steering wheel wont move!!

[BEKO1212]

what can i do to loosen up steering? cable is newer but boaT hasnt been used in 6 years.new cable installed about 6 months before being parked for 6 years.

 

[hidef]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

The cable is seized to the inside the tilt tube with rust. Remove the nut from holding the cable to the tilt tube. Try spraying a penetrating oil around the steering ram to free it up. Try to see if you can twist the the steering ram to help free it. You do not want to drive the ram backwards with a hammer or you will mushroom the end of it.

 

[Fed]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

I'd disconnect the drag link to find out where it's stuck, tilt tube or swivel pin.

 

[BOWMAKER1]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

We just went through this while rebuilding my 85 Bass Tracker. Take the drag link loose and see if the wheel will move then. If not then remove the nut that holds the cable into the tilt tube and try to back the cable out by turning the steering wheel. It should back our at least some then spray heavy with PB Blaster at that end and on the ram end on the other side of the tube. Let it set for a few days and then try to twist the ram end where the drag link connected. We did this for several days and then I rigged up a puller because I could not get it to drive back through with a block of wood and a big hammer. I applied some heat from a heat gun to the tilt tube and the ram pulled right on out. Then we cleaned it up with a little fine steel wool and more PB Blaster and now it works smoothly. Since there wasn't enough clearance to totally remove the cable from the tilt tube I heated it up pretty good and put new grease in the zerts there and it seems to work fine now. Hopefully we are near enough done now to actually get the boat in the water this week end for the first time since 2001.

 

[BEKO1212]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

not to sound stupid but where is the drag link? at the motor or steering wheel?

 

[lmuss53]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

Drag link is the linkage between the steering cable and the motor.

 

[Fed]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

Just a tip Bowmaker, I think you'll find the zerts you greased don't let the grease go through to the inside of the tilt tube, they only grease the outside to allow the tilt to move freely up & down.
You might want to pull the steering rod out as far as you can each way & get some grease on it by hand, it could save you some future grief.

 

[BEKO1212]

Re: steering wheel wont move!!

when i diconnected the steering cable i tried moving motor by hand and wouldnt move