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How do I go about freeing up a real tight steering system. 175 hp johnson on a 17 foot deep v with what I assume is rack and pinion at the helm and a flexible cable to the motor?
See if the actual cable is jammed or the rod that goes into the tube is sticky. If its the cable, then the cable needs replacement. You can spray some PB blaster on the tube and see if it cleans up.
Agreed, it's not necessarily the cable. Could be junk inside the tilt tube or a dent in the tilt tube catching the steering ram at the end of the cable.
If it's been a while since the cable has been replaced, it's most likely a bad cable and cleaning it up will prove fruitless. If after you've looked at the tube and also looked for obstructions and find nothing....don't bother wasting your time on the cable itself....replace it.
Been down this road a few times, most recently with my Jetboat...put a new steering cable on it in Septmeber 2010 and am very glad I did.
