steering on 2008 Cayman Cypress 20ft pontoon

[usmeagle]

Folks, is there a way to make the steering a little less "sticky" on my pontoon. Its a 2008 Cayman 20ft with a 40HP Honda 4 stroke and i've greased all the joints around the motor. I dont know much about boats but is there anywhere else i could grease or lube to make the steering a little easier?
Thanks

 

[HotTommy]

It sounds like its time to do some troubleshooting. My guess is that you have a cable system that goes into the housing at the front of the engine (near the transom) from the starboard side. If so, a shaft comes out of that housing on the port side and is connected to an arm that swings the engine left and right. I'd disconnect that arm and move the engine and steering wheel independently. That should tell you which is more responsible for the friction you feel. .... If the motor turns easily but the steering wheel is stiff, then the cable may be corroded internally, or someone may have rerouted the cable and put a sharp bend in it. If the motor itself is hard to turn and you've lubricated the assembly on which it pivots using the lube fittings, you may need to have it serviced. .... This is all one amateur's opinion.

 

[ahicks]

If you disconnect the steering arm as Tommy mentions above, you can quickly confirm if it's a motor swivel issue or a cable issue. Though it's possible to have a motor side issue, they are pretty unusual. It's nearly always the cable creating the headaches, especially if the plastic coating is cracking due to sunlight exposure. The shaft on the left side of the motor should have a thin layer of grease on it. Without that it can be pretty draggy sliding through the tube that the motor tilts on.

In any case, the steering should turn with one finger. If it's not, it's a problem worth taking care of ASAP. It's not going to get any better by itself, and worse case, steering cables aren't THAT expensive!

 

[usmeagle]

thank you for the response, yes it certainly doesnt turn/steer that easily so i'd like to look into it, this will give me a start and since i really didnt know what to look for i thank you for your replies.