OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Hello All,

My friends and I have entered in on our first boat project and purchased a 26' vessel with a 1977 OMC 235Hp and Stringer outdrive. The boat has been sitting for sometime and among the other issues, my big problem right now is the steering. It appears we have the OMC true course steering and it's locked up. We tried to ease the wheel back and forth to free it but it popped a cable due to binding somewhere. I removed the outdrive and intermediate housing and have found the steering shaft in the intermediate appears to be frozen. My question is how do you remove the steering shaft from the Intermediate housing? I tried using a sledge hammer and tie rod extractor wedged under the worm gear on the shaft but it moved only 1/4" before popping the circlip that holds the gear on. It looks like there's either a bearing or seal under the steering gear. I can't get the shaft ouot to even replace the cable as it has to attach to the worm gear that winds the cable somehow! How in the world do I get that shaft out from here? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

did you take the screw out of the cable drum?

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Howard Sterndrive said:

did you take the screw out of the cable drum?

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I did read about the cable drum screw in another post, but I didnt see anything. I may have missed it. Im not 100% sure of what im looking for though. When I spin the shaft I see the grooves the cables ride in but no screws. Is that were its located? Thanks for the reply btw!

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Mkongsiri said:

I did read about the cable drum screw in another post, but I didnt see anything. I may have missed it. Im not 100% sure of what im looking for though. When I spin the shaft I see the grooves the cables ride in but no screws. Is that were its located? Thanks for the reply btw!

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You need to turn the drum until you can see the notch in the (I believe) the rear side plate of the drum. The screw is down inside that notch. You unscrew the screw, then pull the gear and shaft out the rear. Take careful note of all the shims and washers on the shaft on both sides of the drum.

The places that can cause the steering to seize up are threefold. One is where the shaft exits the intermediate housing. One is where the shaft rides in the intermediate housing forward of the drum. That point does have a zerk fitting but it also has a nylon bushing that the shaft rides in. The last is the cable ways themselves. After 30 years, my steering became extremely stiff. It turned out that it was in the cable itself.

I pulled the drum, raised it as high in the air as I could and clamped it to a pole that I erected. I then shot lubricant down each cable way as I repeatedly turned the wheel, lock to lock. I repeated this numerous times and reassembled all and my steering effort was reduced to nil.

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Boomyal said:

You need to turn the drum until you can see the notch in the (I believe) the rear side plate of the drum. The screw is down inside that notch. You unscrew the screw, then pull the gear and shaft out the rear. Take careful note of all the shims and washers on the shaft on both sides of the drum.

The places that can cause the steering to seize up are threefold. One is where the shaft exits the intermediate housing. One is where the shaft rides in the intermediate housing forward of the drum. That point does have a zerk fitting but it also has a nylon bushing that the shaft rides in. The last is the cable ways themselves. After 30 years, my steering became extremely stiff. It turned out that it was in the cable itself.

I pulled the drum, raised it as high in the air as I could and clamped it to a pole that I erected. I then shot lubricant down each cable way as I repeatedly turned the wheel, lock to lock. I repeated this numerous times and reassembled all and my steering effort was reduced to nil.

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Im going down to the boat on Wednesday and Ill take another look for the drum screw. The problem is the rear side plate is covered by the back of the intermediate housing as its mounted. Ill take a look, it had to get on there somehow so it has to come off! I have to use a hammer and screwdriver and tap the gears to spin the shaft. The cables are completely disconnected from the helm as well as the intermediate so I have to rewind them. BTW, can you suggest the best way to rewind the cables back onto the drum? I think I can figure it out but any suggestions would be great. Also, with the tooth steering gear removed, there's what appears to be a pressed in seal or bb underneath it. It looks like there's an inner and outer race, and the seal in it is shot. Can you suggest where I can get order another? Not sure where to find a P/N but I think I can probably measure inner/outer diameter and find something. Thank you again for your help!

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

shop.evinrude.com has all the parts pics, exploded views, part numbers, prices and availability. Go to parts, change dropdown from Evinrude to Stern Drive, select year and model and look at Intermediate Housing.

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Great, thanks! How do I find the model of the unit I have? All I know is that it's a 1977 OMC Stringer Outdrive on a OMC 235HP engine (I think it's a 351 Windsor).

Re: OMC Stringer Tru Course Steering Shaft Removal - PLEASE HELP!!!!

specific model doesn't matter for what you're looking at - all four 1977 235HP models are basically the same. - differences are things like exhaust riser height and engine mounts.