1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

[jkering66]

Hello,

last season my 1988 Mercury 175 outboard was very tough to steer. I took off the steering cable and manually moved the engine left to right and it is very stiff. I greased all the fittings I could find and worked the engine back and forth manually to free it up. It got a bit better, but after 1 week of no use, it is got very stiff again.

Do I need to replace some parts, or am I not getting it greased correctly?

Thanks

 

[ddennis]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

Sounds like time to replace the steering cable. You may try to get one of the "cable buddies" and use it to lube up the cable real good. If the cable is that stuck there is probably more wear in it than lube can help...safer to replace it..

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

Ayuh,....

It's entirely possible that continued Greasing of the Swivel Tube will loosen it up,.....
It sounds like it's Really Boogered up.....

 

[j_martin]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

Sounds like time to replace the steering cable. You may try to get one of the "cable buddies" and use it to lube up the cable real good. If the cable is that stuck there is probably more wear in it than lube can help...safer to replace it..

It sounds like the engine is stuck, with the cables removed.

Cables should be greased anyway. They last forever if you can keep them lubed, and are expensive and troublesome to replace.

That engine is big enough to hurt you real bad if steering fails. Be sure you get it right. If it isn't dual rack steering, I'd replace it. The single bolt that ties the steering linkage to the motor is critical. Use the right one from Mercury, not a hardware store substitute.

hope it helps
John

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

Once those motors get stiff steering, they are hard to loosen 'em up w/o disassembling the midsection. This is a lengthy proposition. Here are a few tricks. As you pump up the grease fittings, see which steering bushing (upper or lower)doesn't get grease. Now it is time to minipulate the motor to grease it. Usually it is the upper.

Tilt the motor up all the way and see if there is vertical play in the swivel tube (powerhead can move up a bit more). Now pump some grease into the fitings, if you can get it to come out the ungreased bushing, you may be able to grease it sufficiently.

In addition a bit of heat on the bushing may melt out the old dirty grease and allow new greasing to enter. If it is the botom bushing, you may remove the grease fitting and blast in some PB Blaster to loosen up the old grease.

 

[jkering66]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

Thanks Chris1956,

Grease comes out the bottom, but not the top, will try what you recommended and heat also.

Was not sure if parts needed to be replaced.

FYI, when I disconnect the steering, the steering cable moves fantastic so it is definetly the motor part of the steering.

Thanks

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

This last happened to me in the fall. The upper bushing wasn't getting any grease. I tilted the motor up all the way and tied a piece of rope around the transom bracket and under the Anti-Ventilation plate. I used a stick to tighten the rope like a turniquet (bad spelling). This forced the motor up higher and allowed space between the transom bracket and the swivel shaft bushing. I was able to force some grease into the top bushing.
The steering is a lot easier, although I will not know if it is fixed until the spring.

 

[CGpilot]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

I have an 85 force and having the same prob. When cable is disconnected I can move it no prob, same as the engine, but when i link them up, they get stiff again, i tried adjsting the steering shaft with no joy....any sughestions?

 

[bigkycats96]

1992 Ranger with a 1992 Mercury 150-steering is tight?????

1992 Ranger with a 1992 Mercury 150-steering is tight?????

This is probably a dumb question, but last year my steering seemed to get a little tighter then usual. I know I have to grease the fittings, but I have only found one underneath the engine on the shaft. Where is the other fittings? Do I have to take the engine hood cover off to see them and grease them, or are they all on the outside? I have been told there are two grease fittings for the steering controls. THANK YOU!

 

[fishhead62]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

I have a 1990 Force 120 and have the same problem. I think the previous owner didnt use the proper grease and it got gunked up in the swivel. I heated it and tried to loosen it up , and it did but when it sat for a week or so it was back to being tight. Im going to heat it again and try and put some more marine grease in . Hopefully this will solve the problem

 

[charliehines4126]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

For some reason I had the same problem.come to find out the Rod end of the cable the steers the engine had a slight bend in it I took it out and and strighten it and all works well now.just a lil something to look at.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

For some reason I had the same problem.come to find out the Rod end of the cable the steers the engine had a slight bend in it I took it out and and strighten it and all works well now.just a lil something to look at.

I've seen bent tilt tubes, also. How they got that way, I will never know, but I've seen it.

This is a really old thread. Since I posted to keep the cables greased, I found out (from teleflex, dealing with a stiff cable) that grease will booger them up. I have since figured out how to get the grease and other contamination out of a cable and relubricate it with 5w30 synthetic oil, restoring it to like new performance. Search here, and on Scream and fly. There's lots of discussion on it.

hope it helps
John

 

[charliehines4126]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

That is great would you share what it is you did with me and how you did it.
thanks

 

[j_martin]

Re: 1988 175 Mercury - Stiff Steering

That is great would you share what it is you did with me and how you did it.
thanks

Pick it out of here. There's several other opinions as well.

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188864

hope it helps
john