Mercury 90 HP Steering cable

[111torrance111]

Just bought a 18' 1984 Invader boat with a 1991 Mercury outboard motor, the motor runs fine but the sterring cable is frozen.Q1. Does the motor have to be removed from the boat to replace a sterring cable, I can't see any other way to do this?Q2. Is is possible to free up a cable and still haave it perform properly?The boat was sitting for about 1 year without use, prior to that the cable was fine.Would appreciate any advise.Jerry

[Chunder06]

I had a seized cable in my 1990 90hp it was the tube on the motor that the rod runs through, remove the rod and clean out the rust that has built up, I used an electric drill with a length of 6mm rod and a lump of sand paper attached.You can do it with the motor still on if you have room to poke the 6mm rod into the tube.

[tashasdaddy]

i have to lift my motor to service my steering, as i have a narrow splash well.

[Chris1956]

Torrance, It is likely you will not be able to save the cable. They are not able to be disassembled. If the steering rod is stuck in the motor's tilt tube, you may be able to free it up. Remove the link rod to the motor, and put a pipe wrench on the steering rod. Spray it well with a good penetrating oil and try to rock the steering rod front to back. If it moves at all, it will eventually free up.You may be able to avoid removing the motor by unbolting it and sliding the motor all the way to the port side. If you can make the cable shorter, that will help. I have done this on my 16 footer, so you should have a chance at it.

[Texasmark]

Mine (almost)froze too...very very hard to steer. I cut the cable in pieces to see where it was frozen......the whole thing was frozen.Had I remounted the cable the way it was originally, I would have had to remove the engine. But the original installation had a bad kink at the engine so I just ran the cable across the deck (of my bass boat...since the engine is jacked up) and didn't kink it. In doing so, I didn't have to remove the engine.Buttttt had I had to do that, an engine hoist on a concrete floor connected to lifting eyes on the engine, or in my case a threaded eye screwed down on top of the crank in place of the existing locking nut.HTH,Mark

[111torrance111]

Thanks Guy's,I was able to get the cable loose by using WD40 and using the motor for leverage. Not sure how loose the cable should be but I can move the sterring fully in both directions.Should it be comaprable to power sterring in a car?Jerry

[tashasdaddy]

when the boat is out of the water, almost.

[Texasmark]

Mine took 2 hands and a bear grip to get it to turn with the old cable. With the replacement I can easily steer with one hand but it probably takes twice to 3x the pressure required on PS. Course PS doesn't really take any pressure.Mark

[dctucker]

I was able to free my frozen steering cable with liberal applications of PB Blaster and a hammer to the cable end, on the advice of an outboat mechanic. I removed the link arm first though. Once freed, I kept spraying the end of the cable with the PB Blaster and working the wheel back and forth, wiping up the grunge that came out and reapplying the PB Blaster. Smooth as silk now!From now on I will lubricate the cable end after every use and turn lock-to-lock a few times, and at least monthly in the off season.

[111torrance111]

Thanks Guy's,A cable replacement is over $500.00 due to the motor removal, I think I'll keep using lubricate until it free's up a little more.Jerry