged accumulator) trim and tilt system. According to my Clymer manual, it should have one or the other. I think this is wrong. My motor is a 1997 25 hp motor. When I acquired the boat the motor was locked in the down position. I determined that the tilt lock release lever had broken off. I ordered a new one and installed it. I works fine on the trailer, but the slightest vibration causes the lever to pop up under the springs tension, and lock the motor. I need to find instructions on how this simple system is supposed to work. I don't want my transom ripped off if encountering an underwater obstruction at speed. I've considered just taking the whole system off! I would have no shallow water lock position, and the motor would kick up if backing down hard, but I can think of no other downside. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance folks!

Your motor has to be shifted in forward for the lock to be released.

I removed the whole system, and am happy with it. I just can't give it much throttle in reverse, or she will kick up. I will try to figure it out and re-install parts some time in the future.

I had the opposite problem where mine quit locking. What I found was a weak spring and I mean weak it had basicly lost all it's tension. Was no longer available so I took the old one to the hardware store and matched it up with a few canidates for replacement. Installed one of the new springs and made an adjustment on the activationg rod and it now works like a charm.

My motor is a 1971 Mercury 200 20 hp