seized steering

kayladog

Active Member
I put a new steering cable on the boat this summer but when it sits the stainless ram that runs through the outboard bracket tube keeps seizing up. The problem is from rust in the tube the motor pivots on. You'd think Evinrude would have used stainless for the tube. I cleaned it all out sprayed in the tube with Fluid Film but the problem keeps coming back. Anybody had this problem and know what the inside of the tube can be lubed with to prevent it from rusting. There is no grease nipple on the cable.
 
Is there a grease nipple on the tilt tube ?
there should be, and if so i think your grease is crystallized
and nothing moves in it.
Hold a propane torch to the tube long enough for the grease to melt
and then shoot it with fresh stuff.
 
Once the tube is corroded inside you will always have this problem, my old yamaha did this. Each spring I would have bang the steering rod free. I replaced the steering tube on outboard and never had a problem again.
 
As a mechanic,I deal with this problem from time to time. Most ob's have no way of greasing the tube and shaft other that physically putting grease on the shaft and working it in. Usually the grease nipples you see there only grease the pivot points. Anyway, what I made as a tool to repair this problem was to take a 5/8" drill bit and weld approx. a 6" shaft to it and drill out the tube. Without the added length, the drill bit wont do deep enough. It works great but the problem will reoccur. Once the rust starts, its impossible to stop.


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Fill the dam tub!
 
Had the same problem with mine worked it free then I drilled and put in my own grease fittings 2 of them on the bracket that goes to the tube then went and got a pump from merc thats is a hand pump that goes on to a tube of GEAR OIL never had a problem after that I think I still have the gun ill see for you..Are you in VIC.??

Wolf
 
I thought grease may be too hard to pump into the tube/ shaft as the clearance may be too small. Gear oil sounds like a good idea though.

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Fill the dam tub!
 
I have had the same issue with my 125 Merc, three times in the past 5 years. I've had enough and am leaning towards hydraulic steering. I had heard that you should make sure that the ram is in all the way when you store your boat but that didn't help and neither did white lithium spray grease. Good Luck with it.
 
if you plan on keeping the boat for a while scrap it and put hydraulic steering in I put 3 cables in mine and I finally woke up this year and put it in I wish I did it 10 years ago. it's a never ending issue with cables even if you maintain it it still causes grief
 
So found the do hicky I was trying to describe here a pic of what I used to use before I went to hydrolic steering, as you can see the one end is a pump the other is for fitting over a grease nipple it worked great for me.


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Good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. There are 2 grease nipples on the bracket to lube the tilt pivot points but I don't know if that grease is also supposed to get inside the tube. I guess no, because if you didn't use cable/ram type steering thru the tube it would just fill the empty tube full of grease.

Wolf, thanks for the offer, I could try your contraption. I'm in the Fernwood area. I'll call you if I'm over by your area.

Looks like a pain to change the tube, but maybe best way to solve once and for all.
 
Don't use grease on the cable. It's to thick and causes a dam effect trapping moisture inside the tube. Moisture causes the corrosion if it can't escape. Oil or anything is better than grease. A product called corrosion block is probably the best. If cable is real tight pull the cable from the tube(probably nead to pull engine. Don't bend cable to remove or it's new cable time), drill out tube, clean out tube and lube. P.S. Make sure you have the weather cap on the opposite end of tilt tube from the nut. Periodicaly remove the wheather cap and clean and lube cable. You can do the other end of the cable as well by removing the nut and doing the same.

I'm setting my priorities. I'm making time for fishing.
 
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