tight steering

[sonnie]

i have a 50hp yamaha. great engine but steering is extremely tight. i have loosened the steering cable, and found that the cable is fine. the problem definitely sit with the engine mounting. i have already greased it such that the grease is forced out at the bottom of the joint. but to no avail. how can one lighten the steering without dismanteling the whole joint/power head? <br /><br />(i have tried penetrating oil and it did help a little) if at all possible, an exploded parts view of a typical assembly would be apreciated.<br /><br />thanks in advance.<br /><br />sonnie

 

[S.T. Marine]

Re: tight steering

Hello,<br /><br /> What you have to do is heat the swivel section with a torch.... Working it back and fourth. Eventually it will spin freely and the old grease will spill out as heating it.. Once it turns free let it cool down a bit and add new grease.... If the motor is not greased regularly the water seeps in and causes it to get tight... Grease every 4-6 months and you will see the water come out of the top then the grease will come out Good luck

 

[sonnie]

Re: tight steering

i'll try that thanks.<br /><br />sonnie

 

[hondon]

Re: tight steering

In all likelyhood ,you are bound up in the tilt tube, and not the swivel bracket.Here is how to tell.Release the engine tie bar from the end of the steering ram and if the engine then can be swiveled with little resistance you can rule out anything to do with the engine.Now unscrew the big nut that secures the steering cable to the tilt tube and pull the cable out.Keep in mind that on some boats you will need to remove the motor from the boat to accomplish this.If everything now moves freely at the helm you need to hone the tilt tube or replace it.

 

[ob]

Re: tight steering

hondons on the right track.Before putting any heat on the swivel bracket completely remove the steering cable link and try turning engine by hand.The steering tube becoming corroded and restricting ease of movement is quite common.

 

[sonnie]

Re: tight steering

definitely the swivel joint. in fact the tilt joint is as bad, but once in position i dont have to worry about it until i come out of the water.<br /><br />is there any special precaution so i dont make the paint blister? i'll be using a small butane torch set on low.

 

[ob]

Re: tight steering

Wierd deal sonnie.I think you are going to have to sacrifice a little paint in the area the torch is used in order to transfer enough heat to the bushing.Only other thing I can think of to try would be a heat gun if you have access to one.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: tight steering

Oh yea sonnie, make darn sure there is no fuel present at time of flame up, for you might have more to worry about than stuck steering.

 

[45_red]

Re: tight steering

Before you resort to the torch, you could try removing the grease fittings, washing out as much grease as you can with PB Blaster or similar, and keep working the swivel and squirting the penetrating oil into the grease ports. Another possibility is drilling and tapping for grease zerks on the back side. The Bernzo Matic style propane torches don't put out enough heat fast enough to be very effective, Matco style might do it but an oxy-acetylene "flame wrench" is the ticket. Be very safety conscious and have a helper with an extinguisher standing by if you do use a torch.Good luck