How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

[cotaone]

Can someone please tell me if it's absolutely necessary to remove a motor off the transom and slide it over to remove a steering cable? I have a Johnson 120 on the back of a 1988 Bayliner Trophy, and the steering is frozen. I've removed the steering link arm from the end of the cable shaft and the motor turns freely in both directions. The helm is fine too. There seems to be a lot of corrosion in the starboard tilt tube, and I was wondering if there is enough room from the engine into the inside of the stern to move the steering cable to clean the tilt tubes? I don't have a lift to move the motor, and have no idea of how to properly take the motor off anyway. Can somebody give me advice on what I need to do? Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Is there room to unbolt the motor and slide it over a bit? That's the way if you can't get it out of the steering tube.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

There's room enough to slide it over about 8 inches. I need more than that to clear the end of the shaft from the starboard tilt tube to clean it out.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Lifts rent cheap. Engine hoist/aka/cherry picker.

 

[jdlough]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

My solution may be a bit extreme, but I cut a hole in the side of the splashwell.

Pics in this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=559335

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

So then, you're saying that you have to remove the motor to get the steering cable out. Getting a lift is the easy part. Remember I've never done this before, so I would imagine that if I do this wrong I might break something. What is needed to get the motor up, and how many hoses and wires do you have to disconnect to do it? Sorry for my inexperience, so I will need your expertise here.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Thanks jdlough for the pics and the advice about drilling the extra hole in the side of the spashwell. That was what I was asking originally, which was, is there a way to remove the steering cable without taking off the motor? I like what you did. Looks like it worked great for you.

 

[louiefl]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=571891&p=3927022#post3927022

Removing the engine is not a big deal as you only need to lift it long enough to get the cable out and then set it back on the transom. No need to disconnect anything. Imagine a straight line from the tilt tube towards the side of the well. If the hole does not line up you will never get it out unless you lift / slide / enlarge the hole.

 

[jdlough]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

louiefl, that is a great write up on replacing a steering system. It should be a sticky.

I also appreciate the pic showing the guts of a rotary helm.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread....22#post3927022

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Ok. New day. Going with JD's idea, I took the boot off on the starboard splashwell and it looks like somebody else had the same idea, because there is already a notch out that is in perfect alignment with the steering cable. Now I knew that the big nut was going to be a bear to get loose because it's seized to the threads on the tilt tube. So I've been soaking the threads with PB Blaster for about a week now. So I get my wrench on the big nut, start to loosen it, and the whole tilt tube is coming loose with the big nut still seized to it. Can anybody give me an idea how to hold the threads without messing them up so I can loosen the big nut?

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Hold on there a minute. I just went through this. Do not loosen that nut or the one on the opposing side. The only nut you looseen is the chrome one that's attached to the steering cable. If you push that tube through your motor WILL fall as that holds it in place. More in a second, but I want you to read this first.

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Well, I should've said, that's what held my Force 120 on my Trophy. I'm not sure about yours, but there should be a total of 3 nuts, including that chrome one on the cable. That will loosen and then you'll know if the cable will actually come out of the tilt tube. Odds are, that's what's corroded is the cable to the inside of the tube and that's going to require heat, more heat, and then some luck.

In my case, I had no choice but to fabricate a lifting eye and take my motor out and replace the tilt tube. The tubes are simple to replace, but it definitely needs to be free from the transom to have room. The cable will fit through the "extra" space the PO cut in the splashwell, but I'm not sure the tilt tube will....at least it wouldn't on mine.

I have put enough heat to my old tube and pounded it with a steel 32oz hammer and it still will not budge. I don't need it anymore, but I thought if I could free it and clean it up I could sell it on Ebay and get a little bit of the money back I invested in the new one, but no such luck. Post a picture if you have one of your set-up so we can confirm/deny that your tilt/tube does in fact secure your motor. Odds are it does.

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

By the way, assuming you're going to replace your steering cable, have you cut the old one off yet? If not, it makes it easier to verify if you need to lift the motor or not. Again, if you have to remove the tilt tube then you have to find a way to secure the engine and that's normally done from above.

For the record, I had never removed an outboard either, up until this point (assuming we don't count 9.9hp kicker motors, lol) and I was able to accomplish it, I'm sure anybody else can as well. The key is to figure out a way to make (or purchase or borrow) a lifting eye to secure the hoist to the motor. I was in my garage and just put a strong eye bolt through a 4x4 put across two rafters (ceiling joists in my case) and then used a cable come-along to lift it. I tested the strength of the setup by cranking it up and it started to lift the whole boat and trailer. After I swallowed my throat about 10 times, I finally decided to loosen those 4 transom bolts and ratchet that sucker up there. Much to my surprise, it was simple as pie. Feeding the new tube back in was a little disconcerting, but that was mainly because I had NO idea what I was doing. Now, I figure I can start a small "outboard tilt-tube removal business" on the side, buwahahaha.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Emoney, luckily, I didn't unscrew the tilt tube enough to do any damage, so I screwed it back to where it was when I started. I am not planning to replace the teleflex cable if I can help it, so I will get out my heavy hammer and my torch and get to work. I'm assuming that when you torch the big nut you need to cover everything else with a wet towel or something to keep from scorching everything. But I sure would like to find a way to secure the tilt tube to keep it in place ( maybe weld it huh?) just kidding. I believe I have a picture of the motor sitting on the transom. I will add it if I can find it.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Emoney, I tried to reply and send a pic of the motor on the transom but I seem to have lost the message when I sent it. So let's try this again. I'm not planning to replace the teleflex steering cable, so I guess I'll get out the big hammer and torch and see if I can loosen the big nut that way. and you are right, there are 2 nuts on either side of the tilt tube, and the big nut attached to the steering cable. That big nut is seized like crazy, but I still would like a suggestion to keep the tilt tube from turning while working with the cable nut. I assume that you need to have a water soaked towel on the other wires and everything else to keep from scorching right? Hey I know, maybe I can weld that tilt tube in place huh? (just kidding).

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Also be careful not to mushroom the end of the cable trying to knock it back through. There's very little clearance around that thing in the tilt tube and the slightest change won't allow it to slide out. Is yours stuck or stiff? Also, can you post a pic of the front of the bracket, from inside the splash well?

I didn't cover anything I just focused my torch, but I had "detail tip". Just be sure to mind your lines with the flame....especially the gas lines, lol. LOTS of heat. If you try for a few hours and she don't move, search "engine removal" and find how to build a 2x4 "gantry" outdoors. I used an $18.00 rachet come-along "hoist" from Harbor Freight, 3 bolts a 4" square washer and big eye bolt, loosened the 4 transom bolts and cranked that sucker off there. Once I got it through my head that the thing only weighed 300 lbs and it wasn't the thousand pound monster I assumed it was, I got up the bravery to whip it and I did. I've read posts where a guy and 2-3 big buddies lifted one off just by man-handling it.

You'll get it, just keep us posted.

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Also, post some "up close" pics of the tilt tube. If there's 2 nuts on the Starboard side - one chrome on the cable and another next to the bracket on the tube, then it shouldn't move trying to knock it from the port side when you hammer.

 

[emoney]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Just an aside, btw, nothing more, however; when I posted about mine it was suggested that I rig a hoist and lift the motor. I didn't think I was capable and resisted that for over a week, spending each night applying heat, hammering, etc. Had I hoisted it the 1st day, I would've been on the water about an hour after started, give or take, lol.

Some folks use a strong tree limb to attach their hoist/come along to, btw. Just a couple thoughts. Do what's comfortable to you, of course and don't forget to update us when you're done.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Emoney, I can send the close up pics, but there are 2 tilt tube nuts, one on the port side and one on starboard. But before I can try to knock out the steering ram, I still have to try to heat the big chrome steering cable nut on the starboard side to loosen it. That's what I was asking about to keep the tilt tube from turning when I'm trying to turn the big nut on the steering cable. It seems that tightening the 2 tilt tube nuts doesn't prevent the tilt tube itself from turning when I try to remove the seized big nut. Maybe I need to crank down on the 2 tilt tube nuts to get them tight enough to keep the tilt tube from turning.

 

[cotaone]

Re: How can you remove the steering cable without removing the motor?

Ok. Well I got my torch and heated the steering cable nut, then hammered, then heated, then hammered, and so on and so forth for about 15 minutes. Then I got my vice grips, gave the nut a try, and nothing. Whole procedure over again, and again nothing. Well I needed to mow my lawn, so I was going to put the link arm back in the end of the steering ram, and I needed to move the shaft a little to line up with the link arm. So I thought I would get my cresent wrench and catch the flat end of the steering ram, and it moved pretty freely. Hmmm......so I sprayed some white lithium grease into the port tilt tube and rotated the ram up and down several times, and looked at the starboard side, and the cable sheath was rotating too! So I thought that if the whole ram and cable were rotating within the tilt tube, then it must not be stuck as I thought. So I hooked the link arm back to the ram and turned the steering wheel. No luck, still frozen. Somebody explain that one. If the ram will rotate freely inside the tilt tube then how can it be frozen and why will the wheel not turn?