frozen steering

I own a 1982 champion bass boat nothing fancy but all i can aford and it works great for what i want,fishing.the problem is every time the temp falls into the 20,s my steering freezes up. what is going on here is it something i can fix or just dont go fishing when the temps hit that mark?

Re: frozen steering

Odds are good that grease got forced into the steering cable. It's pre-lubed with a light synthetic oil, and grease will jam it up.

I made an adapter to force SeaFoam through the cable, then 5W30 synthetic oil. Works good. You should be able to find a thread on here about it with the search function.

Edit > Here's the thread I started on Scream and Fly
http://www.screamandfly.com/showthread.php?188864-Steering-Cable-Lube

Re: frozen steering

the problem is every time the temp falls into the 20,s my steering freezes up.

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Ayuh,... JM might be Right, but I'm gonna bet it's Water in the cable, considerin' it Freezes at 32?....

Re: frozen steering

Yeah.. I have to agree with Bond-o... water freezes not grease. My bet is the lack of grease is part of the issue why you're getting water into the steering cable to begin with.

As always... the PROPER grease is best but almost any grease is acceptable on an outboard.

Re: frozen steering

Could be water. Fix is the same.

Grease is a no-no. (per Teleflex)

Re: frozen steering

Unless that cable has been changed it is most likely time. Oil, grease, etc. (never recommended for steering or any other cables) at best will just slightly prolong the use of said cable by lubing the worn and damaged spots inside.

Re: frozen steering

yea you are probly right i should replace the cables is this a major job? can an individual do this, and if so how much are cables and i guess i can order them online.

Re: frozen steering

cr2k said:

Unless that cable has been changed it is most likely time. Oil, grease, etc. (never recommended for steering or any other cables) at best will just slightly prolong the use of said cable by lubing the worn and damaged spots inside.

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Well, Mine was 2 years old when it jammed up, and replace was several hundred dollars. (Dual NFB) The cleaning and oiling restored it to new, and now, 2 years later, you can still turn the helm with one finger. The cable will fail for one of 3 reasons. Lack of lubrication, contamination, and jacket failure. Pressure cleaning and lubrication will repair the first 2. Proper maintenance will then prolong the life of the repair.

I removed and chitcanned the grease zerk on the front steering rod tube. That helps a lot.

BTW, the guys over on Scream and Fly mostly drive boats that will eject you, sometimes through real hard boat structure, if the steering fails at speed.

On replacement. Usually you have to swing the engine from a sky hook of some kind to get the cables out of the tubes. You can then usually pull them out from the helm end, pulling in a rope at the same time. New cables then are pulled in from the helm to the stern, hooked up, and the engine re-mounted. Use the proper lifting eye on the engine to avoid damage or injury.

If it's an original Teleflex dual cable (likely) the cables are no longer available. You then have to replace the entire system, about $500.

hope it helps
John.

Re: frozen steering

jbornhop said:

yea you are probly right i should replace the cables is this a major job? can an individual do this, and if so how much are cables and i guess i can order them online.

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iboats sells the cables

Re: frozen steering

Jborn,

A few questions first. When you say it "freezes" do you mean stiff or totally stuck? Frozen as compared to what? Meaning when it is not "frozen" does it move totally free or still sluggish/stiff? You need to determine if it is your steering cable or the pivot yoke on the motor. Easy way to find out is to disconnect the tiller arm from the end of the cable. Try to move the motor by itself to see that it moves freely. Next rotate the steering wheel to see if the cable will move freely or not. One or the other usually will be the culprit. There is a grease fitting on the motor for the pivot yoke

Do you have a rotary unit or rack and pinion? I am guessing that it is a single cable unit.

Swapping cables is generally not very difficult. Your cable has a threaded connection at the helm. The newer Teleflex units use a quick connect end now. The older cables can still be found. Just unscrew the cable end on the helm and pull the cable out. The steering wheel will rotate when you do this. Then go back to the motor end and disconnect the tiller arm and undo the cable nut on the steering tube. Pull out the cable. Then remove the complete cable from the boat. The new cable will go back in the same way. Make sure you get th same length cable. I recommend using the cable number on the jacket to idenitfy the proper replacement. You can check that number with Teleflex to confirm the length. Like JM said above sometimes you have take out the motor mounting bolts to allow for the engine to be moved over some to make room for pulling the cable out of the steering tube.

Re: frozen steering

Unfortunately, as has been pointed out, the installation of the rod end at the tilt tube on the motor often requires the engine to be removed in order to get the old out and the new in...

When I hang motors, I always insert the rod in the tilt tube while the engine is on the hoist. Lets me use the weight of the engine to bend the cable...

Re: frozen steering

yes helps alot! thanks