Stiff steering

[iggyw1]

I have a 1991 70 H.P. Nissan motor. Don't know my model number right off, and my boat is still in storage for the winter, but i think my problem is pretty standard for most motors no matter what the model number is (could be wrong). My steering cable has a rod on the motor end of it that goes thru a tube on the motor. Tht rod and tube are dirty and filled with hard crud (old grease)? I watched a video on removing the steering rod from the tube, cleaning it and replacing it back into the tube after I clean it out. I am just curious to see if anyone has done this, and if so, is it as easy as the guy made it look on his video? Looked like not that much to it at all. I am wondering if there is anything that I could do to make things go wrong for me?

I have cleaned the rod almost every time out last year as I can turn the motor so the rod is extended outside the tube, but when I turn the other way so the rod goes into the tube, then turn it out again, the rod is all black again and never seems to want to get clean enough by just doing this. Als saw a video that says to remove the two grease fittings on the tube and shoot some WD-40 or kerosene into the openings to clean the tube out. Worried if I try this the fittings will snap off and break then i would have a problem. Any thought on any of this?? Thanks!

 

[MattFL]

If it's stiff from old grease, I would remove the cable from the motor then use a stiff brush like a shotgun bore cleaning brush or other that will fit snugly inside the hole, saturate it all with WD-40 and scrub like crazy, or put it on a drill. The WD-40 (or your favorite solvent) will dissolve that old grease and wash it out easily. Re-grease and re-assemble.

 

[iggyw1]

nks for your input. The guy in the video on how to do it makes it look pretty easy.

 

[MattFL]

Cleaning out the tube with a brush and some solvent is very easy, the hard part is getting the cable in and out.

 

[iggyw1]

Cleaning out the tube with a brush and some solvent is very easy, the hard part is getting the cable in and out.

I just don't want to get into a situation where I get the cable out, clean the tube then not being able to get the cable back in. I will probably try it myself before I take it to a mechanic. I imagine the worse that could happen is I get the ting out, clean the tube and have to pay the mechanic to get the cable back into the tube for me. Saw a video on which the guy doing it drove the cable out with a steel rod from the end of it when it came flush with the end of the tube. He had a MAJOR problem getting it back in. Sounds like this is quite common??

 

[MattFL]

Sounds like the guy was forcing the cable out. If the cable is difficult to remove completely, you may not need to remove it completely. Remove it as far as you can, clean the part of the tube that you can access then check how it works. If the cable comes out easy it will likely go in easy. If it's extremely difficult to remove because of tight space against the boat, then putting it back in with likely also be difficult if you remove it all the way. This will vary boat to boat.

 

[iggyw1]

O.K. I removed the cable, cleaned it & put it back in. It was much easier than I thought it was going to be. Before I did anything at all, I could not move the steering wheel without really laying into it with both hands and it would barely turn at all. I got the cable rod out of the tube completely. The tube was relatively pretty clean. I ran some carb cleaner on a small piece of rag a few times and the tube inside was shiny when I got done. The rod itself had gobs of old grease on it that was a very waxy type of substance, and not slippery at all. Actually, it was very sticky!! I cleaned the rod very well. It was shiny when done. I put some fresh marine grease on it and worked it back & forth with the steering wheel and re-greased it before I put the cable back into the tube.
Things feel fine now after I completed the repair (Maintainance) on it. Should be good to go. There is still a small bit of resistance on the wheel with my boat on the trailer, but I do not think that I want it any loser so I can take my hands off of the wheel when needed as I am going slow without having the boat turn.
Thanks for your input!!

 

[MattFL]

I've had good luck putting a boot over the exposed portion of the cable. This seems to extend the life of the grease and keep the water out. This is what I'm using now:

Amazon.com

 

[iggyw1]

UPDATE on my stiff steering and important question: I purchased a new rotary type steering system like I currently have on my boat because my steering is still very tight. I have my old one all out now, and the new one just came in today. I want to install it tomorrow, 5-12-2023. My question is this:
All of the videos that I watched on how to do it says to turn the steering wheel to the left when feeding the cable end into the helm, however, on my old one, I had to turn the wheel to the left to get it out, NOT to feed it into the helm. Seems like it may have been put in wrong from the very beginning (1991 model Smoker Craft) Does it matter if the feed starts in the top connection on the helm or into the bottom connection of the helm?? Currently, the cable feed entered into the bottom connection and came out of the top connection, but ALL the videos show to feed it into the top and out the bottom. I do not know if I have the room to change it from what it is now. Thanks Looking for a very quick answer so i can get it done tomorrow.

 

[iggyw1]

I posted a new question about my stiff steering, and now seeing that my post states April 6th, I figured nobody would look at the old post, but PLEASE do if you can help me with my steering questions. Thank you! IGGY

 

[iggyw1]

UPDATE on my stiff steering and important question: I purchased a new rotary type steering system like I currently have on my boat because my steering is still very tight. I have my old one all out now, and the new one just came in today. I want to install it tomorrow, 5-12-2023. My question is this:
All of the videos that I watched on how to do it says to turn the steering wheel to the left when feeding the cable end into the helm, however, on my old one, I had to turn the wheel to the left to get it out, NOT to feed it into the helm. Seems like it may have been put in wrong from the very beginning (1991 model Smoker Craft) Does it matter if the feed starts in the top connection on the helm or into the bottom connection of the helm?? Currently, the cable feed entered into the bottom connection and came out of the top connection, but ALL the videos show to feed it into the top and out the bottom. I do not know if I have the room to change it from what it is now. Thanks Looking for a very quick answer so i can get it done tomorrow.

EDIT: O.K. I think that I see now that if I start the cable in the wrong connection, the boat would turn the wrong way! LOL.. I will figure it ou when I install it tomorrow!!

 

[jbcurt00]

Bump

 

[MattFL]

Without having any idea what you're looking at, it's difficult to give tips. If it's a rack and pinion type deal, then yes you can attach the rack to the wrong side and the steering will be opposite. Ask me how we found that out as teenagers, and took the boat out anyway... because we were stupid teenagers LOL. Other than that, I'm not sure what you're referring to.