1992 Ranger with a 1992 Mercury 150-steering problems?

[bigkycats96]

This is probably a dumb question, but last year my steering seemed to get a little tighter then usual. I know I have to grease the fittings, but I have only found one underneath the engine on the shaft. Where is the other fittings? Do I have to take the engine hood cover off to see them and grease them, or are they all on the outside? I have been told there are two grease fittings for the steering controls. THANK YOU!

[JustJason]

Every year is a little differnt and nobody is going to remember where every zerk on every motor is. The proble is either in the cable itself (they do wear out) or the steering tube on the clamp bracket is rusting up on the inside (or a combo of both)
You need to undo the steering arm and push the steering cable back through the tube, clean up the inside of the tube with a gun brush, blow it out, grease up the cable and put it all back together.
You might have to take the motor off the boat for this.

Welcome to iboats.

[j_martin]

If it's dual cable steering, and if the front tube on the motor has a grease fitting, and if you've greased it, you've fuddled up the cable. They do not like grease forced into the cable.

The grease zerk on the tilt tube lubricates only the tilt tube. It does not allow grease inside the tube to the steering.

It is possible to clean and lubricate the cables. SeaFoam is the cleaner of choice, 5w30 synthetic oil is the preferred lube. It takes a little rigging. It's been bantered about here and at Scream and Fly.

hope it helps
john