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Smellyfish
12-10-2003, 12:28 PM
Hi all, i have a 4.5 m Quintrex runabout and the steering constantly gets sticky. I disconnected the cable from the motor and the motor swings fine so i am guessing it is the cable. There is a greese nipple on the motor bracket that must provide some sort of lubrication to the bar that slides through it But i dont think that is any help as i have pushed greese in it and it really doesnt help any.. Just woundering how i can fix this problem and maintain it so every time head out i can actually make a turn..

Cheers

Kerry
12-10-2003, 01:26 PM
.... the motor and the motor swings fine so i am guessing it is #the cable.

There is a greese nipple on the motor bracket that must provide some sort of lubrication to the bar that slides through it But i dont think that is any help as i #have pushed greese in it and it really doesnt help any.. #Just woundering how i can fix this problem and maintain it so every time head out i can actually #make a turn..

No it's not the cable it's actually caused by that nipple and the fact that your greasing it, it ain't a grease nipple. Cable manufacturers must love those that grease steering cable nipples, it's the grease that sticks things up, big time.

Pull the cable out of the tilt tube, clean the grease of it and all other signs of grease and never grease it again, very bad habit, use CRC, DWF, ATF, oil etc (that's what should go in that oil nipple, oil).

Cheers, Kerry.

SteveCan
12-10-2003, 01:50 PM
Kerry is RIGHT. I have a cable steering set up that was constantly problematical uintil we dissasembled the whole setup and flushed all the old grease out. Now I give it a squirt with Inox after every use (as I do to the motor and trailer after clean up) and it hasn't given me any trouble since.

Cheers and happy boating!
Steve.

Big_Kev
13-10-2003, 03:13 AM
One thing to check that caught me out in the past was a screw located under the steering wheel on the bezel where it is mounted to the dash. It can be tightened to hold the steering in a partcular position by the operator when driving along as it has a small knob and can be handy. Not all steering units have this but at first I thought the cable was stuffed and when I loosened this screw it was all OK. So have a look and check this as well.
Cheers Kev.

Smellyfish
14-10-2003, 02:35 AM
Thanks guys for your advice, I will now take it appart and clean all the crud out. Just another couple of questions. How do i actually remove the cable from the tilt tube ? Just not sure if this involves me disconnecting it from the steering wheel and undoing all the wireing harness along the length of the boat or is there a easier way. I dont think there is enough slack to actually pull the rod out, although i didnt give it too much of a go last failed attempt. Next question, once i have fixed my blunder and oil it all back up, do i just spay some Inox or CRC along the bar and (remove the greese nipple) into the small hole on the tilt tube ?

Once again thanks for the help, its been a real pain and i havent been fixing it..... Steve we still must get out out to Palm Beach Reef this summer if bar conditions are any good :)

Cheers

Kerry
14-10-2003, 05:46 AM
It really shouldn't involve disconnecting things at the steering end but as you mention that just might depend on how it is installed thru the stern.

Once the rod is disconnected from the engine steering arm and able to be moved (hopefully after some gentle persuasion ;)) by putting the wheel hard over (totally with drawing the rod) then that should reduce the distance required to totally extract the cable from the tilt tube.

If "gentle persuasion" don't work sometimes boiling water poured over the tilt tube (rap in rags to keep the heat on) will soften the crud, maybe.

Once fixed then straight CRC or ATF and if you don't have an oil pump then remove that nipple and put as much as you can spray into the hole/cable as well. Fully extend the rod and spray things after every trip and every couple of weeks (if left sitting) turn a wheel a few times.

If you really want to get serious (and remove the whole cable) fill the whole cable with ATF (does take a while to do), especially when fitting a new cable and then NO GREASE, never.

Cheers, Kerry.

Smellyfish
14-10-2003, 03:46 PM
Hi Kerry, "gentle persuasion"....holly CRAP !!!!!!!

it took me from 10am to 4 this arvo to get the cable out, i had to bash the crap out of it to get it too move a mill... than used a heavy duty tent peg to finish off the job. #I was as carefull as could be after that many hours of bashing the cable out to not damage the end, i did OK, it was a little damaged but i lightly filed it off.. #i also took out the cylinder thing that it slides into and thank god i was just tapping the last inch out with the ol faithfull tent peg as i didnt realise that that cylinder thing actually holds the whole motor up and the peg saved me literally... #i than soaked it in petrol, degreaser and a little Hydro Cl Acid and really washed it all out....than thinking this is going to take me all day tomorrow to put back togeter and presto slid streight in.... i was so STOAKED #:) :) #i can now turn the searing wheel from the motor....... #for the fist time in over 4 years its fixed.. sprayed it all with a heap of Inox inside and out and did the motor as well, all ready for a trip...once this wind dies off a bit :)
Thanks heaps fellas, a huge learning cure for me all this but glad its fixed..

Cheers

Big_Kev
14-10-2003, 04:39 PM
Smelly you are a troubleshooting guru LOL.

Kerry
15-10-2003, 03:56 AM
"gentle persuasion" is inversely proportional to the size of the hammer, squared # ;D .... and you swing it with every increasing frustrating blow. #

One of those never will be caught again jobs #[smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Really has me stuffed why a simple little steering lubrication system never took off in the early/mid 90's ??? as something so simple that could eliminate all this crap and extend cable life drastically simply disappeared ??? ::) from the market.

http://www.cqnet.com.au/~user/aitken/steer2.jpg

Cheers, Kerry.

Smellyfish
15-10-2003, 05:22 AM
Absolutely, perhaps some clever minded people should reintroduce a similar system. That photo looks like exactly the set up needed. Something that can be refilled cleaned out and maintained. I can’t understand the concept of this steering set up now I have taken it apart. The small hole through the tilt arm doesn’t go through the inner tube to lubricate the sliding bar ? So when I spray Inox ect.. into the hole sure it could possibly lubricate around the tube but this isn’t the moving part.. Perhaps someone wouldn’t mind setting me straight in my thinking but all seems a little futile when i have to take off the larger nuts at either ends of the cable to lubricate it and perhaps a good idea to once every few months even remove the cable again (allot easier this time :) ) and really get the gear into it...

Once again thanks for the feed back,

Cheers

Kerry
15-10-2003, 05:28 AM
Stop press! smelly, are we talking the same nipple, the one on the motor bracket (tilt tube) proper or the one on the actual steering cable.

The tilt tube nipples (probably one on each side?) won't really (normally) affect the steering cable rod.

Cheers, Kerry.

Cloud_9
15-10-2003, 03:27 PM
Kerry
there are usualy 2 grease nipples on the tilt tube, thats on the motor. and some not all steering cables have the nipple on them, if yours has one of these it will be on or beside the nut that holds the steering cable to the motor. if you don't have a nipple there. undo the big nut on end of tilt tube where steering cable goes into tilt tube and pull the cable out. But you need to deconnect the connecting rod from the end of the cable first! ( S shaped rod left side of motor when standing behind the boat. ) just take it of the rod that slides into the tilt tube. once you have removed s shaped rod, undo the big nut on the tilt tube, turn steering wheel all the way to the right, and you should be able to remove the last little bit thats stillin the tilt tube .
if its still sticky, a new cable is not realy that expencive, about $100 or so depending on the lenght of the cable. have fun.
Cloud 9

Smellyfish
15-10-2003, 05:50 PM
Hi Kerry, i'm not all up with the right techical terms here but will give it a go :)

I have 2 greese nipples further down the leg of the motor that i presume greeses it so it can swing, those two are fine and i greese them often with that blue marine greese.. But this other hole (thought it was a greese nipple told told by a mate) is half way along the tube the cable slides into.. so its horizontal the other two are vertical if you know what i mean..

Cheers

aido
15-10-2003, 09:33 PM
funny enough, teleflex recommends keeping the inner cable greased liberally.
which means grease often.
even with a perfectly operable teleflex steering solution, i can say hydraulics are the go. after my yammy 90 and then 200's taking me where 'they' want to go, hydraulics are the go(boat goes where i want it to go). accept nothing less (for big hp motors).

Kerry
16-10-2003, 05:32 AM
Smelly,

Those 2 grease nipples further down the leg are exactly that and require greasing.

Not sure about this "hole" halfway along the tilt tube as there's really nothing to grease there as the motor tilts around bushes on each end of this tilt tube and these should be greased also. The unkown is if there's some sort of grease bleed off that might direct a little grease into the tilt tube and hence also the steering cable?

One would assume that grease points on the motor proper should be greased but now that you've fixed the steering might be something to keep an eye on as far as where any grease ends up that is put into the "horizontal" nipples as opposed to the "vertical" ones (as you call them). #The vertical ones don't have a problem and don't affect the steering cable tube etc.


funny enough, teleflex recommends keeping the inner cable greased liberally

Funny #[smiley=speechless.gif] they should say that as it's not all that funny trying to unstick stuck steering cables due to crud caused by a mixture of grease and saltwater.

Hydraulic ??? umm, yes it's good but best fitted from new as retro fitting some boat/motor installations simply doesn't work in some cases without major modifications.


Cheers, Kerry.

blaze
16-10-2003, 10:58 AM
Hi all
Been whatchin this post with interest about the pro's and cons of greasing a cable. I never have a problem with mine and this is what I do
On the annual service I remove the inner cable and clean with a rag soaked in fuel, Clean any old grease etc from the tube on the outboard and then liberelly apply grease and reassemble. during the year I regrease the tube end every couple of trips. I do not have any steering problems but often see people a ramps that drop a bit of oil or crc on the tube and think thats all that is needed. I think which ever method is used the secrect is to service regularlly and do it properlly.
I am not a boat expert but a mechanic of 25 years experince and would think my experience counts for some thing
cheers
blaze

dnej
16-10-2003, 12:33 PM
Power steering or auto transmission oil is great also. Squirt on the arm , grap hold of the motor, and move the motor from side to side each time you walk past the motor during the week
David

Smellyfish
16-10-2003, 04:28 PM
Hi Kerry, most likely my termonology that is wrong here, the thing i am calling the tilt tube isnt probably right this hole half way along is in a outer tube that the steering cable goes in, so i am guessing i will spray Inox or get oil into that small hole.

As Blaze and David said perhaps better maintance on my part and just being aware that it needs more attention will help solve 99% of the problem. Took it out for a try to make sure i put it all back together right this afternoon and was great to be able to steer with one hand.. :)

Thanks Fellas for the feedback, have learnt heaps..

cheers
Matt

gruntahunter
17-10-2003, 02:49 PM
Well I,ll be buggered.I have been puttuing up with a jammed steering for yonks and wipe the old grease off and reapply all the bloody time.Why didnt someone tell me this yeras ogo and saved me all this grief? ::)

Cloud_9
17-10-2003, 04:08 PM
bugga me! sarcasium.!! Piss funny.

Cloud_9
17-10-2003, 04:11 PM
kerry if all else fails there'll be more grease and inox round the back of your boat it will have to make it go just a little quicker with all that lube.. Ha! Ha!

Kerry
20-10-2003, 04:03 PM
kerry if all else fails there'll be more grease and inox round the back of your boat it will have to make it go just a little quicker with all that lube.. Ha! Ha!

Probably best you "READ" This LINK (http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfish/board/YaBB.cgi?board=Boats;action=display;num=1065865211 ) Again (maybe a second time if becomes confusing) then TRY again #[smiley=dunce.gif]

Cheers, Kerry.