Frozen steering

[Cincinnati]

Sorry to hear about your seized steering tube. Here's how I fixed mine when this happened to me...

Use 'PB' penetrating oil on the exposed inner tube (available at Autozone). This stuff is caustic, but works great – much better than WD-40 or liquid wrench. This is both a solvent and oil, so it will clean the exposed surface and hopefully get dragged into the inner tube as you work the steering back and forth. After doing this numerous times, you'll eventually get the inside clean as well. After it is clean, apply a good fogging oil to the inner tubes and work the steering again.

I wouldn't use marine grease or any other type of grease on the tubes. I believe that is what caused my problem as most of the gunk I cleaned up appeared to be hardened grease.

[mtty]

Just an FYI to this issue. I tried it all with the exception of heat. Ended up taking it to the dealer who changed the steering cable. Ouch! I'd have done it myself but didn't have the means to suspend the motor. $150 for parts and two hours labor. Ouch! ouch! At least I'm boating now. And of course the weather has changed for the worse.

[MolarBoater]

Three things to think about. And one opt out option.
1) have a shop replace the aluminum tube and bracket with a custom stainless job (why would they put two dissimilar metals in contact like that anyway...guess who becomes the sacrificial anode?)
2) tap into the pipe at the cable entry end and put in a greese fitting
3) there was a product which was basically a ss nut to thread onto the end of the pipe which had a greese fitting tapped into it...I'll see if I can find that somewhere as it was on the "old" MSN website some time ago.
4) go hydraulic
I have had to disassemble mine this year, run steel wool down on a long drill bit. Only had one washer left over!

[Genelie]

Originally Posted by MolarBoater

Three things to think about. And one opt out option.
1) have a shop replace the aluminum tube and bracket with a custom stainless job (why would they put two dissimilar metals in contact like that anyway...guess who becomes the sacrificial anode?)
2) tap into the pipe at the cable entry end and put in a greese fitting
3) there was a product which was basically a ss nut to thread onto the end of the pipe which had a greese fitting tapped into it...I'll see if I can find that somewhere as it was on the "old" MSN website some time ago.
4) go hydraulic
I have had to disassemble mine this year, run steel wool down on a long drill bit. Only had one washer left over!

You aboutsoluty right...Who in the heck designed that anyway, on my 210....same problem cost me 129.00 for new parts....and only after a couple of use's the alum shaft again is going bad....to keep it greased I must take apart at every 30 hours ....Do you know of good machine people who could make one out of stainless????

[Cincinnati]

If I may butt in... my experience has been that 'grease' is part of the problem. Rather, you should apply an oil. The grease will harden over the winter layup and actually cause the inner tube to adhere to the outer one.

[Wanabe]

I new this one, but took a few minutes to find it on the web. It's a Davis product...Here are some links:

http://www.davisnet.com/marine/produ....asp?pnum=0425
http://www.davisnet.com/marine/produ....asp?pnum=0422

L8r

[mtty]

Cinncinatti, I think you hit the nail on the head. Don't use grease. That's what appeared to foul my steering rod and is also the only thing I ever used.


Wannabe, I had one of the wiper things you posted, it was another brand though. After having gone through this issue I really think it's related to the type lubricant you use. It's almost as though the VOCs evaporated out of the grease over the winter.

[Cincinnati]

Originally Posted by Wanabe

I new this one, but took a few minutes to find it on the web. It's a Davis product...Here are some links:

http://www.davisnet.com/marine/produ....asp?pnum=0425
http://www.davisnet.com/marine/produ....asp?pnum=0422

L8r

Some of the confusion may be that a 'grease zerk fitting' is used to apply and 'oil'. So grease is not being used here. Just would hate to see someone apply something with good intentions and end up with additional problems.

Also, looks like this nut would go on the cable-end and, therefore, would likely require the removal of the motor to gain accesss on most setups.

[ksr5]

I had that problem on my old gradywhite. I found out as many of my friends did who had the same problem they used wd 40 on it and it became frozen we went to marine crc and have never had the problem again.

[Mike in Woodlands]

Just came back from my boat (210 Logic) yesteday. Has been sitting in the storage unit unused since Sept last year.

I did finally get it freed up, but it took a couple of hours, two BIG wrenches, small propane torch, big can of "Boes T Shield" and my adult son to finally get it. The torch is a very scary thing on the back of a "plastic" boat, with an aluminum engine, gasoline lines, electric harness and all those other high price componets back there.

I will get a can of Marine CRC before I go back, and will make it the last thing on the clean up schedule after each trip.

I have been using marine grease liberally applied to the rod, and "hopefully" pulled into the tube. That hasn't worked. BTW this is not the first time the steering has been frozen, but is the hardest it has been stuck.

Mike