OMC HELP........please

[fendersfender]

well, my stringer drives are gonna cost me some more money!!!! will it ever end??? any way, put boat in water yesterday and while on my way to slip, i noticed that i could'nt steer....steering was very difficult, power steering pump would squeal belt when trying to turn....once at dock i inspected all steering components....everything seemed ok, so i started her up and worked steering wheel back and forth until steering was free like it should be, i thought it was ok...until today when i returned to boat and started only to find out that steering was once again stiff....i have twins and when i tried to steer it appeared that engines were pulling towards each other or pushing them apart....so i unhooked starboard steering shaft (port motor has power steering pump) and port drive steered smoothly as it should, so...this leaves problem at starboard engine.........my conclusion has come down to steering gearbox mounted at rear of engine or the shaft that goes through intermediate housing...anyone ever had this problem??? I might also mention that i noticed today that i was taking on water through rubber bellows around outdrive..so boat is now out of water...will replace bellows tomorrow, any tips??thanks for any help

 

[Don S]

Re: OMC HELP........please

well, my stringer drives are gonna cost me some more money!!!! will it ever end???

Not as long as you keep them in the boat and try to use them. <br /><br />Do you know what the 4 letters in BOAT stands for?

 

[fendersfender]

Re: OMC HELP........please

bring on another thousand!!!!!! I'm thinking my next boat will be a 12' jon with electric trolling motor

 

[Don S]

Re: OMC HELP........please

I'm thinking my next boat will be a 12' jon

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!!!!<br /><br />

with electric trolling motor

Ooops,,,, There ya go down the wrong path already, and I thought you were learning.. <br /><br />Sure hope someone can answer your questions though, I'm sure not an OMC guy

 

[Boatist]

Re: OMC HELP........please

The rubber seal around the outdrive is very easy. Of course must be out of the water. When I did mine I did it without taking the outdrive off. Tilted the outdrive up some and removed the band that holds the rubber seal to the outdrive. Then all the screws from the metal frame that holds the rubber seal against the transom.<br /><br />Had to streach the rubber some to get over the outdrive but the old rotted one came off without tearing so figured the new one would go back on.<br />Cleaning off the old sealer and getting every thing clean is the hardest part.<br /><br />New seal streached over the outdrive very easy took less than 5 minutes. Last part is very messy. I did a dry fitting first to make sure pretty even and smooth. You need to put sealer all the way around the rubber where it seals to the transom. I also made sure each screw had enough sealer to keep water from getting to the transom thru screw holes. The instruction with the rubber boot said to remove the outdrive and to use a specific sealer. I think it said polyurafane (can't spell). Anyway the stuff I used was black and never hardens. Very messy job and a lot of clean up when done. Where the hose clamp holds it to the outdrive very easy but use the same sealer. My boot came with instructions and I did everything except remove the outdrive. My unit was a series 400. Took about 2 hour with just me and the wife working on it. Did do a lot more clean up after the sealer set up some.<br /><br />Your stearing problem could be the stearing shaft has not been lubed. It has a zert fiting outboard on the Starbord side of the ball gears. Has another zert fitting on the inboard side of the stearing shaft that is very hard to see and get a grease gun on. I use a mirrow and changed the position of the 90 degree zert fitting some to make it eaiser. Mine is true course stearing not power sterring. Also the inboard fitting may be easy to access from outdoard when you have the boot off. There is also one more zert fitting just above the exhaust hole that has a hole only big enough to get grease gun tip thru. I think this is also for stearing pivot in the outdrive. All in the OMC manual ofcourse.<br />Good luck

 

[KaGee]

Re: OMC HELP........please

Scott, not familiar with the power steering setup. If the problem is in the steering shaft, the drive will have to come off so you can get to it. If you can get an extra set of hands, that drive will come off in 30 minutes or less. I spray the shift cable with a good dose of silicone to help in pulling it through.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: OMC HELP........please

Give the swivel bearing in your drive a shot of grease, the fitting's under a plastic plug if it's still there- through a hole in the exh hsg.

 

[fendersfender]

Re: OMC HELP........please

thanks all....i,m on my way to the boat, hopefully all goes well

 

[fendersfender]

Re: OMC HELP........please

WHEW!!!!....all went well today, my steering problem was the gear box behind the engine, looks like there was moisture inside, i took apart and had to beat the output shaft out of the housing, shaft and bushing were all corroded (so wonder it would steer at all), i cleaned up shaft and bushing with emery paper, replaced seal, and greased her up and re-installed....works perfectly.....i also replaced transom boot today, simple job...hardest part was cleaning up all old adhesive.......back to the water tomorrow...WOO HOO....lets go catch some fish