Steering Frozen

[burlybo]

My 2000 mercury 25hp has been sitting for about 6 months. I tried to turn it the other day and the steering is frozen. I took off the steering cable (as much as I could w/o moving the motor) and the motor was still stuck. So I disconnected the motor from the rod and the motor turns freely. I tried to tap the rod free but it won't budge. When I pulled the steering cable rod out of the tube, there are metal flecks in the grease and the outside of the tube is pretty rusted.<br /><br />Do I really have a chance of loosening this up if I shoot grease in there and push on the engine or am I totally out of luck? I don't have the means to heat it, but i'll get a grease gun if that might actually work. I can also shoot some liquid wrench in there, or whatever might work. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[andy6374]

Re: Steering Frozen

So, it sounds like the steering cable is locked up inside the tilt tube. Can you move it at all? <br /><br />The last one I replaced was SOOO seized to the tilt tube that we just replaced the tilt tube along with the steering cable. No amount of heat was going to free this sucker. FYI: do this as a last resort because getting the tilt tube back in with the washers and everything is a huge PITA.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

I can't imagine that it is THAT seized because i had it in the ocean about, oh, 6 months ago and it was totally fine. Also, the whole setup is only 6 years old.<br /><br />I can't move that sucker at all, though. I put lock-ez on the outside of the entrance to the tube and nothing happened. I just bought a grease gun and some spray lock-ez to shoot as far in there as i can.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

Oh, also... I loosened the steering cable from the tilt tube and that came out just fine. The cable is moving freely inside the steering cable. It's the other rod on the other side that is stuck. Sorry, maybe that's all part of the steering cable?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Steering Frozen

i believe that is part of the steering cable. as the cable goes thru the tilt tube and is stabilized by the nut. so the cable can move the engine back and forth. this what salt does to everything metal.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

But when I unscrew the steering cable from the tube, it just comes right out w/o moving the rod on the other side. Are they attached to each other? I haven't had a chance to shoot grease in there but the lock-ez isn't working.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Steering Frozen

it sounds like it is broken. the cable is suppode to be attached to the rod. the cable slides the rod in the tube back and forth to turn the motor. if you have a pipe wrench available try to turn it back and forth to free it up. i'm afriad the grease is just going to make the job messier.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Steering Frozen

take a flashlight get under your steering console and post any numbers and words on the steering controller. and look on the black part of the cable for any numbers.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

Okay, i will take a look when i get home from work, tashasdaddy.<br /><br />I've read a little on the steering cable on the web and it seems okay that the steering cable should be able to pull out of the tilt tube while the rod on the other side is stuck. Is that true? On my boat, though, i'd have to move the motor over to pull the cable rod out of the tilt wheel.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

I just figured out that the steering cable isn't coming free from the frozen rod, but rather the sleeve is just coming back away from the rod when i loosen that nut on there. That makes more sense. Sorry about the confusion. Now i understand why sometimes it's necesssary to cut that line if the rod is seized that badly.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

I was wrong. When I unscrew the steering cable from the tilt tube, the bar comes out a bit... maybe 6 or 8 inches until it stops while the end of the steering cable where it attaches to the steering arm is still stuck. Is that normal? <br /><br />I tried tilting it, banging it, using Gunk. I'm locating a torch to try to heat it. Last ditch effort before taking it in.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Steering Frozen

Bo can you post some pictures, or email me some at <tashasdaddy@comcast.net>

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

I will send a pic, tashasdaddy, but i might be able to explain it, too. I just took a torch to the tilt tube and was able to bang the rod back into the tilt tube. I kept hoping that it would break free, but it did not. Now it is almost all the way into the tube and stuck, but at least i know it moves. I'm thinking my only move now is to slide the motor over so i can get the cable out of the tube and just pound it all the way out and try to replace it with a stainless tube and hope my steering cable is all in tact.<br /><br />I wish i could make it slide easily, but it takes a pretty good hammer whack to move it.

 

[burlybo]

Re: Steering Frozen

Alright... I just wanted to post the way I fixed the frozen steering so it might guide others.<br /><br />After a few days of liquid wrench and wd40 I used a propane torch to warm the tube up for a few minutes and then banged the steering rod back into the tub from port to starboard. I used the side of the hammer since it's tough to get a good shot with the front. Finally, it actually moved a bit so I tapped it nearly all the way in.<br /><br />Once it was in there I was actually able to lightly tap on the other end and get it to move back the other way. I continued to move it back and forth and wipe the rods off so they were clean. I shot wd40 into the tilt tube until it ran fairly clean and then kept repeating until i could slide it with my hands with some force. At that point, the steering worked from the wheel just fine.<br /><br />I didn't have to move the engine to repair, but in the long run this should be done so I can replace the tilt tube with a stainless one. <br /><br />Oh, yeah, to tap the rod back through the tube, i used a 3/8 x 10" lag bolt from home depot. $2.50.<br /><br />Thanks for the help. W/O this forum I'd be out a lot of gas money.<br /><br />NOTE: This is a 2000 13' Whaler setup with 25hp 4stroke mercury and console.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Steering Frozen

congrats. where there's a will there's a way.