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TroyVIS
19-08-2012, 12:47 PM
Hi All,

Not a good start today, up and rounded up the kids and wife. Packed the boat & lunch, rods bait etc. down to the ramp, put the boat in still on the trailer and start the motor only to find out the steering is seized! Few choice words back home again and stripped off parts of the steering.

The motor turns freely with the cable disconnected. The shaft running through the hinge part of the motor is seized. I loosened up the cable and it moves easily enough.

The shaft is stuck all the way in, I don't see a way of getting the cable off without removing the engine (90hpHonda) I'm guessing I need to remove the cable so I can knock the shaft back out from the starboard side.

Anyone have any experience with this? Any tips?

Thanks
Troy


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Troy Wood
19-08-2012, 03:33 PM
Try a bit of lanox and a pair of vice grips on the stainless cable piece coming thru the tilt tube on the port side of your engine.
Try and twist, rotate the cable with some one turning the steering wheel right hand down. Sometimes you can free them up this way. Do not put to much force on the steering wheel as you could damage the helm.

TroyVIS
19-08-2012, 04:47 PM
Thanks Troy much appreciated? I'll give that a go.

Great name BTW.

cheers
Troy


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Noelm
20-08-2012, 08:19 AM
ahh, the old stuck steering trick! do a search on here, this has been covered 50 times I reckon, when/if you ever get the steering free, make sure you fully remove the steering shaft from the tilt tube, and give it a good clean out, or it will be stuck next time you go out too.

Fed
20-08-2012, 09:12 AM
I wouldn't try & rotate the shaft maybe just a little twist back & forward.
The shaft is joined to the cable which goes right up through the helm so you don't want to wind it up.

Being stuck in you might think about making up a little slide hammer to get it moving towards the port side.

If you don't want to pull the motor off to fully remove the cable then once it's free extend the shaft as far as possible (port side) & give it a good grease then remove it as far as possible (starboard side) & give it a good grease.

After that keep the grease up to it & move it every week or so.

You might want to think about pulling it towards the port side with any old bit of threaded something with a bit of pipe over it and winding it out with a nut.... seems like that would be a little more controlled.

Argle
20-08-2012, 12:34 PM
You can also drizzle a bit of gear oil on the shaft and work it back in and out, the gear oil helps keep the grease inside from drying out. used this method on my old boat and it worked a treat (thanks again SteveDemon for those that were around back then) Also once its freed up try and give the wheel a spin lock to lock once a week if you remember to help keep it free.

Cheers

TroyVIS
20-08-2012, 04:38 PM
Great tips thanks again guys. Will have another go this evening.

Cheers
Troy


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Dignity
20-08-2012, 06:52 PM
Troy, I am a liitle conused, you want to remove the cable from the shaft out from the "starboard" side after disconnecting the cable. From what little I have played with, the cable is connected to the shaft and a few taps of the hammer on the port side will see it start to move - eventually or are we talking about different style of steering.Sorry if I am barking up the wrong tree. Does it look anything like this:
http://www.teleflexmarine.com/products/mechanical-steering/light-duty/

TroyVIS
24-08-2012, 11:12 AM
Thanks Dignity - yep same thing. Just managed to get a pair of vice grips on the tip of the rod and wiggle it very carefully so it just loosened up. Also had put on some gear oil a mate gave me which must have helped. Pulled it through as far as I could and cleaned it all up oiled it and put it back. Good as new.

Thanks for all the help, can get out and try catch some fish again..

Noelm
24-08-2012, 11:17 AM
you will need to completely remove the cable fom the tilt tube and clean it all up, or it will be stuck again very soon.

TroyVIS
24-08-2012, 11:40 AM
Thanks Noel - job for Sun me thinks..