Merc 120 steering noise

Ok, let me start by stating I am extrememly unfamiliar with boats and parts. My girlfriend has been taking me out on her boat and teaching me the "rules of the water". I am now trying to help her maintain the boat to save money; she doesn't know much about the mechanics of the boat either.

We have a 1987 I/O Merc 120, Alpha 1, motor serial OB425649. While traveling at slow speed, docking and such, there is a groan the engine makes when steering sharply. It's not difficult to steer, there's just this sound that doesn't seem should be there.

I have read through many posts and the manuals trying to figure out where and how to fill the power steering fluid. I've scanned all around the engine compartment and can't, for the life of me, find the fluid reservoir/dipstick. While reading through more posts this afternoon, I see there can be manual steering setups, but this leaves me further confused that manual steering may be hydraulic. Although embarassed to ask the question, I feel I've done due diligence on the web and my best looking through the many threads on this site.

Is this something I should just leave up to the experts at the service dry-dock or something very simple I can figure out?

Your help is appreciated!
Robb

Re: Merc 120 steering noise

My girlfriend has been taking me out on her boat

Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,...... Nice Girlfriend......

From your discription,...
I'd think the Gimbel Bearing,+/ or the U-joints would be the Problem...

Re: Merc 120 steering noise

Hey Bond-O,

I thought I?d be getting an email notice of a reply on the forum, sorry I didn?t check it sooner. Thanks for the prompt reply! I?ll try to keep this simple?.

Maybe the noise was due to a slight loss of gear lube around the coupler (?). I?m not sure about the names of items yet. What might have started as a minor slow leak we were unfamiliar with may have now turned into a grave problem.

While traveling at put-put speed in a quiet area of the lake (in a deep cove near the Chattanooga Yacht Club), the boat shuttered and then a high-pitched zipping noise came from the read end. I put her in neutral and turned off the engine as quickly as possible. Inspection of the prop showed no visible sign of hitting anything. So I started it up and tried forward and reverse, but only a grind and a spinning noise is all we heard. Lifting the engine cover, we found a thick brown oil (or thin grease) in the bilge.

We are still awaiting the call from the dry-dock service department, but I have to assume this is a bad problem now. Seems to me, the small leak turned into a major one? when we lost the lube, the teeth heated, became brittle and sheered off.

The boats age, and wonderful character, is hardly worth a $2,000 repair bill. Any thoughts you can give about the problem and potential cost would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Robb