Steering Grease...What Type?

[Marlin_Mike]

I have to pull my steering arm out of the tilt tube to clean it up, as it has once again gunked up the grease and is frozen inside the tilt arm.

There must be a better grease to use. I currently use the blue boating grease form Castrol. If it isnt used for a few weeks, and it has rained, the grease gunks up, almost solidifies and freezes the arm so i have no steering.

Is there a better grease that stops this happening? I have heard that there is an oil some use in their tilt arm to lubricate the steering arm. Or am i using the wrong grease?

Any opinions welcome and appreciated.


Mike

[murf]

I am still using Inox 3 years after getting the boat second hand to try and clean out the grease, the previous owner had used grease and clogged it up

I would never use grease as the oils wash out leaving the clays behind

cheers Murf

[Roughasguts]

Clean the grease out with WD 40 and either spray inox or silicone spray on the cable or you could use Vaselene if you prefer something thicker.

Neither one of the products above go hard.

[oldboot]

the general word is ...Don't use grease.....at lest on the rod....as previous posters have said one of the aerosol products with some body in it is the go.
Lanox seems popular... it leaves a decent film behind, but doesn't gum up like grease.

cheers

[ozscott]

Mate - I used the have the same problems - we all have I think. I was told by Teleflex when I installed the new cable and helm to thoroughly clean out the old tilt tube including a light hone and then to use a little bit of AUTO transmission fluid on the ram (extend it and coat it) and the tube...not much either. Then use a felt rather than rubber end cap ($2 each). I did that and it works like a beauty. You should still move the steering every same 3-4 weeks to keep it sweet but you wont get that massive build up of hardness that the grease causes.

Cheers

PS. I have tried mixing grease in the past with oil etc but auto trans is the go

[Marlin_Mike]

would lanolin grease be Ok to use?

Mike

[Roughasguts]

Yeah that be fine.

[dnej]

as said, power steer fluid is fantastic.
David

[Marlin_Mike]

wht stops the steering fluid from leaking out of the tilt tube where the steering arm goes through?

[fsh00]

Ditto, I only use a light oil on the s/s rod whilst the young bloke turns the wheel, it draws the oil into the tube, had no drama in 3 years and do it every month.

[ozscott]

you dont need it to be sloshing around in the tube just coat it and then as above suck some in every now and again.

Cheers