1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

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castman27

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Yesterday i try to hook up the steering cable to the motor , got hook it up but when i try to steer either to the right or left it seems it is hard to do is this normal when the motor is not in the water or is not running ???? I tought maybe that it is not the right cable it was on the boat when i purchase the boat, but the motor i purchase apart from someone else.
 
royal0014

royal0014

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Kinda hard to discern from your description.... pictures would help.

A '63 would have had the old rope and pulley steering. What is on the boat? If its has a single cable type, you're gonna have problems.

Also, try disconnecting the steering and turning the motor by hand, to eliminate the pivot on the motor as the stuck part.


<<)))(((>>
 
emoney

emoney

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Exactly what royal said. It should turn easily, without a lot of resistance once it's unhooked. If it doesn't, then you'll need to pull the motor to get to the pivot pin. There's two grease points on mine on the starboard side, but I don't know about the '63. They look like any standard grease pressure fitting. If it is still stiff after you unhook it, you might try using a grease gun and shooting some fresh lube in there. Good luck.
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Ok i will take picture hopefully tonight when i get home, i fnot i will post the pics tomorrow during the day.And also i dont have pulleys etc... it is just a straight cable from the steering itself a straight bar with a hole at the end to attach it.
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

I have try to turn the steering wheel wothout attaching it to the motor and it is still hard to turn , makes me think of a car steering without a power steering unit .in the old days we call it power arm, lol.
 
nwcove

nwcove

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

sounds like your cable needs lube or replacement, other than that ,any "tight routing bends" may be causing the cable to bind. (i had a 65 nova.....no power steering, we called it "armstrong steering! lol)
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

i will post pictures of the motor and the steering cable when i get home later on . ok here are some pics for the attachment i need like the steering cable, will posty the steering cable i got l8tr on tonight.


Ok got some new pics this is what i have to connect my steering to the motor. is this the setting that i need to have it hook up???
 

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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Here are some pics of the attachment i got .
 
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F_R

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

If your steering wheel is hard to turn when not connected to the motor, the problem is in the cable or helm. If the cable is too long, it will have extra bends and be very hard to steer.

It should work easy enough, but it will never really be right, because that motor was not made for that kind od steering. Side to side steering travel (hardover to hardover) will be very limited, making docking a pain. And it may not tilt all the way up without bending or breaking something.
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

the cable look ok it as the right lenght i hope so will have to measure it, but when i try to turn the steering wheel it is hard but i can see the pignon coming in and out a little bit at the end of the cable . I think i will have tobring it to a marine shop to have it fix properly and i am very limited for cash wise too.
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

ok the cable is the right lenght and i put some oil in the cable well as much i could cause it is tight in there and shake it and trying to moved it by hand, i look underneath at the helm and try to turn the steering and the mechanisem looks ok i think it is in the cable maybe asome rust somewhere. i hope i dont have to buy a cable .
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

I know i do now i took it appart and it is inside the cable that is no good, and also i have measure for another cable the measurement are 149" so i guess i need a 12ft cable , i tought because my boat is 14ft that i need a 14ft cable , am i measuring it wrong???
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Boat length has little to do with cable length since the steering console could be in various locations. Cable length is (helm to side) + (helm to motor) + (side to motor)
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

ok i measure this way from helm to side + side all the way to the end of boat + to half of transom, that gave me 149" , i know you have either to take off 6" or add 6" and then rounded to the nearest feet that is what i dont know.
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

Well when I ordered mine it ended up being a little short :facepalm: so if it was mine, I'd go bigger!
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

I need help real bad , dont have much time left leaving on fishing trip the 2nd of July and still cannot hook up the steering cable to my motor. I have try everything with no success when i connect my steering cable to motor it is ok but but when i turn the steering wheel to the right as a exemple the motor goes to the end, but when i turn the other way well the motor stop turning when i get straight , so dont know if i need a adjuster to the cable or is there a way to have it turn both ways like to the right and then to the left. Can anyone help me please. The steering wheel cable is a morse 144" and i guess the Helm is rotary inside the help it is all gears.
 
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castman27

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

If you look almost at the start of this post you will see what i have for connection and also i look at your setting i dont have the arm that is all bent and also i dont have that mechanisme that you enter the arm in that cinlder that is hook up to your motor, but there must be a way to hook it up without having to set it up like you ??? or it is the way it as to go ???
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: 1963 40HP Johnson Steering problem

What you're doing will not work. You cannot connect the thing in picture 1 directly to the thing in picture 3. Because you do not have a tilt tube, you need one of these http://www.iboats.com/Corrosion-Res...5764940--**********.611379388--view_id.192758 bolted to your transom to take the place of it. Then you will also need a steering link bar http://www.iboats.com/T-R-Steering-...55764940--**********.292330412--view_id.40158 (you should be able to find a link bar from ebay or a salvage place much cheaper. There's a list of salvage places in the stickies in the johnson/evinrude section)
 
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