Removing steering cable/arm from tilt tube

[marty_z]

Did a bit of a search on this forum before posting and the consesus is the use a drift to knock the arm throught the tilt tube. I have done this but once the end of the arm disappears about 1-2cm into the tube it gets stuck and won't go any further.

I am afraid to belt it any harder as I fear it will flair the end of the arm and get stuck for good. Someone suggested using a grinder to reduce the diameter of the end of the arm - will this work or is it more likely the arm is slightly bent.

My steering has been stiff for a while, so it may be a better idea to replace the cable altogether. If so do I just cut off the end of the arm and pull the cable through the other end? I assume the tilt tube can be cleaned up as good as new using a 5/8" drill? Or should I replace this too - and if so where would i get a new tilt tube?

Thanks for any advice

Marty

[Noelm]

cut it off, replace the lot, mucking about with steering is a waste of time, the tube can be cleaned out OK, not too sure about a drill, but sandpaper on a dowel or something will do the trick, DO NOT put crappy grease back on the steering, use only true Marine grease if you must use any, NOT waterproof or bearing grease it will just dry out and go hard and you will be back where you are now.

[Spaniard_King]

Marty,

Probly a dumb question but you have undone the nut on the oposite side of the arm you ahve been hitting :( Also nuthing is fouling the other end as it comes out??

Sometimes you have to be a bit brutal with the bad ones. I use a peice of 16mm booker rod as a file to clean out tilt tubes, you can even turn down one end and use it like a drill :)

[Roobone]

GDay Marty, Have included my original post for the same problem on dads old 85 yamy. I am a Diesel fitter and can assure you i had to use an allmighty punch to get the arm out of my tilt pivot. Work it out, blow compressed air up the tube, spray WD40 or CRC up the tube then work the arm back in then keep this up until you get her out. Mine scored the shaft/arm badly so I had to use emery paper end wet and dry to clean it up when it was out. Read all the replys that came back from from my original post because there was some great information from people who had been there and done it. I can't work out why the mighty Y engineers have not considered making this a greaseable tube. You can buy very small diameter stone hones from REPCO or anyone who does up brake cylinders that are perfect (if not the best) for getting the rust out of the tube. The other thing is I am pretty sure the tip of the arm is a smaller diameter that the rest of the arm so you would do well to mushroom and jam the arm in the tube. Hope it goes to plan. From Roobone.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/icons/icon6.gif YAMAHA Steering shaft seizure!
Yamaha 85AET steering shaft seized where it passes through tilt pivot, just realized that the gease nipples there don't feed the shaft, is this not a major design oversight, anyone have quick fix or ideas about ongoing easier lubrication method other than having to pull cable end rod out of motor pivot and lubing with grease, seems like a big pain in the!
Boat Name TJ

Home Port G.C. Seaway

There are some who say they have but havn't!
There are some who wish they had but havn't!
There are some who have that wish they hadn't!

[marty_z]

Thanks for all the advice - I have added it to everything I read on other topics in this forum.

Garry - yep I had the nut off - in fact I had the pivot tube out of the motor so had plenty of access to it. This should make reaming it out alot easier.

Noel - exactly what I needed to hear. I cut the arm in half and the two ends came out real easy. Even with the cable in a straight line on the garage floor and the arm out of the pivot tube, turning the steering helm was still tight. Was fairly sure the cable had seen it's best days so cutting the arm in half was the easiest solution.

Roobone - I think everything these days is engineered with a degree of built in obsolence - after all if they made things to last for ever they would probably go broke. My boat is just short of 10 years old, and the original owner(s) didn't give it as much care as I do, so I can't complain too much about having to replace the cable. I have learnt heaps in the process, so that is a good thing too.

Marty

[dnej]

Marty,there is a stainless steel one now available.Should be a lot better
David

[Noelm]

OK, now it is out, remember to use only Proper grease, I use only OMC Triple gaurd, it is Blue in colour and will never dry out or go hard, it is fairly expensive, but you only use it on some places, like the swivel bracket and so on, I have a grease gun with some in it, and that is all I use for any Outboard grease nipples, some say do not use grease at all, only Oil, but I have found that proper grease will be OK for years and years

[cormorant]

Has anyone seen in shops lately the grease nipple adaptor to place on the tilt tube to keep the steering in apermanent grease bath? Remember seeing the thread ages ago but can't find it now no a supplier on a quick google search


Better than that has anyone used them as there used to be several designs and how well do they work?

Anyone??

[Roobone]

Outboard steering seized stiff tight jammed yamaha cable linkage

Once again I know this was a long time back but for those who ever do a search on this topic I came up with a long term fix on this issue.

1. Remove shaft from tube and remove tube from tilt. (put it on da bench)

2. Drill and tap tube in dead centre, tap to 1/8 gas, npt or bsp

3. Grind little end tit off thread end of grease nipple and and take spring and ball out of nipple.

4. Fit nipple, clean out tube, sand paper, file, drill and do what ever you have to do to make shaft run smooth through tube. I dropped mine to brakeland and let them hone with there brake cylinder hone machine. This takes off any metal protruding from end of grease nipple inside tube.

5. Clean, grease (with what ever grease you want) and fit tube. Fit nipple with bit of 577 Loctite pipe sealant or if you can't get that don't worry about it.

6. Grease with one pump from a grease gun with any grease you can get your hands on before and after every trip or when ever it makes you happy.

7. Happy days, will never touch it again.

[Roobone]

And here is a pic of the finished product!


;D

[Noelm]

if you use the right grease, (or none at all, just some oil) you will not need the grease nipple setup, using "any grease you can get your hands on" is asking for trouble.

[cosmo]

I put a new steering cable on my boat a few years back and it has a rubber cap over the end of the tilt tube that rod comes out of. On the inside of this rubber cap is an oil soaked pad. If you keep the oil up to the rod you will have no drama's. From memory the instructions that came with the steering cable said "DO NOT GREASE - USE OIL ONLY"

[Noelm]

yep, oil is good, as is proper grease, but any other grease is a disaster.

[Mindi]

Noel and others... I am a bit confused. If I want to put Hydrive steering on my Yammy 60 4 stroke I think I just have to undo the connect rod and the cable nut on the entry side and the cable will pull out from the entry side...? am I kidding myself and should expect to have to get into tilt tube removal territory..? Sorry for dumb question but better know how deep the water is first....also..what does the grease nipple in the pictures actually grease..? the tilt or the steer..?
As you can see I have plenty of side clearance to use a Sportkit ...but now I am wondering what I will get into when I start pulling it apart.

[cosmo]

Mindi - Those grease nipples only grease between the ouside of the tilt tube and where the motor attaches to it. So yes it greases the tilt.

[Noelm]

the sportkit is almost a direct replacement for what you have now, the tilt tube stays just as it is and the "ram" goes through it (sort of) you need side clearance because the hydraulic "bits" stick out one side, easy to fit, reasonably cheap and work a treat.

[maru222]

my came lose yasterday ye ha ha

my steering has be frozen solid for "4 years " to the best of my knowledge


step 1 , use coco cola bottle filled with desile on end of tube to completely soak for 12 days
step 2 hit with lump hammer 20 times each day
step 3 move steering wheel if you can or losen cable at wheel end
step 4 after 12 days hit with large slegde hammer it does not appear to fan the end or do damage
step 5 when s/s tube enters tilt tube ,pull a steel rod slightly smaller diameter in tilt tube and continue to hit

"if a new tube has to go in that way, the old one has to come out the same way'

worked for me ,and i intend to use old steering cable as it does not appear damaged
good luck
dave