Stiff steering

I just purchased a used boat with a Mercury Force 120 outboard motor - 1994vintage.

While I have no problem with stiff steering on this motor, I do remember a previous Mercury outboard that I owned in the 1970's that was practically imposible to turn using the wheel unless I remembered to muscle the motor loose before I launched it. No amount of grease would solve that problem.

Will I eventually have the same problem with this motor too? If so, what is the preventative maintenance procedure? I realize that "Force" is the old Chrysler outboard motor company that was bought by Bayliner, and then the company was merged into the Mercury brand when Brunswick bought them.

Re: Stiff steering

disconnect the linkage at the motor, and determine if it is the motor of cable that is the problem. if original cable, it is overdue for replacement.

Re: Stiff steering

Those Mercs have an upper and lower steering swivel bushing. Sometimes these are corroded or full of dirty grease. If you clean 'em up, the steering will return to effortless. The best way to clean 'em is to remove the LU, powerhead and disasemble the midsection. On the older motors corrosion makes this a challenge.


You can sometimes loosen them up by raising the motor (not transom bracket) straight up to expand the clearance of the upper bushing, and pumping fresh grease into it. Application of penetrating oil, some heat etc can assist in this.

Re: Stiff steering

That's a big job.
If you go to the trouble of disassembling the whole motor, may as well replace the bushings.
It's been my personal experience that worn bushings do not get tighter.
If they are worn, you will be able to wiggle the engine back and forth.
I agree with TD - my money is on the cable.

Re: Stiff steering

Seems like everyone mis-understood you and thinks your engine already steers heavy.

Stiff steering at the engine is due to the yoke corroding. Since corroded aluminum is about ten times the volume of mass aluminum, the corrosion inside the hole in the yoke SQUEEZES the bushings and they in turn squeeze the kingpin. This prevents the engine from turning on the kingpin easily.

While greasing the kingpin religiously can help prevent this from happening, the grease itself will almost always go between the bushing and kingpin with very little between the bushing and yoke. the squeezed out grease on the bottom and top of the yoke will help to prevent water from getting into the yoke, but in salt water use it is a given that eventually the inside of the yoke will corrode and the steering will get tight.

When I have a tight engine where I must drive out the kingpin from the yoke, I remove the bushings, clean out the inside of the yoke, coat the inside of the yoke and outside of the bushings with anti-seize, then reassemble and grease everything. Hopefully, that slows further deterioration.