Re: Steering Trouble on a 94' Starcraft
I just went through this mess on a new-to-me, '95 Trophy with a 120hp Force on the back. The sad part is, and trust me, I learned this recently and have been bad about it too, that preventative maintenance could eliminate future issues like this one, and mine. The steering/tilt tube, at the motor where the cable goes through and then attaches on the Starboard side, is easy to apply grease to, but rarely gets anyone's attention. In my case, it had locked up to the point that I had to cut the cable, pull the motor off and I still couldn't get the remaining cable out of the tilt tube. And this is after applying heat for 3 days. That's how "stuck" they can become. Previous Owner had been using this boat up until about a month before I purchased it. He said he thought the steering was a little "stiff", but that's as far as he worried about it. $300.00 later, I have it fixed (I got really hurt on a new tilt tube), but I know one thing for sure: I will always keep an eye on that steering tube and I plan to pull the cable totally out, annually, and using a shotgun bore cleaning brush to clean out the old grease before I apply new.
Just an aside to the great instructions above: If your tilt/steering tube on the outboard is still "ok" (meaning the cable can still be pushed or pulled through it) there's a chance you can 'open' the access hole where the cable comes out/goes into the splashwell of the boat. In my case, I could use a 3/8" bit to "enlarge" that hole to where the cable was allow to sit level with the tube when reinstalling or removing. Look at that because it could save you from having to remove the outboard if you're not equipped to do so. Obviously, removing it is the best option, but at least there is another alternative.
