Steering Cable Stiff

[zip pow]

Cant get my steering cable all the way out of the tilt tube . Steering is real stiff thought I would clean it but can't slide it all the way out. Do I need to take it loose at the wheel to slide it out ?

[Nitrofreak]

Is it a rack style steering or pulley?

 

Usually it's the cable itself that gets moisture in the housing and a low lying area where the cable dips down is where it will gather the moisture and rust the cable and its housing, in short not worth fixing and could be unsafe.

 

I would suggest replacing the cable assy honestly, they are not all that expensive.

[BKeith]

Most likely, you will have to unbolt the motor and pull it away from the transom.  If the cable comes out the a hole in the splash well, the section going through the motor is usually too long get enough clearance to get it out of the motor. 

 

When you do this, you need to go ahead and have your new cable ready to install.  There's not much cleaning or lubing you are going to do that will free it up and last.  I have pulled the end out of the motor and kept working a mixture of auto-trans fluid and brake fluid into it and get them to free up some, but it doesn't last long enough to make it worth the effort.  Also, the steel strands usually have rusted to the point they will start breaking and I don't really think you want to be making a turn while cruising down the and have the cable break if it's a single cable streering.

 

When you bolt the motor back up, make sure you put plenty of silicon on the bolts and in the holes to seal it. 

[zip pow]

Thanks guys it is a rack style steering

[Nitrofreak]

Thats the easier of the 2 to replace, the hardest thing is routing the cable.

 

I assume you are doing this yourself?

[zip pow]

Yes .I've got a big motor shop so i thought I had the mechanical ability lol . I've found some for about a hundred bucks is that a fare price.

[slonezp]

zip pow, Just a thought. Would it be worth your while to upgrade to hydraulic?

[BKeith]

A little hint replacing it/them.

 

Tie about 5/16 or 3/8" nylon rope through the eye on the end at the motor before you pull it out and pull the rope through with it.

 

Also be aware they are sometimes tie wraped to some anchor points inside th gunwall and they may have electrical control cables tiewraped to them so pull carefully. 

 

I find it much easier to pull if you wrap paper around the front and back of that big nut and cover it with tape so it makes a nice tapper (cone shape) in front of and behind the nut so it helps keep it from hanging on everything.  Do the same thing when you pull the new one.  Pulling the rope with the old one gives you something to pull the new one back with.

 

If there's a gas tank back there, it may have to come out to give you access to that side of the gunwall.

 

If it's a rack and pinion and the cables just unbolts of the bottom of the rack, make sure you get then new one back on the right teeth or you may have more turning radius in one direction than the other.  Also the steering wheel is all cockeyed if you don't get it back right.

[zip pow]

zip pow, Just a thought. Would it be worth your while to upgrade to hydraulic?

mite be but I'm going to upgrade boats shortly so the less i invest the better I'll be I hope.

[Nitrofreak]

A little hint replacing it/them.

 

Tie about 5/16 or 3/8" nylon rope through the eye on the end at the motor before you pull it out and pull the rope through with it.

 

Also be aware they are sometimes tie wraped to some anchor points inside th gunwall and they may have electrical control cables tiewraped to them so pull carefully. 

 

I find it much easier to pull if you wrap paper around the front and back of that big nut and cover it with tape so it makes a nice tapper (cone shape) in front of and behind the nut so it helps keep it from hanging on everything.  Do the same thing when you pull the new one.  Pulling the rope with the old one gives you something to pull the new one back with.

 

If there's a gas tank back there, it may have to come out to give you access to that side of the gunwall.

 

If it's a rack and pinion and the cables just unbolts of the bottom of the rack, make sure you get then new one back on the right teeth or you may have more turning radius in one direction than the other.  Also the steering wheel is all cockeyed if you don't get it back right.

 

Good advice here, I generally use mechanics wire, it's much easier to work with for me, wireing is an issue,  you need to be carefull as you pull the old cable out and as you install the new one,  go slow during this process and don't yank the cable if it gets hung up, it will be a little tough to pull out since it is rusted, the bend or dip where it is rusted will most likly not want to give very easily.

 

When you go to put the gear drive back in place ( steering wheel ) make sure the engine is centered left to right, I always seem to be by myself when doing these, I always hook up the steering cable to the pivot on the engine first,  one thing that helps me is the bar that you use to keep your engine in the upright while towing the boat, this keeps the assy centered while I am installing the steering gear to the rack, all I need to do is pay attention to the position of the wheel and make sure it is centered instead of working both ends of the boat for measurements.

[zip pow]

cool good tips